Sex- and age-based differences in fetal and early childhood hippocampus maturation: a cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis.

The hippocampus, essential for cognitive and affective processes, develops exponentially with differential trajectories seen in girls and boys, yet less is known about its development during early fetal life until early childhood. In a cross-sectional and longitudinal study, we examined the sex-, age-, and laterality-related developmental trajectories of hippocampal volumes in fetuses, infants, and toddlers associated with age. Third trimester fetuses (27-38 weeks' gestational age), newborns (0-4 weeks' postnatal age), infants (5-50 weeks' postnatal age), and toddlers (2-3 years postnatal age) were scanned with magnetic resonance imaging. A total of 133 datasets (62 female, postmenstrual age [weeks] M = 69.38, SD = 51.39, range = 27.6-195.3) were processed using semiautomatic segmentation methods. Hippocampal volumes increased exponentially during the third trimester and the first year of life, beginning to slow at approximately 2 years. Overall, boys had larger hippocampal volumes than girls. Lateralization differences were evident, with left hippocampal growth beginning to plateau sooner than the right. This period of rapid growth from the third trimester, continuing through the first year of life, may support the development of cognitive and affective function during this period.

Default mode network functional connectivity strength in utero and the association with fetal subcortical development.

The default mode network is essential for higher-order cognitive processes and is composed of an extensive network of functional and structural connections. Early in fetal life, the default mode network shows strong connectivity with other functional networks; however, the association with structural development is not well understood. In this study, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and anatomical images were acquired in 30 pregnant women with singleton pregnancies. Participants completed 1 or 2 MR imaging sessions, on average 3 weeks apart (43 data sets), between 28- and 39-weeks postconceptional ages. Subcortical volumes were automatically segmented. Activation time courses from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging were extracted from the default mode network, medial temporal lobe network, and thalamocortical network. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine the association between functional connectivity strength between default mode network-medial temporal lobe, default mode network-thalamocortical network, and subcortical volumes, respectively. Increased functional connectivity strength in the default mode network-medial temporal lobe network was associated with smaller right hippocampal, left thalamic, and right caudate nucleus volumes, but larger volumes of the left caudate. Increased functional connectivity strength in the default mode network-thalamocortical network was associated with smaller left thalamic volumes. The strong associations seen among the default mode network functional connectivity networks and regionally specific subcortical volume development indicate the emergence of short-range connectivity in the third trimester.

Synchronous Closure of A Large Medial Perforator-Based Superficial Circumflex Iliac Artery Perforator Free Flap Donor Site Using an Ipsilateral Lateral Perforator-Based Superficial Circumflex Iliac Artery Perforator Propeller Flap.

A superior advantage of the superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator flap is that any donor site residue can easily be hidden by clothing. Usually designed as narrow or moderate-sized flaps based on medial perforators of the superficial branch, this readily allows primary donor site closure. However, for larger flaps, tension-free closure requires that the thigh remain flexed or even a skin graft used. Another alternative would be to use an adequate lateral perforator of the deep branch, if available, as the vascular hub of a propeller flap that extended into the adjacent flank, that could then be rotated into the medial groin to facilitate simultaneous direct closure of both flap donor sites.

Mandibular Reconstruction in a Patient With Rosai-Dorfman Disease.

OBJECTIVE: The Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare disorder known as sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy which affects other organs besides the lymphatic nodes. The most frequent clinical presentation is the skin involvement, but the most serious one is when the central nervous system is compromised. There are not clinical cases in the literature reporting the mandibular involvement and its management. The aim of this study is to report the case of a patient with this disease, her treatment, and her follow-up. STUDY: A 32-year-old woman with RDD, who underwent a right mandibulectomy to treat osteomyelitis, and who suffered hemolytic anemia, lymphoproliferative syndrome, and bacterial meningitis by meningococcus treated successfully, is presented. She also had osteosynthesis plate exposure in 3 occasions. The authors performed a mandibular reconstruction with a fibula free flap. Vertical osteogenic distraction was done to improve the vertical height of the bone for osteointegrated implants and later oral rehabilitation. METHODS: The senior authors performed mandibular reconstruction with a fibula free flap. Vertical osteogenic distraction was performed to improve the vertical height of the bone for osteointegrated implants and later oral rehabilitation. The patient achieved adequate function with a good mandibular height and occlusion. RESULTS: The patient had a follow-up of 6 months. She is highly satisfied with her result. Preoperative and postoperative photos are shown. DISCUSSION: In this rare case, the authors show the difficulties when treating this disease. The follow-up of the patient showed a successful reconstruction with good functional results.

Funcmasker-flex: An Automated BIDS-App for Brain Segmentation of Human Fetal Functional MRI data.

Fetal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) offers critical insight into the developing brain and could aid in predicting developmental outcomes. As the fetal brain is surrounded by heterogeneous tissue, it is not possible to use adult- or child-based segmentation toolboxes. Manually-segmented masks can be used to extract the fetal brain; however, this comes at significant time costs. Here, we present a new BIDS App for masking fetal fMRI, funcmasker-flex, that overcomes these issues with a robust 3D convolutional neural network (U-net) architecture implemented in an extensible and transparent Snakemake workflow. Open-access fetal fMRI data with manual brain masks from 159 fetuses (1103 total volumes) were used for training and testing the U-net model. We also tested generalizability of the model using 82 locally acquired functional scans from 19 fetuses, which included over 2300 manually segmented volumes. Dice metrics were used to compare performance of funcmasker-flex to the ground truth manually segmented volumes, and segmentations were consistently robust (all Dice metrics ≥ 0.74). The tool is freely available and can be applied to any BIDS dataset containing fetal bold sequences. Funcmasker-flex reduces the need for manual segmentation, even when applied to novel fetal functional datasets, resulting in significant time-cost savings for performing fetal fMRI analysis.

Anxiety in children and youth with autism spectrum disorder and the association with amygdala subnuclei structure.

LAY ABSTRACT: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is clinically characterized by social communication difficulties as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior. In addition, children with ASD are more likely to experience anxiety compared with their peers who do not have ASD. Recent studies suggest that atypical amygdala structure, a brain region involved in emotions, may be related to anxiety in children with ASD. However, the amygdala is a complex structure composed of heterogeneous subnuclei, and few studies to date have focused on how amygdala subnuclei relate to in anxiety in this population. The current sample consisted of 95 children with ASD and 139 non-autistic children, who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and assessments for anxiety. The amygdala volumes were automatically segmented. Results indicated that children with ASD had elevated anxiety scores relative to peers without ASD. Larger basal volumes predicted greater anxiety in children with ASD, and this association was not seen in non-autistic children. Findings converge with previous literature suggesting ASD children suffer from higher levels of anxiety than non-autistic children, which may have important implications in treatment and interventions. Our results suggest that volumetric estimation of amygdala's subregions in MRI may reveal specific anxiety-related associations in children with ASD.

Peer victimization and the association with hippocampal development and working memory in children with ADHD and typically-developing children.

The symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity and inattention displayed by children with ADHD put them at risk of experiencing peer victimization. Hippocampal maturation, may reduce a child's vulnerability to the experience of peer victimization, as it has been associated with decreased ADHD symptomatology. Working memory is an important executive function in the formation and maintenance of social relationships, which is often impaired in ADHD. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between problem behaviours, peer victimization, hippocampal morphology, and working memory in children with and without ADHD. 218 typically-developing participants (50.5% male) and 232 participants diagnosed with ADHD (77.6% male) were recruited. The ADHD group was subdivided into inattentive (ADHD-I) or combined (ADHD-C) types. The Child Behavior Checklist measured problem behaviours and peer victimization. Children underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Hippocampal subfield volumes were obtained using FreeSurfer. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-fifth edition measured working memory (WM). The ADHD-C group displayed significantly higher levels of problem behaviours and peer victimization (all, p < 0.001), compared to the other groups. Left Cornu Ammonis 3 (CA3) volume was a positive predictor of peer victimization (all, p < 0.013). Left CA3 volume was a positive predictor of WM and left Cornu Ammonis 4 (CA4) volume negatively predicted WM (all, p < 0.025). A cluster analysis revealed that children displaying symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity are the most at risk for peer victimization. Interventions focusing on minimizing peer victimization may aid in mitigating adverse downstream effects, and assist in promoting brain health and cognitive function.

Anterolateral thigh versus radial forearm flap for cervical esophageal reconstruction in cancer patients: A retrospective cohort study in Colombia.

OBJETIVO: Este estudio tuvo como objetivo describir los resultados clínicos del colgajo anterolateral de muslo y radial de antebrazo, para la reconstrucción hipofaríngea y esofágica en un hospital de cuarto nivel en Bogotá, Colombia. MÉTODOS: Estudio retrospectivo inlcuyo 38 pacientes a los que se les realizó reconstrucción funcional esofágica con colgajo de antebrazo radial o anterolateral de muslo (ALT) entre febrero de 2010 y diciembre de 2017. RESULTADOS: Edad media fue de 51 años. El 80% genero femeninp. Los defectos laringoesofágicos estuvieron presentes en el 80%. Se requirió reconstrucción circunferencial total en el 60% de los pacientes. Se realizaron injertos braquio-radiales en el 26% y colgajos anterolaterales de muslo en el 74%. La tasa global de complicaciones tempranas fue del 30%, de las cuales el 20% fueron fístulas (braquio-radial, 2,8%; colgajo libre de ALT, 8,3%). Las complicaciones tardías (20%) incluyeron estenosis y obstrucción de la luz del injerto distal. Solo el 10% de los pacientes no pudieron tolerar la alimentación oral y el 50% de este paciente necesitó gastrostomía permanente. En cuanto al seguimiento oncológico durante el postoperatorio de 24 meses, no se observó recidiva tumoral. CONCLUSIÓN: Los resultados funcionales de la reconstrucción con colgajo braquio-radial y ALT fueron satisfactorios. Nuestros hallazgos sugieren que la ALT tiene una menor incidencia de complicaciones posoperatorias que el colgajo radial de antebrazo. La elección del tipo de colgajo dependerá del tamaño y la ubicación del defecto. Los defectos pequeños y parcialmente cubiertos se benefician del uso de un colgajo radial, y para reconstrucciones faríngeas más grandes y circunferenciales con posibles requisitos de radioterapia, se benefician de un colgajo ALT. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe clinical outcomes of anterolateral thigh (ALT) and radial forearm flap in hypopharyngeal and esophageal reconstruction in a fourth level hospital in Bogotá, Colombia. METHODS: This retrospective study included 38 patients who esophageal functional reconstruction using radial forearm or ALT flap at our center between February 2010 and December 2017. RESULTS: Mean age was 51 years. About 80% of the included patients were females. Laryngoesophageal defects were present in 80%. Total circumferential reconstruction was required in 60% of patients. Brachial-radial grafts were performed in 26% and anterolateral thigh flaps in 74%. Overall, early complication rate was 30%, which 20% were fistulae (brachial-radial, 2.8%; ALT free flap, 8.3%). Late complications (20%) included stenosis and distal graft lumen obstruction. Only 10% of patients were unable to tolerate oral feeding and 50% of this patient needed permanent gastrostomy. Regarding oncological follow-up during the 24-month post-operative, no tumor recurrence was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Functional outcomes of reconstruction with brachial-radial and ALT flap were satisfying. Our findings suggest that ALT has a lower incidence of post-operative complications than radial forearm flap. The choice of the type of flap will depend on the size and location of the defect. Small and partially covered defects benefit from the use of a radial flap, and for larger and circumferential pharyngeal reconstructions with possible radiotherapy requirements, they benefit from an ALT flap.

Malocclusion Management Following Mandibular Reconstruction With Free Fibula Flaps.

STUDY DESIGN: Free fibula flaps are nowadays the gold standard for the surgical reconstruction on large mandibular defects. Malocclusion is an important complication of this type of reconstruction and many of these patients end up requiring subsequent orthognathic corrective surgery. This is a descriptive retrospective case series study. OBJECTIVE: To describe the demographic data, operative techniques, corrective methods and postoperative results in the management of malocclusion following mandibular reconstruction with free fibula flap. METHODS: This case series study included patients who underwent free fibula flap mandibular reconstructions and who that subsequently developed malocclusion requiring orthognathic corrective surgery, from June 2010 to December 2019. Panoramic X-rays, cephalometries and/or 3-D facial reconstruction CT scans were used for surgical planning to create surgical cutting guides, templates and occlusal splints in all the patients that underwent corrective orthognathic surgery. RESULTS: There were 46 patients who underwent a free fibula flap mandibular and maxillary reconstruction at San Jose Hospital between June 2010 and December 2019 of these, 5 patients (10.9%) developed postoperative malocclusion. One case from another institution was added to this study for a total of 6 patients with malocclusion following mandibular reconstruction surgery with a fibula free flap. During the orthognathic surgery, vertical osteotomies were performed in 3 patients and bilateral sagittal split osteotomies were necessary in 2 patients and L-shape in 1 patient. Osteogenic distraction was performed in 3 patients as part of their orthognathic treatment. The fixation methods were based in miniplates for 3 of the patients and lag screws for the remaining 3 patients. With this approach, all patients had an adequate occlusion correction with a 100% consolidation at their 6-month follow up. CONCLUSION: Malocclusion is a significant complication following mandibular reconstruction surgery that must be identified and managed. In severe cases, it requires corrective orthognathic surgery in severe cases. We have developed a protocol to avoid pitfalls during the primary reconstruction and in case an orthognathic surgery is required for malocclusion correction, preoperative planning with cutting guides and occlusal splints should be assessed, to guarantee favorable results through a reproducible technique.

A shift from the osteocutaneous fibula flap to the prelaminated osteomucosal fibula flap for maxillary reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Reconstruction of the maxilla with the fibula free flap is a popular and well-described technique. The ideal intraoral lining would be mucosa, which is moist, thin, and non-hair-bearing. Prelamination of the fibula with buccal mucosa replaces like tissue with like tissue, obviates the need for a skin paddle, and facilitates placement of osseointegrated implants in a single stage. For central maxillary defects, the authors have shifted from using an osteocutaneous to a prelaminated free fibula flap. In this article, the authors report their experience using the prelaminated osteomucosal fibula for maxillary reconstruction. METHODS: From 2003 to 2011, 24 patients underwent reconstruction of a central maxillary defect using a free fibula flap. The first 10 patients had osteoseptocutaneous flaps, and the other 14 patients had prelaminated flaps. Data collected included patient age, cause of defect, type and number of operations, complications at both the donor and recipient sites, and placement of osseointegrated implants. RESULTS: The majority of patients in the series (n = 21) had central maxillary defects caused by loss of the premaxilla during early repair of bilateral cleft lip-cleft palate. There was one flap failure in the nonprelaminated flap group and one in the prelaminated group. Repeated debulking to thin the skin paddle was required in all of the patients with osteocutaneous flaps. CONCLUSIONS: Prelamination delivers like tissue to the recipient site, obviates the need for debulking, and may reduce donor-site wound problems. To the authors' knowledge, this is the largest series of prelaminated fibulas for maxillary reconstruction in the literature. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.

Experimental study of neural plasticity in chagasic megacolon in rats

This is a cross-sectional and experimental study. The purpose of the study was to measure enteric neurons in rats with chagasic megacolon. Twenty-three male rats inoculated with 1,500,000 trypomastigotes of the Y strain of Trypanosoma cruzi were used. The animals were sedated intramuscularly at zero inoculation time (T0 ) and at sixty days after inoculation (T60), to perform a barium enema test to evaluate the dilatation of the different segments of the colon. Evidence of infection was performed with a blood smear collected from the animals' tails 18 days after inoculation with observation of blood forms. Membrane preparations underwent dual-label immunofluorescence of global and nitrergic neurons with HuC / HuD antibody and nNOS antibody, respectively. Subsequently, quantitative and morphometric analysis of cecal and proximal colon segments were performed. In the quantitative analysis of the proximal colon segment there was a significant decrease in the numbers of total neurons (Hucolo p=0.001), as well as in the number of nitrergic neurons (NOScolo p=0.032) in the population of rats with chagasic megacolon in relation to the control group. In the cecal segment, this difference was not observed in the result of the total neuron counts (Huceco p=0.289) and nitrergic neurons (NOSececo p=0.466). In the morphometric analysis, considering only the cell body area, a significant difference in the size of the neurons with p=0.000 was observed in the cecal segment. The extensive loss of total neurons that cause predominance of nitrergic neurons contributes to the development of megacolon and neuronal volume increase in the cholinergic neurons, this plasticity does not reestablish the lost equilibrium, causing megacolon.

Enfermedad de Chagas-Mazza: seroprevalencia, características epidemiológicas y sociales / Chagas-Mazza' disease: seroprevalence, epidemiological and social features / Doença de Chagas-Mazza: soroprevalência, características epidemiológicas e sociais

La enfermedad de Chagas-Mazza es una enfermedad parasitaria causada por un protozoo flagelado, el Trypanosoma cruzi. Es una patología característica de Hispanoamérica y en la actualidad habría en el mundo más de 20 millones de infectados. Los objetivos del trabajo fueron: determinar la seroprevalencia en los pacientes con solicitud de serología para enfermedad de Chagas-Mazza y evaluar la situación epidemiológica y social de la población afectada. El trabajo es de tipo prospectivo, observacional y comprende el período entre julio de 2006 y julio de 2008. Se emplearon como técnicas de diagnóstico sobre muestras de suero: Hemaglutinación indirecta (HAI Chagatest, Wiener lab), enzimoinmunoensayo (Chagatest ELISA v 3.0 Wiener lab), ¡nmunofluorescencia indirecta (IFI con reactivos propios, utilizando antígenos y controles del Instituto Nacional de Parasitología "Dr. Mario Fatala Chabén"). Se consideraron positivas aquellas muestras con las que se obtuvo un resultado positivo en dos de las tres técnicas. Con el fin de optimizar la recolección de datos epidemiológicos se utilizó una estrategia multidisciplinaria que involucró a los médicos que solicitaban el estudio, a la Sala de Epidemiología, al servicio de Asistencia social y al laboratorio. Se obtuvo una seroprevalencia de 11,4% en el período estudiado, con la siguiente distribución por país de nacimiento: 47,8% Argentina, 43,5% Bolivia, 8,3% Paraguay y 0,4% Chile. Es evidente la importancia de los fenómenos migratorios en la región, entendiendo que la enfermedad de Chagas-Mazza representa una forma de movilización social. El 60,4% de los pacientes seropositivos tenían necesidades básicas insatisfechas, sólo el 30% de los entrevistados tenían estudios primarios completos. En cuanto a la percepción de la patología, se observa la aceptación de la enfermedad en referencia a que la padecen sus padres, otros familiares o allegados.

The Chagas-Mazza' disease is a parasitic disease caused by a flagellate protozoan, Trypanosoma cruzi. It is a pathology characteristic of Latin America and currently have over 20 million people infected all over the world. The objectives of this study were: to state the prevalence in patients with Chagas-Mazza ' disease infection application and to evaluate the epidemiological and social situation of the affected population. The work is prospective, observational, and covers the period July 2006 to July 2008. Were used as diagnostic techniques on serum samples: Indirect Hemagglutination (IHA Chagatest, Wiener lab), enzyme immunoassay (ELISA Chagatest Wiener lab v 3.0), immunofluorescence (IFI with their own reagents, antigens and controls using the National Institute of Parasitology "Dr. Mario Fatala Chabén"). Those samples were considered positive with which a positive result was obtained in two of the three techniques. To optimize the collection of epidemiological data used a multidisciplinary approach, involving physicians who requested the study to the Board of epidemiology, social work service and laboratory. We obtained a seroprevalence of 11.4% over the period studied, with the following distribution by country of birth: 47.8% Argentina, 43.5% Bolivia, 8.3% Paraguay and 0.4% Chile. Highlights the importance of migratory phenomena in the region, understanding that Chagas-Mazza' disease is a form of social mobilization. In 60.4% have unmet basic needs, only 30% of respondents have completed primary education. Regarding the perception of pathology is observed acceptance of the disease in reference to that suffered by their parents, other family members or relatives.

A doença de Chagas-Mazza é uma doença parasitaria causada por um protozoário flagelado, o Trypanosoma cruzi. E uma patologia característica de Hispanoamérica e na atualidade existiriam no mundo mais de 20 milhóes de infectados. Os objetivos do trabalho foram: determinar a soroprevalência nos pacientes com pedido de sorologia para doença de Chagas-Mazza e avaliar a situaçâo epidemiológica e social da populaçâo afetada. O trabalho é de tipo prospectivo, observacional e compreende o período entre julho de 2006 e julho de 2008. Foram utilizadas como técnicas de diagnóstico sobre amostras de soro: Hemaglutinaçâo indireta (HAI Chagatest, Wiener lab), enzimaimunoensaio (Chagatest ELISA v 3.0 Wiener lab), imunofluorescência indireta (IFI com reagentes próprios, utilizando antígenos e controles do Instituto Nacional de Parasitologia "Dr. Mario Fatala Chabén"). Foram consideradas positivas aquelas amostras com as quais foi obtido um resultado positivo em duas das très técnicas. Visando a otimizar a coleta de dados epidemiológicos, foi utilizada uma estratégia multidisciplinar que envolveu os médicos que solicitavam o estudo, a Sala de Epidemiologia, o serviço de Assistência Social e o laboratório. Foi obtida uma soroprevalência de 11,4%, no período estudado, com a seguinte distribuiçâo por país de nascimento: 47,8% Argentina, 43,5% Bolivia, 8,3% Paraguai e 0,4% Chile. E evidente a importancia dos fenómenos migratórios na regiâo, entendendo que a doença de Chagas-Mazza representa uma forma de mobilizaçâo social. 60,4% dos pacientes soropositivos tinham necessidades básicas insatisfeitas, só 30% dos entrevistados tinham finalizado o Primerio Grau. Quanto à percepçâo da patologia, observase a aceitaçâo da doença em referência a que é padecida por seus pais, outros familiares ou conhecidos.