[A 14-year-old girl with cyclical abdominal pain]. / Een 14-jarig meisje met cyclische buikpijn.

In thisarticle, we present the case of a 14-year-old girl withcyclicalabdominalpainand a palpablemass in thelower abdomen duetoanimperforate hymen.

Mothers' views of their childbirth experience two years after term breech delivery.

INTRODUCTION: This study was performed to evaluate mothers' views of their childbirth experience two years after term breech delivery. METHODS: Two years after delivery mothers were asked to fill out a questionnaire concerning their breech birth experience and their view about the care provided to them while giving birth. Outcomes of the planned cesarean section (CS) group were compared with outcomes of the planned vaginal delivery (VD) group, whether or not a vaginal birth was realized or an emergency cesarean section was performed. Any differences were further analyzed by use of logistic regression, controlling for potential confounders. RESULTS: Significantly more women in the planned CS group were reassured about their baby's health (67.4% vs. 37.9%, p=0.0006) at the time of delivery, whereas more women in the planned VD group recalled having been worried about their baby's health at the time of delivery (45.0% vs. 25.6%, p=0.02). Also, more women in the planned VD group experienced more pain during labor and delivery than expected (46.9% vs. 18.5%, p=0.008). In the planned VD group fewer women indicated they had an active say in decision-making (59.1% vs. 85.3%, p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Evaluation of the mothers' views of their childbirth experience two years after term breech delivery showed that more women in the planned VD group recalled having been worried about their child's health at the time of delivery, experienced more pain than expected, and reported less involvement in decision-making.

Conservative management in breech deliveries leads to similar results compared with cephalic deliveries.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the difference in neonatal mortality and morbidity between breech and cephalic presentations at term. METHODS: This was a retrospective matched cohort study in two centers between July 1998 and April 2000, including all breech deliveries between 37(+0) and 41(+6) weeks, except cases with multiple gestations and antepartum intrauterine deaths. All breech presentations were matched with two cephalic presentations. Onset of labor and route of delivery were recorded, and neonatal data were categorized into variables belonging to serious morbidity or moderate morbidity. RESULTS: One thousand one hundred and nineteen deliveries were included. Three hundred and seventy-three babies were in breech position and 746 in cephalic position. The gestational age and birth weight of the babies in the breech group were lower than in the cephalic group (p < 0.001). Congenital abnormalities occurred more often in the breech group (p < 0.005). An elective cesarean section was performed in 23.3% of breech presentations versus 3.5% of cephalic presentations (p < 0.001). Emergency cesarean sections were done in 29.2% of breech presentations versus 8.8% of cephalic presentations (p < 0.001). Children born in breech presentation had lower Apgar scores after 1 minute (p < 0.0001), but 5-minute Apgar scores were the same in both groups (p = 0.22). Children born in breech presentation received significantly more resuscitation than children born in cephalic presentation (p < 0.001). In both groups no perinatal mortality occurred. No differences were observed in percentages of children with serious or moderate neonatal morbidity between the breech and cephalic lies. CONCLUSIONS: Although the numbers are small, this study shows that the conservative (vaginal) approach in selected fetuses in breech position can be safely pursued with neonatal results similar to fetuses in cephalic presentation.

Maternal health outcomes two years after term breech delivery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate maternal health outcomes two years after term breech delivery. DESIGN: This was a non-randomized single-center prospective cohort study. Mothers were asked to fill out questionnaires at two years postpartum to judge their health in the previous three to six months. Outcomes of the planned cesarean section group were compared with outcomes of the planned vaginal delivery group, whether or not a vaginal birth was realized or an emergency cesarean section was performed. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-three women completed a follow-up questionnaire at two years postpartum. Outcomes of the planned cesarean section group were compared with outcomes of the planned vaginal delivery group, whether or not a vaginal birth was realized or an emergency cesarean section was performed. No differences in maternal experiences concerning breastfeeding, taking care of her child and the relationship with her partner were found between the two groups. Also, no differences were found in all investigated maternal health items, or in sexual activity and fertility. CONCLUSION: Maternal health outcomes two years after term breech delivery were similar after planned cesarean section and planned vaginal delivery.

Birth weight and neurodevelopmental outcome of children at 2 years of age after planned vaginal delivery for breech presentation at term.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to determine whether planned vaginal delivery for the term singleton baby in breech position increases the risk of abnormal neurodevelopment at 2 years of age and to assess whether the effect is modified by birth weight. STUDY DESIGN: At 2 years of age, all nonrandomized children born in breech position during our participation in the Term Breech Trial were screened for abnormal neurodevelopment with the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. RESULTS: An Ages and Stages Questionnaire at 2 years of age was obtained in 183 of 203 children (90.1%). Twenty-eight percent of these children showed 1 or more abnormal Ages and Stages Questionnaire domains. There were no differences in the risk of having abnormal Ages and Stages Questionnaire domains between planned vaginal delivery and planned cesarean section (P = .99). There was, however, evidence of interaction between mode of delivery and birth weight, with significantly higher risk in neurodevelopmental delay in children with birth weight greater than 3500 g with planned vaginal birth (adjusted odds ratio for interaction term 3.37; 95% confidence interval 1.14 to 9.95). CONCLUSION: Based on the Ages and Stages Questionnaire results at 2 years of age, planned vaginal delivery is associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental delay at 2 years of age in term breech children with a birth weight greater than 3500 g.

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in pregnancy.

Two cases of pregnant patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) are presented. ALL is rare in pregnancy. The basic principle of ALL treatment is combination chemotherapy with sequential administration of induction, consolidation and maintenance therapy, and this also holds for ALL in pregnancy. The prognosis of ALL in pregnancy is poor and termination of the pregnancy needs to be considered.

[A woman with a vulvar swelling, a rare manifestation of the Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome]. / Een vrouw met een vulvaire zwelling, een zeldzame uiting van het Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber-syndroom.

A woman with a vulvar swelling, a rare manifestation of the Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome. - A 32-year-old woman presented with a vulvar swelling. The swelling had always been there but had increased after her last pregnancy, 5 years earlier. Because of progressive complaints, such as pain and a feeling of pressure, she now wished surgical correction. The swelling turned out to be varicosis of the right labium majus associated with the Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome. The vulvar swelling was removed by electrocoagulation. The pathological diagnosis was 'venous haemangioma'. The Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome is a congenital skin condition in which vascular angiomas, varicosis and trophic changes in the soft tissue and skeleton can arise. Vulvar involvement is rare. The abnormality can be removed surgically, for example by electrocoagulation. There is a chance of recurrence.

Moderate neonatal morbidity after vaginal term breech delivery.

OBJECTIVE: Comparison of the results of term breech births in our clinic with the Term Breech Trial (TBT). MATERIAL AND METHODS: During the investigation period prospective data were collected on all deliveries of a term baby in breech presentation. Some pregnant women were included in the TBT and randomized in a planned cesarean section (CS)-group and a planned vaginal birth (VB)-group. The remaining non-randomized women were divided into a primary CS-group and a started VB-group. Neonatal and maternal mortality and morbidity were analyzed retrospectively, according to the intended mode of delivery. RESULTS: Neonatal or maternal mortality occurred in none of the groups. Neither in the randomized group nor in the non-randomized group were significant differences in serious neonatal and maternal morbidity observed between the intended cesarean section-group and the group that started vaginal delivery. However, in the non-randomized group, moderate neonatal morbidity was significantly lower in the primary CS-group than in the started VB-group. CONCLUSION: The differences in moderate neonatal morbidity support the conclusion of the TBT, that primary cesarean section may be safer for the term breech baby than a trial of vaginal labor.

Late pulmonary metastases from chondroblastoma of the distal femur. A case report.

A patient treated with curettage and bone grafting for a chondroblastoma of the distal femur sustained a pathologic fracture after a local recurrence. He then underwent a local, radical resection and an arthrodesis of the knee. Ten years after the first operation, pulmonary metastases were found, for which he underwent a metastasectomy (thoracotomy). At the latest follow-up, 1 year later there were no signs of tumor.

Prophylactic treatment of grass pollen-induced asthma with cetirizine.

In a double-blind randomized parallel-group study, six investigators enrolled 43 subjects to study the prophylactic effect of 10 mg cetirizine b.i.d. on grass pollen-induced asthma. The control group received 60 mg b.i.d. terfenadine, given to avoid withdrawals from the trial because of hay fever symptoms. Subjects were included in the study between the appearance of the first symptoms of hay fever and those of pollen-induced asthma. The hay fever and asthma symptoms, visual analogue scores (VAS), FEV1 and self-assessment data on complaints, salvage treatment and peak-flow values were statistically analysed. Both treatments were well tolerated, with a low and similar incidence of side-effects. During the last 3 weeks of treatment, six (32%) of the 19 subjects on cetirizine who were evaluable for efficacy remained free of asthma complaints, and another two (10%) had only a single minor attack. None had a grade 3 (incapacitating) attack. Conversely, only one (5%) of the 20 evaluable subjects on terfenadine remained complaint free, and all others (95%) had multiple attacks, which incapacitated three (15%) of them. Nasal obstruction, dyspnoea, morning peak flow, consumption of beta 2-mimetics and an efficacy index on asthma, combining complaints and rescue drug consumption, were significantly better on cetirizine (P less than 0.05). It is concluded that cetirizine is able to prevent the exacerbation of asthma induced by grass pollen.