A case of bilateral cryptophthalmia and euryblepharon with two-stage reconstruction.

PURPOSE: A two-stage reconstruction of cryptophthalmia and euryblepharon occurring in the same patient is described. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: The 7-month-old patient underwent forniceal reconstruction and upper eyelid reformation in a two-stage procedure that used the excess lower eyelid tissue present in euryblepharon to augment the cryptophthalmia-related upper eyelid deficiency. CONCLUSIONS: To reconstruct the eyelids of this patient with both cryptophthalmia and euryblepharon, we were able to use the manifestations of one disorder to address the deficiencies of the other.

Safety of community drinking-water and outbreaks of waterborne enteric disease: Israel, 1976-97.

Waterborne disease remains a major public health problem in many countries. We report findings on nearly three decades of waterborne disease in Israel and the part these diseases play in the total national burden of enteric disease. During the 1970s and 1980s, Israel's community water supplies were frequently of poor quality according to the microbiological standards at that time, and the country experienced many outbreaks of waterborne enteric disease. New regulations raised water quality standards and made chlorination of community water supplies mandatory, as well as imposing more stringent guidelines on maintaining water sources and distribution systems for both surface water and groundwater. This was followed by improved compliance and water quality, and a marked decline in the number of outbreaks of waterborne disease; no outbreaks were detected between 1992 and 1997. The incidence of waterborne salmonellosis, shigellosis, and typhoid declined markedly as proportions of the total burden of these diseases, but peaked during the time in which there were frequent outbreaks of waterborne disease (1980-85). Long-term trends in the total incidence of reported infectious enteric diseases from all sources, including typhoid, shigellosis, and viral hepatitis (all types) declined, while the total incidence of salmonellosis increased. Mandatory chlorination has had an important impact on improving water quality, in reducing outbreaks of waterborne disease in Israel, and reducing the total burden of enteric disease in the country.

Induced second trimester abortion by extra-amniotic prostaglandin infusion in patients with a cesarean scar: is it safe?

BACKGROUND: One result of the advancement in prenatal diagnosis is an increase in the need for second trimester pregnancy terminations. Extra-amniotic infusion of prostaglandins is a common technique used for such pregnancy termination. Since prostaglandins cause strong uterine contractions, many practitioners are hesitant to use this technique on women with a uterine scar. In this study we tried to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the technique for women with a previous uterine scar. METHODS: This retrospective study included all women with a complete medical record who underwent a second trimester pregnancy termination at our institution by extra amniotic prostaglandin E2, during a 6 year period. The study group included all women with a previous uterine scar. The group of women without such a scar served as the control group. RESULTS: Three hundred and forty women had their pregnancy terminated, but only in 282 cases was the medical information complete (research population). The study group (35 women) characteristics were similar to those of the control group (247 women). We found no difference in the abortion interval, the need to use an additional method, the need for curettage and in bleeding complication between the two groups. There was no case of uterine rupture. The group of women with multiple uterine scars was too small for analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that extra amniotic prostaglandin infusion is an effective and safe technique in women with a uterine scar.

PIP: This retrospective study examines the effectiveness of second trimester-induced abortion using prostaglandin infusion among patients with a previous cesarean scar. Data were gathered from medical records of all women who underwent second trimester pregnancy termination using extra-amniotic prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) infusion at Meir Hospital between January 1992 and November 1997. Women with a history of cesarean section comprised the study group (35) and women without scar served as controls (247). This technique involved the infusion of 10 mg PGE2/500 ml of normal saline to noncesarean women and 5 mg PGE2/500 ml to women who had undergone cesarean section. The study found no significant difference between the two groups in the need for a special procedure such as curettage and/or bleeding complications and uterine rupture. Results demonstrated that the presence of a cesarean scar does not seem to pose a risk in this technique. Extra-amniotic prostaglandin infusion was therefore an effective and safe technique for second trimester pregnancy termination among women with previous uterine scar.

Orbital development after enucleation in early childhood.

PURPOSE: To identify growth retardation in the orbits of children who have undergone enucleation and orbital implantation. METHODS: Children who underwent unilateral enucleation for retinoblastoma were examined. Any patient who had received external beam radiation or chemotherapy was excluded. Follow-up time was 5.5 to 10 years (mean, 8.33 years). Several linear measurements were made on the enucleated orbit and the fellow orbit. These measurements were compared using the paired Student t test and multivariate analysis of variance. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in any of the measured orbital dimensions between the enucleated and fellow orbits. CONCLUSIONS: Enucleation in children, when combined with a large orbital implant, does not cause orbital growth retardation.

Severe juvenile vaginal bleeding due to Glanzmann's thrombasthenia: case report and review of the literature.

Glanzmann's thrombasthenia is a rare inherited hematological disorder defined by deficiency or abnormality of the glycoprotein (GP) IIb-IIIa complex. Presenting symptoms are hemorrhagic events, mainly epistaxis, purpura, or menorrhagia. We describe the clinical course and management of a 14-year-old girl with Glanzmann's thrombasthenia and severe menorrhagia. Following treatment with 20 U of packed red blood cells, 37 U of platelets, 7 U of fresh frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate, intravenous estrogens, and methylergotrine maleate with no improvement, the uterine cavity was packed for 48 hr. This unusual procedure halted the bleeding and avoided the necessity for a hysterectomy. When treating acute menorrhagia in patients with Glanzmann's thrombasthenia, the physician should be familiar with the characteristics and all treatment modalities for this disorder.

Is it necessary to perform a prophylactic oophorectomy during hysterectomy?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the subsequent pelvic sonographic characteristics as well as the clinical outcome following hysterectomy with and without oophorectomy. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study of sonographic evaluation of 164 women, aged 29-72 years, with a history of hysterectomy was performed. Ninety-one patients underwent total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and 73 women had either hysterectomy (abdominal or vaginal) only or hysterectomy with unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. RESULTS: The mean time interval between surgery and sonographic evaluation was 4.3 years (range, 1-25 years). Out of the 73 women with left ovaries, 37 (50.7%) were found to have pelvic lesions and four women underwent re-operations following these findings. The histologic finding were cystadenoma, hydrosalpinx with periovarian adhesions and two paraovarian cysts. In comparison, only five of the 91 women (5.5%) following bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were found to have pelvic lesions (P < 0.0005). None of the women with prophylactic oophorectomy were operated upon following these findings. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison to patients after total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, women with prior hysterectomy and ovarian preservation are prone to subsequent pelvic lesions. They need to be closely followed with clinical, laboratory and sonographic means, and may undergo reoperations in order to rule out the possibility of neoplasia.

Sonographic and Doppler flow characteristics of ovarian tumors of low-malignant potential.

OBJECTIVE: To outline the sonographic and color Doppler flow imaging characteristics of ovarian tumors of low-malignant potential (OCLMP). METHODS: Fourteen women with ovarian tumors of low-malignant potential were compared with 26 women with ovarian cystadenomas and 23 with ovarian carcinomas. RESULTS: Sonographically, more complex structures and echogenic lesions were found in the OCLMP and malignant tumors than in the cystadenomas, and the difference was statistically significant. Color blood flow imaging revealed a similar resistant index (RI) in the OCLMP (0.487 +/- 0.07) and cystadenomas (0.489 +/- 0.09) when compared with statistically significant lower RI in the ovarian carcinomas (0.391 +/- 0.05) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among young women, the combination of a complex ovarian mass with turbid fluid and echogenic lesions whose color Doppler flow imaging registers in the low range (RI < 0.5) should raise the suspicion of an ovarian tumor of low-malignant potential.

Diagnostic value of transvaginal color Doppler flow in ovarian torsion.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of Doppler flow in the diagnostic process of ovarian torsion. METHODS: Twenty-two patients who displayed the clinical symptoms of abdominal pain concomitant with an ovarian mass and were scheduled for explorative laparoscopy were enrolled in the study. The cohort was divided into 3 groups: (A) 8 patients with clinical and sonographic evidence of torsion; (B) 8 patients with abdominal pain and sonographic diagnosis of hemorrhagic cyst; and (C) 6 patients with a simple cystic mass who had undergone explorative surgery due to abdominal pain. RESULTS: After Doppler flow imaging, Group A displayed no blood flow within the mass, and surgery confirmed the diagnosis of ovarian torsion. Seven of the 8 group B patients showed ovarian vascular flow (RI = 0.472 +/- 0.067). Only 2 of the 6 Group C patients displayed vascular flow (RI = 0.680 +/- 0.129) within an untwisted cyst, confirmed by laparoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of Doppler flow imaging with the morphologic assessment improves the diagnostic accuracy of ovarian torsion.

Clinical significance of endometrial fluid collections in asymptomatic postmenopausal women.

Routine vaginal ultrasonographic evaluation of pelvic organs was performed in asymptomatic postmenopausal women to evaluate the diagnostic significance of sonographic findings of endometrial fluid collections in the presence of a thin endometrium in postmenopausal women. The study included nine women aged 61 to 79 years who had been postmenopausal for 7 to 30 years, and in whom endometrial fluid collections were incidently demonstrated. Endometrial samplings followed the ultrasonographic examinations in all nine patients, and the correlation between the histologic report and the endometrial ultrasonographic thickness was evaluated. The diameter of the endometrial fluid collections varied from 3 to 12 mm. The thickness of the endometrium surrounding the fluid ranged from 1 to 3 mm. Of the nine endometrial samples examined, five revealed atrophic endometrium, three had insufficient material for histologic evaluation, and one specimen revealed well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. The woman in whom endometrial carcinoma was diagnosed underwent total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and lymph node sampling. The pathologic examination confirmed the previous histologic finding, and deep penetration into the myometrium was noticed with intact lymph nodes. Endometrial fluid collections found in asymptomatic postmenopausal patients still may be associated with endometrial malignancy, even in the presence of thin endometrium.

The effect of medroxyprogesterone acetate and clomiphene citrate on platelet function in menopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine if antiestrogens such as clomiphene citrate (CC) and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) affect platelet activity in postmenopausal patients before and after treatment with estrogens. METHODS: Using an incubation study, we analyzed the effects of CC and MPA on adenosine diphosphate and adrenaline-induced platelet aggregation and on the release of adenosine triphosphate in postmenopausal patients, using a platelet study, we analyzed the effect of these drugs on platelet function. RESULTS: Platelets were inhibited by MPA and CC in the incubation study but not significantly affected in the platelet study. Platelets previously incubated with estrogen were less inhibited by CC than by MPA. DISCUSSION: Thus, platelet study to determine the optimal combination therapy for menopausal patients has indicated that CC has a non-significantly less beneficial in vitro effect on platelet function than MPA.

Transvaginal color flow imaging in the diagnosis of ovarian tumors.

Transvaginal ultrasonography and color flow imaging, performed to investigate whether there is any diagnostic advantage, were assessed over a 3 year period in 217 patients with adnexal masses prior to explorative laparotomy. Gray scale sonography and color Doppler flow were performed 1 day prior to surgery. Benign tumors were found in 165 patients and flow was detectable in 82 (49.7%); 14 patients had tumors of low malignant potential, 12 (85.7%) of whom showed detectable flow, and 38 had malignant tumors, in 25 (65.8%) of whom flow was detectable. Blood flow velocity was evaluated by the calculation of the resistance index prior to surgery. Mean resistive index was 0.39 +/- 0.05 for malignant tumors, compared with 0.49 +/- 0.06 and 0.55 +/- 0.07 for the low malignant potential and benign tumors, respectively. These differences were statistically significant (P < 0.01). When a resistive index of 0.47 was considered the cut-off value, the sensitivity was 88% and the specificity was calculated to be 85% (using color Doppler flow as the only diagnostic method). With our large cohort of patients, we demonstration the contribution of color Doppler flow examination in differentiating benign from malignant ovarian tumors prior to surgery.

Fetal surveillance. Should it begin at 40 weeks' gestation in a low-risk population?

We evaluated the possible benefits of antepartum surveillance during the 41st week of pregnancy in a low-risk population. Three hundred low-risk patients (study group) underwent a nonstress test (NST) at the beginning of the 41st week of pregnancy. Outcomes in study group patients who delivered during the 41st week were compared to those in 100 similar control patients who were not tested. One antepartum fetal demise occurred in each group: study group rate, 1/300 (0.3%); control group rate, 1/100 (1%), P > .05. During the 41st week, 158 of 300 (53%) study patients and 59 (59%) control patients delivered. Four of 158 (2.5%) study patients had labor induced for the indication of an abnormal antepartum test during the 41st week. Cesarean delivery for distress during the 41st week was performed on 1/157 (0.6%) study and 1/58 (1.7%) control patients (P > .05). No statistically significant improvement in outcome occurred in the study group even though 4 of 300 study group patients required induction of labor for abnormal antepartum testing during the 41st week of gestation. The current practice of not evaluating low-risk pregnancy with an NST until after the completion of 41 weeks is supported by the results of this study.

Once a cerclage, not always a cerclage.

A study was performed to evaluate the outcome of pregnancies in which the decision was not to repeat cerclage in women with a doubtful indication for the previous one. Thirty-five women with a history of at least one previous McDonald cerclage were followed prospectively. Pregnancy complications and outcome were compared to those in the previous pregnancy with a cerclage. These patients had 58 pregnancies with a cerclage and 52 pregnancies without. The pregnancies without a cerclage had fewer complications, were longer and resulted in the delivery of significantly larger infants (P < .05). Whereas all 52 cumulative pregnancies without a cerclage had a favorable outcome, there were nine perinatal losses in the 58 pregnancies with a cerclage (P < .05). The decision not to repeat a cervical cerclage, when the grounds for the previous procedure are doubtful, is a safe one.

Involvement of the eyebrow fat pad in Graves' orbitopathy.

Involvement of the eyebrow fat pad in Graves' disease has never been reported. We noted that Graves' orbitopathy patients had bulkier eyebrows due to a larger eyebrow fat pad not associated with the preaponeurotic fat. A cadaver model was used to show that the eyebrow fat could be identified with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Then, a series of Graves' orbitopathy patients were sent for orbital MRI scans, and the eyebrow fat was measured with maximum lengths and widths. The averages were compared to two groups of patients, one without orbital pathology, and one with orbital pathology causing proptosis but not due to Graves' disease. Graves' patients with early orbitopathy and incipient optic neuropathy or congestive orbits where optic neuropathy had to be ruled out had statistically significant larger eyebrow fat pads than either comparison group. This has clinical significance: The eyebrow fat may need to be debulked during operations such as blepharoplasty. Furthermore, periorbital fat may play a larger role in the disease process than previously thought.

The role of color Doppler flow in the management of nonmetastatic gestational trophoblastic disease.

Three patients with findings suggestive of invasive gestational trophoblastic neoplasm and lung metastasis were assessed by color Doppler transvaginal ultrasound, before and during chemotherapy. The sonographic findings were correlated with beta-hCG levels measured at various stages of treatment. Results were compared with blood flow indices found during normal first trimester pregnancies, and those following elective termination of pregnancy. The mean resistance indices were significantly lower in the patients treated with chemotherapy (0.410 +/- 0.04) than in the early pregnancy control group (5-8 weeks gestation; n = 20, resistance index = 0.494 +/- 0.06). The difference between the groups was statistically significant (chi 2; p < 0.05). No pathological flow patterns could be discerned in 10 patients, who after termination of pregnancy had beta-hCG levels below 5 IU/ml. The response of gestational trophoblastic neoplasms to chemotherapy could be reliably assessed by observing the changes in flow resistance, which paralleled the gradual decrements in serial measurements of beta-hCG levels. Thus, the statistically significant results of our study are very encouraging and may indicate that color Doppler flow is a noninvasive, reproducible, useful and highly reliable new diagnostic approach for the diagnosis and management of patients suffering from uterine malignant gestational trophoblastic disease.

Estrogen replacement in postmenopausal women: are we currently overdosing our patients?

As there are no proven optimal serum estradiol levels, we sought to evaluate the pharmacokinetic profiles of serum estradiol levels following a single oral dose of 2 mg estradiol and 1 mg of estriol (Trisequens) among 26 surgically induced, postmenopausal patients. Their serum estradiol levels were periodically measured over 24 h following oral administration of the drug. They were divided into two groups according to the computed hourly mean estradiol values: group A, < 250 pg/ml/h ( < 918 pmol/l/h) and group B, > 250 pg/ml/h ( > 918 pmol/l/h). The mean peak estradiol concentrations were noted 2 h after drug administration and amounted to 595 +/- 190 pg/ml (2,184 +/- 697 pmol/l) in the entire cohort; 435 +/- 117 pg/ml (1,597 +/- 430 pmol/l) in group A and 712 +/- 142 pg/ml (2,614 +/- 521 pmol/l) in group B (p < 0.001). The mean total area under the curve in group A was 4,887 pg/ml (17,940 pmol/l), which was significantly lower than that of 7,995 +/- 652 pg/ml/24 h (29,350 +/- 2,393 pmol/l/24 h) found for group B (p < 0.001). The mean body mass index showed a significant difference (p < 0.003) between group A and group B (29.4 +/- 0.56 vs. 24.3 +/- 0.24). We found that 57% of our patients were exposed to excessively high levels of estradiol during the 24-hour period following drug ingestion. We advise monitoring estradiol levels and individualizing estrogen replacement therapy, to avoid the long-term exposure of postmenopausal patients to superphysiological estradiol levels.