RESUMEN
The histopathological features of four cases of placental involvement in schistosomiasis mansoni are described. One of the pregnancies resulted in a normal newborn, the other three in stillbirths. Adult worms were found in the intervillous space in one case and in the decidual vessels in another. Eggs were found in the placenta in all cases, in the intervillous space, within villi, or in the decidua. There was no evidence of fetal infection. The differential diagnosis with other forms of granulomatous placentitis is discussed.
Asunto(s)
Enfermedades Placentarias/parasitología , Esquistosomiasis/patología , Adolescente , Adulto , Femenino , Granuloma/parasitología , Granuloma/patología , Humanos , Placenta/patología , Enfermedades Placentarias/patología , Embarazo , Schistosoma mansoniRESUMEN
The vitamin A concentration in liver samples taken at autopsy from the central portion of the right lobe of 57 infants 0-1 year old was determined by a dual spectrophotometric and colorimetric assay. Death was due to respiratory disease (30%), complications of premature birth (16%), infections (14%), hemorrhage (14%), pneumonia (10%), cerebral edema (7%), and miscellaneous causes (9%). Gross malnutrition was noted in only 2 of these children. The median vitamin A concentration was 61 micrograms of retinol/g liver, with a range of 6-293 micrograms/g. The percent distribution of liver vitamin A levels in micrograms/g was: less than 5 (0%); 5-10 (7%); 10-20 (5%); 20-40 (16%); 40-80 (42%); 80-120 (14%); greater than 120 (16%). The mean liver level in 9 stillborn full-term infants (60 micrograms/g) was markedly lower than in 7 stillborn premature infants (125 micrograms/g). The median value for 22 infants from indigent families (54 micrograms/g) was lower than that of 35 infants from non-indigent families (65 micrograms/g). By applying the criteria that liver reserves of vitamin A less than or equal to 5 micrograms retinol/g of liver indicate a high risk of vitamin A deficiency and those less than 20 micrograms retinol/g of liver denote an inadequate reserve, no infant was at high risk but 12% had insufficient reserves.