RESUMO
Objectives: The aim of the study is to demonstrate the characteristic of motor development and MRI changes of related brain regions in preterm infants with different iron statuses and to determine whether the daily iron supplementation can promote motor development for preterm in early infancy. Methods: The 63 preterm infants were grouped into non-anemia with higher serum ferritin (NA-HF) group and anemia with lower serum ferritin (A-LF) group according to their lowest serum Hb level in the neonatal period as well as the sFer at 3 months old. Forty-nine participants underwent MRI scans and Infant Neurological International Battery (INFANIB) at their 3 months. At 6 months of corrected age, these infants received the assessment of Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (PDMS) after 2 mg/kg/day iron supplementation. Results: In total, 19 preterm infants were assigned to the NA-HF group while 44 preterm infants to the A-LF groups. The serum ferritin (sFer) level of the infants in A-LF group was lower than that in NA-HF group (44.0 ± 2.8 mg/L vs. 65.1 ± 2.8 mg/L, p < 0.05) and was with poorer scores of INFANIB (66.8 ± 0.9 vs. 64.4 ± 0.6, p < 0.05) at 3 months old. The structural connectivity between cerebellum and ipsilateral thalamus in the NA-HF group was significantly stronger than that in the A-LF group (n = 17, 109.76 ± 23.8 vs. n = 32, 70.4 ± 6.6, p < 0.05). The decreased brain structural connectivity was positively associated with the scores of PDMS (r = 0.347, p < 0.05). After 6 months of routine iron supplementation, no difference in Hb, MCV, MCHC, RDW, and sFer was detected between A-LF and NA-HF groups as well as the motor scores of PDMS-2 assessments. Conclusion: Iron status at early postnatal period of preterm infant is related to motor development and the enrichment of brain structural connectivity. The decrease in brain structural connectivity is related to the motor delay. After supplying 2 mg/kg of iron per day for 6 months, the differences in the iron status and motor ability between the A-LF and NA-HF groups were eliminated.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the ultrasonographic characteristics of benign cystic lesions in the scrotum. METHODS: A total of 96 patients with benign cystic lesions in the scrotum were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Eighteen of the patients had benign cystic lesions in the testis, including 9 cases of intratesticular cystic lesion, 5 tubular ectasia of the rete testis, 2 epidermoid cyst and 2 dermoid cystine. And 78 of the total number had the lesions in the epididymis, including 75 cases of seminal cyst and 3 seminal fluid deposition in the epididymis. High-frequency ultrasound could clearly reveal benign cystic lesions in the scrotum, differentiate them from cystis degeneration of testiculoma, and diagnose tubular ectasia of the rete testis and seminal fluid deposition in the epididymis. CONCLUSION: Ultrasonography could be a first choice and a valuable imaging means in the diagnosis of benign cystic lesions in the scrotum.
