Abstract Objective: Amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) is a simplified bedside neurophysiology tool that has been implemented in the neonatal intensive care unit and studied in an extensive range of clinical applications in the past decade. This critical review aimed to evaluate a variety of clinical applications of aEEG monitoring in diagnosis, clinical management, and prognosis assessment in critically ill neonates. Sources: The databases of Pubmed, SciELO, Lilacs, and Cochrane, books, and other online resources were consulted, as well as sources of professional experiences. Summary of findings: The clinical use of aEEG to access real-time brain function, background activity, and utility in seizures detection has been described. A critical review was realized considering the authors’ professional experience. Newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and seizures screening represent the most common studied population. However, several studies have shown interesting applications on preterm infants, newborns with congenital heart disease, and other clinical situations of high risk of injury to the developing brain. Conclusion: The aEEG has shown to be a useful non-invasive bedside monitor that aids in evaluating brain function, background activity, and cyclicity. aEEG findings have also demonstrated good prognostic value in a group of critically ill neonates. The aEEG seizure diagnosis capability has limitations, which have been already well established. The use of neonatal brain monitoring such as aEEG was shown to give valuable information in several high-risk clinical situations.

FUNDAMENTOS: O carcinoma basocelular é a forma mais comum de câncer em humanos. OBJETIVOS: Identificar a epidemiologia do carcinoma basocelular em Taubaté-SP e verificar possível associação entre a topografia e os diferentes subtipos histológicos deste tumor. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal e descritivo realizado no Hospital Universitário de Taubaté entre 01/01/08 e 31/12/09. Foram incluídos neste estudo indivíduos com diagnóstico confirmado de carcinoma basocelular, de ambos os gêneros, sem restrição quanto a idade. As variáveis estudadas foram ocorrência do carcinoma basocelular, topografia, subtipo histológico, cor da pele, idade e gênero. Foi utilizado o teste do qui-quadrado para identificar associação entre o subtipo histológico e a topografia, e o teste t de student para comparar a média de idade de acometimento entre os diferentes subtipos histológicos. RESULTADOS: Foram incluídos 239 indivíduos.A média de idade da amostra foi de 68,0 anos. O gênero masculino foi o mais prevalente(57,7%), assim como a pele branca(87,1%).O subtipo histológico predominante foi o nodular(34,7%), seguido do subtipo superficial.A localização mais frequente foi a região de cabeça e pescoço(área fotoexposta), com predomínio da região nasal. Exceção para o subtipo superficial que mostrou forte associação com áreas cobertas como o tronco. A média de idade de incidência do carcinoma basocelular superficial também diferiu dos demais subtipos histológicos, 63.0 e 69.0 anos, respectivamente. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados sugerem associação do subtipo histológico superficial com faixas etárias mais jovens e áreas cobertas, relacionando o mesmo com um padrão de exposição solar intermitente, mais semelhante ao padrão de fotocarcinogênese do melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of cancer in humans. OBJECTIVES: To identify the epidemiology of basal cell carcinoma in Taubaté-SP and verify a possible association between topography and the different histological subtypes of this tumor. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at The University Hospital of Taubaté between 01/01/08 and 12/31/09. The study included patients with a confirmed diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma, of both genders, without age restrictions. The variables studied were incidence of basal cell carcinoma, topography, histological subtype, skin color, age and gender. We employed the chi-square test to identify the association between histological subtype and topography, and the student's t test to compare the mean age of onset for the different histological subtypes. RESULTS: The study included 239 individuals. The mean age of the sample was 68.0 years. Male subjects (57.7%) and whites (87.1%) predominated in the study. The predominant histological subtype was nodular (34.7%), followed by the superficial subtype. The most frequent sites of involvement were the head and neck (areas exposed to light), with predominance of the nasal region. The superficial subtype was an exception, as it showed a strong association with unexposed areas like the trunk. The mean age of onset of superficial basal cell carcinoma also differed from that of the other histological subtypes, 63.0 and 69.0 years, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest an association of the superficial histological subtype with younger patients and unexposed areas of the body, linking this type of tumor with a pattern of intermittent sun exposure, more similar to the standard photocarcinogenesis of melanoma.