Corynebacterium striatum is a potentially pathogenic microorganism with the ability to produce outbreaks of nosocomial infections. Here, we document a nosocomial outbreak caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) C. striatum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. C. striatum identification was confirmed by 16S rRNA and rpoB gene sequencing. Fifteen C. striatum strains were isolated from adults (half of whom were 50 years of age and older). C. striatum was mostly isolated in pure culture from tracheal aspirates of patients undergoing endotracheal intubation procedures. The analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) indicated the presence of four PFGE profiles, including two related clones of MDR strains (PFGE I and II). The data demonstrated the predominance of PFGE type I, comprising 11 MDR isolates that were mostly isolated from intensive care units and surgical wards. A potential causal link between death and MDR C. striatum (PFGE types I and II) infection was observed in five cases.

Apresentamos imagens de tomografia computadorizada de um paciente de 83 anos de idade com histiocitoma fibroso benigno profundo, na face lateral da perna esquerda, com evolução de longa data. À tomografia computadorizada observamos massa bem delimitada, ovalada, e que apresentava intenso realce periférico com uso do meio de contraste iodado. Este é um tumor de partes moles pouco freqüente e com raros relatos dos seus aspectos de imagem.

We present the computed tomography images of an 83-year-old male patient with a deep benign fibrous histiocytoma at the lateral aspect of the left leg. Computed tomography images showed a well-defined mass with marked peripheral enhancement by iodinated contrast medium. Only few reports of this rare soft tissue tumor can be found in the literature.

A enxaqueca oftalmoplégica é síndrome rara em que a cefaléia se associa à oftalmoplegia por paralisia do terceiro, quarto ou sexto nervos cranianos. Ocorre mais freqüentemente em crianças e adolescentes. Ao exame de ressonância magnética (RM), com uso de gadolínio, é observado realce transitório do nervo afetado. Apresentamos o caso de um adolescente, 16 anos, masculino, com história típica e hipersinal nas seqüências ponderadas em T1 pós-infusão venosa do gadolínio na porção cisternal do nervo oculomotor esquerdo. No exame de controle, realizado 18 meses depois, houve remissão completa das alterações na RM. O hipersinal do oculomotor à RM é sempre patológico; entre os diagnósticos diferenciais devemos incluir neoplasias (linfoma, leucemia), infecções (SIDA, sífilis), doenças inflamatórias não-infecciosas (sarcoidose, síndrome de Tolosa-Hunt) e vasculares (aneurisma da artéria comunicante posterior).

Ophthalmoplegic migraine is a rare syndrome in which headache is associated with ophthalmoplegia and third, fourth or sixth cranial nerves palsy. It occurs most frequently in childhood and teenagers. At magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with gadolinium (GD-DTPA) it may be observed a transitory enhancement of the affected nerve. We present the case of a male teenager, 16 years old, with typical medical history and enhanced signal at left oculomotor nerve in cisternal portion at MRI weighted in T1 with GD-DTPA. On the control exam, eighteen months later, there was no remarkable lesion. The enhancement of oculomotor nerve at MRI is always pathological and among the differential diagnosis we must include: neoplasia (lymphoma and leukemia), infections (AIDS, syphilis), inflammatory process (sarcoidose and Tolosa-Hunt syndrome) and vascular (posterior communicating artery aneurism).

A síndrome de Hallervorden-Spatz é afecção neurodegenerativa, autossômica recessiva com duas apresentações clínicas: precoce e tardia. Esta última é caracterizada pelo acometimento psiquiátrico e a presença de sinais piramidais e extrapiramidais. Relatamos o caso de mulher de 41 anos, com história de alterações extrapiramidais. O exame de ressonância magnética (RM) mostrou o sinal dos olhos-de-tigre, lesão dos globos pálidos mediais com deposição de ferro periférica (hipo-sinal) e gliose central (hipersinal), nas seqüências com tempo de repetição (TR) longo. Há forte relação entre o sinal na RM e mutações no gene responsável pela lesão, fazendo deste exame sensível o suficiente para a realização do diagnóstico da doença.

Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome is a neurodegenerative disease, autosomic recessive with two clinical features: early and late onset. Psychiatric, pyramidal and extrapyramidal signs are present in the late subtype. We report the case of a 41-old woman with extrapyramidal signs. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed the eye-of-the-tiger sign in the medial globus pallidus. This is due to a gliosis (increased signal) and accumulation of surrounding iron (decreased signal intensity) in long TR sequences. There is a strong relationship between MRI findings and the gene mutation responsable for this disease. It makes the MRI sensible for diagnosing this syndrome.