A major concern associated with ZIKV infection is the increased incidence of microcephaly with frequent calcifications in infants born from infected mothers. To date, postmortem analysis of the central nervous system (CNS) in congenital infection is limited to individual reports or small series. We report a comprehensive neuropathological study in ten newborn babies infected with ZIKV during pregnancy, including the spinal cords and dorsal root ganglia (DRG), and also muscle, pituitaries, eye, systemic organs, and placentas. Using in situ hybridization (ISH) and electron microscopy, we investigated the role of direct viral infection in the pathogenesis of the lesions. Nine women had Zika symptoms between the 4th and 18th and one in the 28th gestational week. Two babies were born at 32, one at 34 and 36 weeks each and six at term. The cephalic perimeter was reduced in four, and normal or enlarged in six patients, although the brain weights were lower than expected. All had arthrogryposis, except the patient infected at 28 weeks gestation. We defined three patterns of CNS lesions, with different patterns of destructive, calcification, hypoplasia, and migration disturbances. Ventriculomegaly was severe in the first pattern due to midbrain damage with aqueduct stenosis/distortion. The second pattern had small brains and mild/moderate (ex-vacuo) ventriculomegaly. The third pattern, a well-formed brain with mild calcification, coincided with late infection. The absence of descending fibres resulted in hypoplastic basis pontis, pyramids, and cortico-spinal tracts. Spinal motor cell loss explained the intrauterine akinesia, arthrogryposis, and neurogenic muscle atrophy. DRG, dorsal nerve roots, and columns were normal. Lympho-histiocytic inflammation was mild. ISH showed meningeal, germinal matrix, and neocortical infection, consistent with neural progenitors death leading to proliferation and migration disorders. A secondary ischemic process may explain the destructive lesions. In conclusion, we characterized the destructive and malformative consequences of ZIKV in the nervous system, as reflected in the topography and severity of lesions, anatomic localization of the virus, and timing of infection during gestation. Our findings indicate a developmental vulnerability of the immature CNS, and shed light on possible mechanisms of brain injury of this newly recognized public health threat.

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There were variations in the presentation and evolution of the cases during these 12 year. The established pulsetherapy protocol continues to be useful to treat severe cases.

Introduction: The study of placentas from pregnant human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive women has become the subject of numerous studies in the literature. Morphological, viral, immune and inflammatory placental aspects have been analyzed in order to grasp the vertical transmission of the virus. Objective: To identify the most frequent findings in the placentas by associating them with a viral antigen and correlating them with the infection of newborns. Material and methods: Thirty-five placentas from HIV-positive pregnant women were pathologically and immunohistochemically analyzed with the use of p24 antibody in the period from 1992 to1997 in accordance with the routine laboratory testing from the

We report the occurrence of congenital toxoplasmosis in three infants born to HIV infected women who had high anti-toxoplasma IgG and negative IgM during pregnancy. We briefly reviewed available literature and discussed the possible transmission mechanisms of congenital toxoplasmosis among HIV infected pregnant women. Serum samples were tested for Toxoplasma gondii IgM and IgG antibodies using commercial enzyme immunoassay and IgG-avidity tests. In the first case, fetal death occurred at 28th week of gestation. In the second case, congenital toxoplasmosis was diagnosis at 6th month of life; and in the third case, an HIV-infected newborn, congenital toxoplasmosis was asymptomatic. These cases point out to the possibility of enhanced maternal-fetal transmission of T. gondii infection by HIV-infected women chronically infected, which may have important public health consequences, considering that increasing frequency of HIV-infection has been observed among women of childbearing age around the world.

BackgroundNeurofibromatosis 1 is one of the most common genetic diseases in humans, presenting with multiple neurofibromas and an increased risk of various benign and malignant tumors, including breast cancer.Case presentationIn this paper we report a case of a woman with neurofibromatosis 1 and the challenge associated with detecting an advanced breast cancer because of numerous skin neurofibromas, which were responsible for a substantial delay in cancer diagnosis. Literature concerning the association of neurofibromatosis 1 and breast cancer is reviewed and discussed.ConclusionsBest practice guidelines for breast cancer detection are not sufficient for the screening of neurofibromatosis 1 carriers. A more intensive clinical and imaging approach should be used if the same early detection rate as in non-neurofibromatosis 1 women is to be achieved.

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This report presents the case of a patient with gestational trophoblastic neoplasia after a partial hydatidiform mole formed in the Fallopian tube. Ectopic molar pregnancy is a rare condition, with an estimated incidence of 1 in every 20,000 to 100,000 pregnancies; less than 300 cases of it have been reported in the Western literature. The present report is important because it presents current diagnostic criteria for this rare condition, which has been incorrectly diagnosed in the past, not only morphologically but also immunohistochemically. It also draws the attention of obstetricians to the occurrence of ectopic molar pregnancy, which tends to progress to Fallopian tube rupture more often than in cases of ectopic non-molar pregnancy. Progression to gestational trophoblastic neoplasia ensures that patients with ectopic molar pregnancy must undergo postmolar monitoring, which must be just as thorough as that of patients with intrauterine hydatidiform moles, even if chemotherapy results in high cure rates.