[A case of chronic idiopathic purpura]. / A propos d'un cas de purpura idiopathique chronique.

This paper focuses though on the medical management of the chronic ITP, as well as on the controversies generated by it and the therapeutic progress. Even if the idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura is a rather frequent cause of childhood thrombocytopenia, it remains an exclusion diagnosis to be considered only in cases of persistent isolated thrombocytopenia observed in previously healthy children (other etiology excluded by the physical examination and medical history). Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is secondary to the premature platelet lysis by antibodies targeting the platelet membrane glycoproteins. The chronic evolution is defined by a prolongation of symptoms for more than 12 months. The management of chronic ITP remains controversial. Novel treatments are on the spot, such as the rituximab and the thrombopoetin receptors' agonists (the most up-to-date therapies). We present the case of a 10 years old girl admitted in our department for recurrent diffuse purpuric lesions in the context of a chronic idiopathic purpura. The clinical aspects were classical: diffuse purpuric rash, without any other symptoms. An extended check-up was performed: it confirmed the presence of anti-platelets antibodies.

[Skull fracture or bipartite parietal bone]. / Fracture ou os pariétal bipartite ?

We describe the case of a male newborn born at 37 weeks of gestation. Complete radiological assessment because of suspected skull fracture revealed the diagnosis of a bipartite parietal bone. A brief review of the literature shows the exceptional character of this anatomical variant, whose origin is unclear at the present time.

[Vertical transmission of the hepatitis C virus]. / La trasmissione verticale del virus dell'epatite C.

The incidence of hepatitis C in childhood is approximately 0.4%. The mode of transmission can be parenteral, sexual, occupational and also vertical. The latter has an incidence that varies widely and it increases in the case of human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) coinfection and high titers of HCV in the mother. The vertical transmission is not influenced by breast feeding, however, data are discrepant with regard to child delivery (cesarean section vs vaginal delivery). Ninety-seven babies born from mothers with hepatitis C from 1996 to 1999, were evaluated prospectively in the Day Hospital of the Pediatric Department of Parma. The protocol of observation established a blood sampling for titers of antibodies anti-HCV and HCV-RNA at the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and subsequent clinical and biochemical controls at 3-6-9-12-15 and 18 months. Thirty (31.2%) out of the 96 mothers evaluated were positive for antibodies anti-HCV and 66 (68.8%) were positive for antibodies anti-HCV and HCV-RNA. Five (5.15%) out of the 97 babies evaluated were infected by HCV. Of these 4 were delivered vaginally and 1 by cesarean section. Of the 3 babies born to mothers with HIV coinfection, none was infected by HIV, but 1 was infected by HCV. Vertical transmission is increased by HCV viral load or HIV coinfection in the mother. The vaginal delivery and breastfeeding do not represent an additional risk factor.

[Risk of materno-fetal transmission of the HIV infection with antiretroviral therapy and cesarean section: experience of the Parma group]. / Rischio di trasmissione materno-fetale dell'infezione da HIV mediante terapia antiretrovirale e taglio cesareo: esperienza del gruppo di Parma.

Vertical transmission of HIV is by far the most important way of infection in pediatric patients. Transmission rate of infection varies between 15-40% in the absence of antiretroviral prophylaxis. Only 2% of infected pregnant women who underwent caesarean section and zidovudine treatment transmitted the infection to their newborns. From January 1995 to September 2000 twenty seropositive pregnant women and their twenty newborns were followed at the Azienda Ospedaliera of Parma. Nine women (45%) were treated with only zidovudine according to the ACTG 076 protocol; eight women (40%) continued the treatment they were assuming before pregnancy with the eventual addition of zidovudine. 3 women (15%) were not treated because HIV infection was only detected after delivery. 15 women underwent caesarean section, in 13 cases in association to antiretroviral prophylaxis: in the remaining 2 cases no intrapartum treatment was started due to the urgency of delivery. The rate of vertical transmission among the 20 women was 5% (1/20), significantly less then that observed (20.5%) among 31 pregnant HIV women followed in Parma from January 1987 to December 1994 and not treated with antiretroviral prophylaxis and/or cesarean section (Magnani G. Personal data). The only infected baby was born by vaginal delivery. No transmission was observed in the group of pregnant women who underwent the combination of antiretroviral prophylaxis and cesarean section.

[Vertical transmission of HIV infection: risk factors and prevention strategies]. / Trasmissione verticale dell'infezione da HIV: fattori di rischio e strategie di prevenzione.

In this study it has been evaluated the connection between the maternal immune status and the obstetrical factors on the one hand end the perinatal transmission of HIV in the other as well as, the effects of zidovudine prophylaxis and elective caesarean section on vertical HIV transmission. From January 1987 to September 1999, 60 HIV infected pregnant women were followed with their 64 infants. From July 1995 15 women and their respective children were treated with zidovudine prophylaxis (protocol ACTG 076); from June 1997, in 8 of these patients a systematic caesarean section was performed (7 electively and 1 on an emergent basis). The transmission rare was 20.5% among the 44 children in the group without zidovudine prophylaxis, compared with 7.1% among the 14 children in the group receiving Zidovudine. As for as the mother-child pairs receiving Zidovudine therapy, the rate of vertical transmission was 0% for the 7 mothers who underwent elective cesarean section and 14.3% for the 7 mothers with other ways of delivery. The interaction between zidovudine prophylaxis and elective caesarean section was associated with the lowest rate of vertical HIV transmission.

[Prevention of preeclampsia with low-dose acetyl salicylic acid: critical assessment]. / Prevenzione della preeclampsia con acido acetil salicilico a basse dosi: valutazione critica.

The Authors present a critical review of the published literature about the effect of low dose of acido acetilsalicilico on prevention and treatment of preeclampic. Beginning from the effects of low daily dose of acido acetilsalicilico on the pregnancy, the Authors present the published datas from 1970 until today, and suggest the present directions for use of acido acetilsalicilico in pregnancy.

The prevalence of HCV infection in a cohort of pregnant women, the related risk factors and the possibility of vertical transmission.

The prevalence of antibodies for one or more HCV antigens was 2.3% of 1,347 mothers at childbirth. Compared with the principal factors studied, the presence of antibodies was more frequent in women who were carriers of HIV infection (3/3), in those who had suffered liver diseases (5/37) or who had had transfusion (3/25). This was as opposed to women who did not have any risk factor (p < 0.001). The prevalence of HCV-RNA was 1.3%; in relation to the antibody state, such a condition was more frequent in subjects with antibodies for 3 or 4 antigens (about 80%) compared with those who were positive for 1 or 2 antigens. HCV-RNA of the same genotype as the mother (type 1; 1a) was also found in the funicular blood of 2 of the 18 babies born to mothers who were positive for HCV-RNA. In the course of the follow-up (from the 3rd to the 18th month) the viral RNA was not found in any of the babies, nor was it found in the 2 who were positive at birth. Even the antibodies gradually disappeared, although slowly. At the 10th month, 91% of the babies resulted as having no antibodies and at the 18th month none of the babies resulted as having antibodies. Breast-feeding also appeared to have no influence on the transmission of the infection; out of 18 viremic mothers indeed 12 (67%) breast-fed their babies.

Plasma concentration, urinary excretion and renal clearance of L-carnitine during pregnancy: a reversible secondary L-carnitine deficiency.

Plasma concentration, urinary excretion and renal clearance of free, total and esterified L-carnitine were monitored monthly in 14 women during the last 6 months of pregnancy and 1 month after delivery. Plasma concentration and renal clearance measured 1 month after delivery overlapped with normal values for females of comparable age, and were considered the reference values for further comparisons. Plasma concentration of free, total and esterified L-carnitine decreased during pregnancy, reaching values as low as half of those measured 1 month after delivery, whereas urinary excretion and renal clearance, mainly of L-carnitine esters, increased, with renal clearance reaching a peak at the 16th week of pregnancy. Pregnancy thus leads to a reversible secondary deficiency of L-carnitine. The involvement of L-carnitine in the excretion of an excess of acyl-S-coenzyme A groups to prevent a possible systemic acidosis, as well as hormonal changes and a reduction of L-carnitine biosynthesis, could play a significant role in the variations in L-carnitine metabolism encountered in pregnancy. As physiological components of L-carnitine are excreted via a saturable tubular reabsorption, their threshold seems to follow plasma concentration, even when they decrease markedly, as in pregnancy.

Fetal distress: role of cardiotocography.

The FHR monitoring in 320 patients with fetal distress were randomly analyzed and revised over 16 years. The aim of our study, in so long a period, was to evaluate the role of cardiotocography in order to preserve the fetus from irreversible damage. The results show a progressive improvement of neonatal outcome, due to the development of the experience with this method, and to the improvement in interpretative criteria. However, cardiotocography showed its limits, and the moment has come to seek new integrative methods to associate cardiotocography with a continuous monitoring of the fetal status.

[Labor in patients previously subjected to cesarean section: maternal and fetal aspects. Review of the literature]. / Il parto nella paziente precesarizzata: aspetti materni e fetali. Rassegna bibliografica.

In the present study the authors, on the basis of the existing literature, analyse the delivery problem in previous cesarean section patient, especially about maternal mortality and morbidity. After cesarean section vaginal delivery may occur only in selected patients, with precautionary measures and continuous monitoring in labor. The maternal mortality is lower in vaginal delivery patients after cesarean section than in iterative cesarean section patients; also the post operating complications are more frequent after iterative cesarean section. Perinatal mortality is in relation to uterine rupture, perinatal morbidity to iatrogenic prematurity and neonatal respiratory adaptation.

[Echographic diagnosis of fetal malformations]. / La diagnosi ecografica di alcune malformazioni fetali.

The Authors report their experience about ultrasound diagnosis of congenital anomalies, related to 15 cases from approximately 4000 gravides. They emphasize the impossibility to carry out total antenatal population screening by sonar and the usefulness to carefully select the gravidas at high risk for harboring a fetus with a birth defect. They also suggest that, in looking for physical defects, it is best to make ultrasound examination at 17a-18a weeks' gestation; at this moment, the ultrasound evaluation is particularly favorable for diagnosis and treatment.

[Thermal therapy in gynecology]. / Terapia termale in ginecologia.

The Authors consider the importance of Thermal Therapy in a large part of gynaecological diseases. They emphasize of its utility mostly in the chronic flogosis of the female genitalia. However other indications emerged from this research, such as female sterility, pelvic vascular disease, climaterie syndrome and post-operatory affects.

[Congenital cardiac disease: cardiotocographic manifestations (author's transl)]. / Cardiopatie congenite: manifestazioni cardiotocografiche.

The Authors have studied in retrospect the cardiotocographic registrations of women who had given birth to foetus affected by congenital cardiac disease. The observations of several authors (Heinriche Seideschnur; Fischer) are confirmed that persistent bradycardia in pregnancy or in labour could be a sign of a congenital cardiac anomaly. Furthermore, the high incidence of C.T.G. alterations are noticed (in the form of decelerations and significant reduction of the oscillation amplitudes) in the registrations of foetus affected by such cardiac disease.

[Down syndrome: cardiotocographic alterations (author's transl)]. / Alterazioni cardiotocografiche in corso di sindrome di Down.

The Authors describe the results of a study on the cardiotocographic tracings during labour of pregnant women, whose fetuses were affected by Down syndrome. The high incidence of cardiotocographic alterations in these fetuses does not seem to be in relation with congenital cardiac disease.

[Serum fibrin degradation products in 13 cases of E.P.H. gestosis (author's transl)]. / Prodotti di degradazione della fibrina in 13 casi di E.P.H. gestosi.

Intravascular coagulation causes fetal risk, because it produced placental damage in E.P.H. gestosis. F.D.P. values are above the normal range of the third trimester in 11 out of our 13 cases. Fetal risk is revealed by pathological C.T.G. patterns; fetal death occurred in 4 cases. Therefore, high F.D.P. values are considered D.I.C. indexes, and a sign of fetal risk.

[Cardiotocographic monitoring in pregnancy: some cases of sporadic decelerations (author's transl)]. / Monitoraggio cardiotocografico in gravidanza: su alcuni casi di decelerazioni sporadiche.

The Authors are refering to the appearance of unknown deceleration in "APC" cardiotocograms. There is no relationship between these decelerations and the uterine contractions or fetal movements. These decelerations are called "sporadic" and are an indication of fetal risk. However, it is not necessary to have an immediate delivery.