Introduction: Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous follicles. Treatment should be early and effective to prevent scarring and psychosocial effects, and isotretinoin is the drug of choice for moderate or severe cases.
Objective: To assess efficacy, safety and tolerability of an isotretinoin similar to the reference product.
Methods: A bicentric study, with therapeutic intervention was conducted, including 50 participants aged 13 to 35 years, with moderate to severe acne, using isotretinoin 0.5 mg/kg/day up to 120 mg/kg. Efficacy was assessed through lesions counting, the investigator's global assessment (IGA) scale, patient satisfaction and application of the quality of life questionnaire specific for Acne (Acne Qol). Safety and tolerability were assessed by analysis of adverse events and laboratory tests. Results: Mean age was 20 years, 70% of participants were men, with a reduction of 99% of lesions after treatment and complete remission of lesions in 91.5% of participants. IGA scale reduced 98% in the score after treatment. Also, 100% of participants declared to be satisfied, with significant improvement in quality of life. Adverse events were similar to those described in the literature.
Conclusion: The assessed isotretinoin was equally effective, safe and well-tolerated when compared with published data of the standard product.

Keywords: ACNE VULGARIS; TREATMENT OUTCOME; ISOTRETINOIN

Sporotrichosis is a disease caused by the dimorphic fungus Sporothrix spp. The number of cases has been increasing, notedly in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where it is now considered a public health problem. The recommended treatment employs antifungals, however in case of persistence of the lesions or when there is contraindication, cryosurgery is an option, since the fungus is sensitive to extreme temperatures. The authors report 3 cases of sporotrichosis treated for longer than 6 months with itraconazole and/or potassium iodide, all yielding incomplete response and where cryosurgery was successfully used as an adjuvant treatment.

Keywords: SPOROTRICHOSIS; OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS; CRYOSURGERY

SUMMARY: Melanoma is the main cause of death in dermatology (it is an aggressive type of skin cancer being one of the main causes of cancer death) due to its high metastatic power. When detected in early stages, its surgical treatment can be curative. When detected in more advanced stages, its prognosis is reserved and can be lethal. During the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, many medical activities were suspended. There are few data in the literature evaluating the impact of the pandemic on the evolution of patients with melanoma.
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiological, clinical and histopathological aspects of melanomas diagnosed at the Instituto de Dermatologia Professor Rubem David Azulay (IDPRDA).
METHODS: This is an observational, retrospective and unicentric study, where the requests and histopathological reports of skin biopsies performed at IDPRDA between January 2018 and December 2021 were reviewed and their epidemiological and clinicopathological aspects were subsequently evaluated.
RESULTS: A significantly lower incidence of melanoma diagnosis was not found during the pandemic years, but patients were diagnosed at more advanced stages of the disease, which shows a delay in diagnosis due to Covid-19.

Keywords: Melanoma; COVID-19; Pandemics.