Cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita in a preterm female newborn: case report and review of the literature.

Cutis Marmorata Telangiectatica Congenita (CMTC) is a rare, sporadic condition usually present at birth characterized by localized or generalized persistent cutis marmorata, telangiectasia and phlebectasia. We report a preterm female newborn, the third child of non-related caucasian parents, with CMTC at birth who showed typical cutaneous features and monolateral congenital glaucoma. The pathogenesis of this disorder is unknown and the cause is probably multifactorial. Teratogens and autosomal dominant mode of inheritance with incomplete penetrance have been considered as etiological factors. Prognosis, in uncomplicated cases, is good.

"Safe" hyperbilirubinemia is associated with altered neonatal behavior.

Treatment of neonatal jaundice is currently recommended for higher bilirubinemia levels than before. Using the Brazelton Neonatal Behavior Assessment Scale, we found that a series of 28 healthy, untreated, term neonates with moderate bilirubinemia scored significantly less than an equal number of appropriately matched controls with low bilirubinemia for visual and auditory items, both inanimate and animate. Also, a greater lability of state, a lower self-quieting ability and more frequent tremors were found in the jaundiced group. We conclude that hyperbilirubinemia per se, even in the concentration range where phototherapy is not currently recommended, can give rise to alterations in neonatal behavior.

[Neurocysticercosis with initial clinical picture of acute meningitis]. / Neurocisticercose com quadro clínico inicial de meningite aguda.

Twenty seven cases of neurocysticercosis, with clinical picture of acute meningitis, are described. Twenty (74.1%) patients are male; the age was 4 to 42 years (23.6 +/- 11.7 years). The etiologic diagnosis was defined by the complement fixation test (Weinberg) and/or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for cysticercosis in the cerebrospinal fluid (c. s. f.). Six patients that realized cranial computerized tomographic scan resembling neurocysticercosis. Twenty one (77.8%) have predominance of lymphomononuclear cells in the c. s. f. obtained in the admission to the hospital; in 6 (22.2%) there were predominance of polymorphonuclear neutrophils. In this c. s. f. lymphomononuclear pleocytosis and in three that have c. s. f. neutrophil pleocytosis, suggesting the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis. The treatment of acute neurocysticercosis was made with dexamethasone. All the patients survived and were transferred to the ambulatory of Neurology for follow-up and complementary treatment.