Ultrasound evaluation of development of olfactory sulci in normal fetuses: a possible role in diagnosis of CHARGE syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the timing of the ultrasound appearance of olfactory sulci in normal fetuses, according to gestational age. METHODS: Olfactory sulci were assessed prospectively in the coronal plane on routine brain ultrasound examination in 100 normal fetuses between 22 and 31 + 6 weeks' gestation. Examinations were divided into five groups according to gestational age: Group 1, 22 to 23 + 6 weeks (n = 22); Group 2, 24 to 25 + 6 weeks (n = 9); Group 3, 26 to 27 + 6 weeks (n = 25); Group 4, 28 to 29 + 6 weeks (n = 22) and Group 5, 30 to 31 + 6 weeks (n = 22). For each fetus, olfactory sulci were assessed as absent, developing or formed. RESULTS: Developing sulci appeared as primitive smooth depressions in the frontal lobe, which evolved into deep sharp complete sulci in later pregnancy. It was possible to assess the development of sulci in all cases. Olfactory sulci were consistently absent in Group 1. In Group 2, 44.4% of fetuses had absent olfactory sulci and 55.6% had developing sulci. In Group 3, the olfactory sulci were still developing in 21 (84.0%) fetuses and were completely formed in four (16.0%). Sulci were completely formed in all fetuses in Groups 4 and 5. CONCLUSIONS: Fetal brain ultrasound can visualize developing olfactory sulci from as early as 24 weeks' gestation. After 26 weeks, fetuses have detectable olfactory sulci and, after 28 weeks, they are completely formed. Abnormal development of olfactory sulci is a key feature of CHARGE syndrome. These results may help to improve the prenatal diagnosis of CHARGE syndrome. Copyright © 2015 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Latent human papillomavirus infection in pregnant women at term: a case-control study.

Cervicovaginal lavages from 752 pregnant women at term were investigated by polymerase chain reaction to evaluate human papillomavirus (HPV) infection prevalences and were compared with cervicovaginal samples from two series of nonpregnant subjects (504 healthy women attending a family planning service and 560 symptomatic patients attending a vaginitis outpatient service). The odds ratios (ORs) of HPV infection were computed by conditional logistic regression analysis on age-matched sets. In pregnant women, the overall risk of HPV infection was about the same as in nonpregnant healthy subjects (adjusted OR, 0.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.51-1.58) and was 50% less than in patients with symptomatic vaginitis (adjusted OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.30-0.76). Moreover, the prevalence of oncogenic HPV types 16 or 18 (or both) was lower in pregnant women (P = .015 and P = .0018 respectively).

[Short term post-surgical prophylaxis in gynecology. Use of cefonicid]. / Profilassi post-chirurgica "short-term" in ginecologia. Uso del cefonicid.

In this study the Authors have evaluated the use of cefonicid in "short-term" post-surgical prophylaxis in gynecology. No effects, nor alteration to hematochemical parameters related to the administration of this medicine have been observed and the analysis of data shows that the use of cefonicid contributes to reducing the incidence of post-surgical infections in hospital in a cure group compared to a control group.

[Clinical evaluation of endometrial biopsy]. / La valutazione clinica della biopsia endometriale.

This study comprehends evaluation of endometrial biopsy performed between June 1986 and June 1989 in the Obstetric and Gynaecologic Department of Casorate Primo Hospital in fertile, perimenopausal and post-menopausal patients with uterine bleeding. The results show that on a total amount of 459 cases we registered 78 cases of initial abortions, 3 vesicular mola, 300 dysfunctional bleeding, 63 precancerous situations and 15 endometrial cancers. We confirm the diagnostic and prognostic validity of endometrial biopsy carried out with fractional curettage. The opportunity to prevent and diagnose precancerous pathology through a multiple screening is also estimated.

Do memorability ratings affect study-time allocation?

This research addresses the relation between predicting future memory performance (judgment of learning, or JOL) and subsequent self-paced study-time allocation. The results of three experiments support the main hypotheses: (1) recall increases with increasing JOL, (2) restudy increases JOL accuracy, and (3) study time is related to JOL. This last relation depends on the length of initial presentation time of the items. When the initial exposure trials were short, the most restudy time was allocated to the items judged hard to recall, but when the initial exposure times were long, the most restudy time was allocated to the uncertain items. Items studied longer were recalled equally well (Experiments 1 and 3) or to a lesser extent (Experiment 2) than items studied for a shorter time. It is hypothesized that during study time, subjects refine their JOLs for the items initially less well discriminated.

[Extrauterine pregnancy. Critical review of the clinical diagnosis and early echography]. / Gravidanza extrauterina. Revisione critica della diagnosi clinica ed ecografia precoce.

A case of extrauterine pregnancy is reported. After a short review of the literature on the subject, personal experience of early diagnosis is reported and importance is attributed in IUD carriers to menstrual dysrhythmia and pelvic pain. For correct early diagnosis, such symptomatology must be integrated with laboratory tests and pelvic echography.

[Voluntary interruption of pregnancy using the Karman method and T-lymphocyte dependent immunity]. / I.V.G. con il metodo Karman ed immunità T-linfocito dipendente.

The lymphocyte subsets T4 and T8 in 25 women in the first trimester before and after voluntary interruption of pregnancy after Karman, have been evaluated. Our results demonstrated no significant change in the composition of T-subsets in any of the patients, so we can think this procedure does not modify the mechanisms of the T-lymphocyte dependent immunity.

Premenstrual symptoms and psychiatric morbidity in two Italian health care settings.

Epidemiological surveys show that a large number of adult females complain of symptoms related to the menstrual cycle. According to the method proposed by another author, we administered the modified version of the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), 12-item version, to 101 women attending a family planning clinic and to 92 women attending a general practice in two North Italian towns. A very high rate (about 85% of the total sample) of women complained of moderate to severe symptoms during their premenstrual phase and a substantial proportion of women showed some degree of psychiatric ill health. Comparing the premenstrual complainers and the premenstrual non-complainers, the only significant difference found was related to the score on the GHQ. Half the women reported about 5 symptoms, and a cluster analysis identified a group of women complaining of severe symptoms. Implications of these findings for the current discussion on the premenstrual syndrome are discussed.

[Radiological aspect of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome: considerations on a case]. / Quadro radiologico della sindrome di Peutz-Jeghers: Considerazioni su di un caso.

The authors present their experience on a case of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. Initially described in 1921, the association of intestinal polyposis with pigmentation of the skin and mucous membranes has been called the Peutz-Jeghers syndrome; the pigment, which is melanin, usually involves the lips and mouth and at times the face and extremities. The syndrome appears to be a hereditable disease. Polyps may be present in the stomach, small bowel and colon, but are most frequent in the small bowel, where they produce intussusception or bleeding. Our patient, a 35-year-old man, presented abdominal pain and recurrent intestinal bleeding. Our aim was to evidence radiological signs of this syndrome. the radiographic examination of small bowel, showing multiple polyps and signs of intussusception, definitely confirmed the diagnosis. The Authors finally discuss the possibility of other syndromes associated with gastrointestinal polyposis such as familial polyposis, Cronkhite-Canada syndrome, Gardner syndrome etc.