Utero-placental apoplexy during induction of therapeutic abortion in a 18-week pregnancy.

Utero-Placental Apoplexy, or Couvelaire Uterus, is a third-trimester major obstetrical complication, occurring especially during labor. It consists of placental abruption followed by an acute intradecidual hemorrhage produced by the rupture of the uterus-placental spiral arterioles leading to a retroplacental hematoma. This hemorrhage infiltrates the uterine wall up to intra- and retro-peritoneal areas. We provide a case report, on which no previous literature is available, of a utero-placental apoplexy during induction of therapeutic abortion.

The management of complications following displacement of oral implants in the paranasal sinuses: a multicenter clinical report and proposed treatment protocols.

This study retrospectively analyses paranasal sinus complications following displacement of oral implants in the maxillary sinus treated according to clinical situation by functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), an intraoral approach, or a combination of both procedures. Over 5 years, 27 patients (13 male; 14 female), aged 27-73 years (mean 53.9 years), underwent treatment for postoperative complications involving the paranasal sinuses following displacement of oral implants in the maxillary sinuses. According to the complication (implant displacement, implant displacement with or without reactive sinusitis and/or with or without associated oro-antral communication), patients were treated with FESS, intraoral approach to the sinus, or FESS associated with an intraoral approach. Follow up lasted for at least 1 year with clinical and radiographic controls. 26 patients recovered completely; one patient underwent re-intervention with FESS and an intraoral approach 2 years after implant removal, due to persistent signs and symptoms of maxillary sinusitis and oro-antral communication. Postoperative recovery after the second procedure was followed by complete recovery. The results demonstrate that a rational choice of surgical protocol for the treatment of complications involving the paranasal sinuses following displacement of implants in the maxillary sinuses may lead to reliable results.

Prenatal stress induces body weight deficit and behavioural alterations in rats: the effect of diazepam.

Prenatal stress may induce intrauterine growth retardation, but it is not known whether a treatment with the anxiolytic benzodiazepine, diazepam may interfere with this phenomenon. A daily physical stress consisting of a forced immersion for 15 min in cold water was applied to pregnant rats of the Wistar strain from gestational day 5 until parturition. Animals were treated either with physiological saline or with diazepam (0.1 or 1 mg/kg/day) injected intraperitoneally 1 h prior to stress application. Control animals received injections of physiological saline but were not subjected to physical stress. Newborn pups subjected to prenatal stress showed reduced body weight as compared to control animals. Offspring were also examined for the appearance day of the following reflexes: cliff aversion, startle, righting, forelimb placing, forelimb grasping and bar holding. Hair growth, and first day of ears and eyes opening was also scored. At 60 days of age, male rats from the three experimental groups were subjected to behavioural tests, i.e., constrained swim (despair test) and step-through passive avoidance response. Animals subjected to prenatal stress showed a delayed appearance of all neonatal reflexes and behavioural deficits in adulthood, namely increased immobility in the despair test and reduced retention of a passive avoidance task. The prenatal treatment with diazepam totally counteracted the effect of stress, normalizing the time-course of neonatal reflexes and the behavioural responses in adulthood. No difference was seen between the effects of the two drug doses. It is concluded that prenatal physical stress may induce body growth retardation and may be considered as a model for human intrauterine growth retardation. The treatment with an anxiolytic benzodiazepine, such as diazepam, may counteract the effects of prenatal stress interfering with the biological consequences of stress concerning probably cerebral neurotransmitters in both the unborn foetus and the pregnant rat.

Behavioral and endocrine effects of growth hormone administration in aged female rats.

Growth hormone (GH) secretion declines during normal aging along with reproductive activity in mammalian species. Various behavioral changes also occur in aged animals. In these experiments we have studied the effects of GH administration on behavioral and endocrine alterations exhibited by aged (18 months old) female rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain. Animals were selected showing at least 2 weeks of cornified vaginal smears (constant estrous) and treated with GH (0.1 mg/kg SC) daily for 8 weeks. Vaginal smears performed during the drug treatment revealed a recovery of estrous cycle in 60% of animals. GH treatment was also followed by an increased acquisition of shuttle-box active avoidance behavior and a facilitated retention of passive avoidance response. Compared to saline-injected controls, female rats treated with GH also exhibited a decrease of novelty-induced excessive grooming. The endocrine pattern of GH-treated aged female rats revealed a decrease in plasma prolactin levels and an increase in luteinizing hormone and 17 beta-estradiol levels as compared to those of control animals. These results support the concept that behavioral and endocrine alterations occurring in aging are not irreversible and that GH may interfere with these changes probably by means of its trophic action on different target organs.

MDA-assisted psychotherapy with neurotic outpatients: a pilot study.

Ten neurotic patients (five males and five females) were treated over a period of 2 to 6 months (mean, 4.1) as outpatients. The study allowed for a maximum of 75 hours of psychotherapy (mean, 51.55 hours). During the course of treatment, two to four (mean, 3.5) administrations of MDA (3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine) were employed as adjunctive aids in an effort to enhance the psychotherapeutic process. The mean duration of the drug sessions was 8 hours (range, 6 to 14 hours). The first administration of MDA took place when, in the therapist's judgment, sufficient rapport had been established with the patient. All patients received an initial dose of 75 mg of MDA; subsequent dosage was allowed to range up to 200 mg. On these occasions, the drug appeared to be well tolerated with no serious side effects or complications observed. Psychometric assessments were obtained pre- and post-treatment, employing the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), Wittenborn Psychiatric Rating Scales (WPRS), and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). In addition, follow-up evaluations were obtained 6 months after the termination of therapy by the use of the MMPI, WPRS, BPRS, and a Social History Questionnaire (SHQ) which had also been administered before treatment was initiated. Clinically, the impression was obtained that psychotherapy and the adjunctive use of MDA appeared to facilitate improvement in these patients. This impression was substantiated by significant reductions in scores on the psychometric assessments measuring depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive traits. The meaures evaluating the sense of well-being and self-actualization also were encouraging. Although some of the patients were not as responsive as others, there were no observations to suggest that the condition of any of these patients had become worse.