ABSTRACT Endomyocardial fibrosis is a restrictive cardiomyopathy characterized by the deposition of fibrotic tissue in the endocardium, predominantly affecting the ventricular apices and atrioventricular valves. Although classically described in endemic regions and low socioeconomic settings, its pathophysiology remains incompletely understood. The coexistence of endomyocardial fibrosis with noncompacted myocardium has not been previously reported. Here, we describe a 57-year-old man, an amateur endurance cyclist, who presented with a two-year history of progressive heart failure symptoms, including fatigue, ascites, and lower limb […]

Highlights ■ Most acute flood-related presentations were managed on site. ■ Wound care predominated among post-flood procedures. ■ Point-of-care testing prioritized dengue and influenza. ■ Psychological support was integrated into frontline disaster care. ABSTRACT Objective: Floods are the most common natural disasters worldwide, and their health impacts are exacerbated by climate change and population vulnerability. Humanitarian missions are essential for providing rapid and sustained medical care in disaster settings. However, evidence regarding the clinical and procedural aspects of multidisciplinary care […]

Highlights ■ 30-day unplanned readmission rate was 21.13% across the cohort. ■ Random Forest and LightGBM showed the best-balanced model performance. ■ Prior Emergency Department visits, labs, and vital signs were key readmission predictors. ■ Both models achieved median AUC 0.70 with consistent performance. ABSTRACT Objective: This study aims to develop Machine Learning models to predict 30-day unplanned readmissions in cancer patients treated at a private hospital in Brazil. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included admission records of hospitalizations lasting […]

Dear Editor, A recently published article in the journal Dermatitis has caused us significant concern. The paper describes a series of toys marketed abroad under the name “Miniverse™ Make It Mini Sets”.() We believe it is necessary to alert pediatricians and other specialists, including allergists and dermatologists, about the risks associated with these kits intended for young children. The reality described in that letter equally applies to Brazil, as these toys, imported from China, are widely available in our market. […]

This journal publishes case reports() when they: (a) report a previously undescribed disease or novel manifestations of a known disease; (b) describe outbreaks or atypical disease patterns; (c) document adverse treatment effects not yet widely recognized; (d) report the use of therapeutic agents not conventionally indicated for the condition under consideration; or (e) address therapeutically challenging situations for which no consensus-based management guidelines exist. Some journals rarely accept case reports, while others publish them exclusively.(-) […]

ABSTRACT Objective This systematic review evaluated the effectiveness of photobiomodulation for preventing recurrent herpes labialis. Methods Eligibility criteria were defined using the PICOS framework, and only randomized clinical trials were included. We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, the Virtual Health Library, and gray-literature sources. Of the records identified, nine reports underwent full-text assessment, and three studies met the eligibility criteria. Results Two trials reported lower recurrence frequencies after photobiomodulation compared to control interventions, while one trial found no […]

ABSTRACT This review synthesizes current evidence on host immune responses to bacteria, their roles in the development and progression of periodontitis, and emerging immunomodulatory therapeutic strategies designed to restore periodontal homeostasis. Periodontitis develops through interactions between a dysbiotic bacterial community that disrupts host–microbe homeostasis and a chronic, maladaptive interaction with the host immune system. Key immune subversion microorganisms such as Porphyromonas gingivalis trigger inflammation while subverting immune surveillance by evading complement-mediated clearance and impairing neutrophil function. This dual behavior creates […]

Highlights ■ Dental service production declined sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. ■ Recovery remained incomplete across all dental service indicators during 2022–2025. ■ Oral health promotion and prevention activities showed the largest reductions. ■ Recovery patterns varied markedly across Brazilian Federative Units. ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze changes in dental service production in Brazilian Primary Health Care from 2015 to 2025 and characterize pandemic-associated disruption and post-pandemic recovery by procedure type and Federative Unit. Methods: This ecological interrupted time-series study used […]

Highlights ■ Oral and tracheal pathogens persisted throughout mechanical ventilation. ■ S. aureus showed consistent oral-tracheal correlations at both time points. ■ Tracheal K. pneumoniae load increased after 48 hours and  exceeded oral load. ■ The oral microbiota may contribute to lower respiratory tract colonization and systemic infection. ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate the prevalence, co-occurrence, and temporal dynamics of Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in oral and tracheal samples from critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation. […]

ABSTRACT This case documents the clinical pattern of a fibrinopurulent ulcer with a hyperplastic lesion that developed after the initiation of two classes of targeted therapies acting on different components of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway (BRAF inhibitors [BRAFi] and MEK inhibitors [MEKi]). A 66-year-old woman was diagnosed with choroidal melanoma in the right eye in 2012 and successfully treated by choroidal melanoma resection. Tumor recurrence was diagnosed 8 years later. Nivolumab and ipilimumab were prescribed, but this combination […]