Maternal Hematological Parameters and Placental and Umbilical Cord Histopathology in Intrauterine Growth Restriction.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the placental and umbilical cord histopathology in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and their relation to second-trimester maternal hematological parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were selected for the IUGR group based on estimated fetal weight below the 10th percentile. Patients were recruited into the control group randomly. Patients were followed up with ultrasound, and blood samples were taken between the 20th and 24th gestational weeks. After delivery and formalin fixation, weight and volume of the placenta were recorded and histologic samples were processed. RESULTS: Maternal platelet count strongly correlates with placental weight (r = 0.766). On the other hand, neonatal weight correlates with placental volume (r = 0.572) rather than with placental weight (r = 0.469). Umbilical arterial lumen cross-sectional area correlates with birth weight (r = 0.338). CONCLUSIONS: Maternal hematological parameters do not seem to affect neonatal outcome. Our main findings are the correlation of maternal platelet count with placental weight, the correlation of placental volume with birth weight being stronger than the correlation of placental weight with birth weight, and the correlation of umbilical artery lumen cross-sectional area with neonatal weight. Mild histopathologic alterations might occur in normal pregnancies; however, sufficient fetal nutrition can be maintained. This compensatory function of the placenta seems to be insufficient when two or more pathologies are present, which is characteristic for IUGR.

[Examination of placental three-dimensional power Doppler indices and perinatal outcome in pregnancies complicated by intrauterine growth restriction]. / A háromdimenziós power Doppler-indexek és a perinatalis kimenetel vizsgálata méhen belüli növekedési restrikcióval szövodött terhességekben.

INTRODUCTION: Development of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) can be traced back to maternal or fetal factors, but in many cases we find placental factors (reduced placental circulation) in the background. AIM: Our aim was to examine whether the reduced placental bloodperfusion and vascularity show any correlation with cesarean section frequency and the clinical outcome in IUGR pregnancies. The aim of the present study was also to use a properly calibrated and reproducible method for evaluating placental blood flow, that can later be incorporated into the routine examination. METHOD: 254 women were recruited in our prospective case-control study. The 3 dimensional power Doppler (3DPD) ultrasound indices; vascularisation index (VI), flow index (FI) and vascularization flow index (VFI) were measured on each participant. RESULTS: Median VI was 3.7% (interquartile range [IQR] 3.2%-4.2%) in the IUGR group and 10.1% (IQR 8.6%-10.9%) in the control group (p = 0.001). Median FI value was 40.0 (IQR 39.7-42.5) in the IUGR group and 45.1 (IQR 44.1-53.1) in the control group (p = 0.012). Median VFI was 2.2 (IQR 2.1-2.4) in the IUGR group and 4.8 (IQR 4.4-5.3) in the control. CONCLUSIONS: The 3DPD indices may be useful for examining changes in circulation in IUGR pregnancies to characterize the underlying pathology. Orv Hetil. 2017; 158(26): 1008-1013.

[Low rate of oropharyngeal human papillomavirus infection among women with cervical lesion. Preliminary results from the South-Eastern Hungarian population]. / Oropharyngealis humán papillomavírus ritka elofordulása cervicalis laesióval rendelkezo nokben. Elozetes eredmények dél-magyarországi vizsgálat alapján.

INTRODUCTION: Although the natural history of cervical and oral human papillomavirus infection has been intensively investigated in the past years, the ability of this virus to infect oral and genital mucosae in the same individual and its potential to co-infect both cervical and oral mucosa are still unclear. AIM: The aim of the authors was to assess the presence of oropharyngeal human papillomavirus infection in women with cervical lesions in the South-Eastern Hungarian population. METHOD: The total of 103 women have been included in the study between March 1, 2013 and January 1, 2015. Brushing was used to collect cells from the oropharyngeal mucosa. Human papillomavirus DNA was detected using polymerase chain reaction, and Amplicor line blot test was used for genotyping. RESULTS: Oropharyngeal human papillomavirus infection was detected in 2 cases (3%). The detected genotypes were 31, 40/61 and 73 in the oropharyngeal region. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that in women with cervical lesions oropharyngeal human papillomavirus infection rarely occurs.

[Pathophysiological changes of umbilical vessels in intrauterine growth restriction]. / A köldökzsinór érrendellenességei az intrauterin fejlodési visszamaradásban.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of intrauterine growth restriction is 4-5000/100,000 births, and they give the majority of perinatal morbidity. AIM: The aim of the authors was to compare the pathomorphologic data and vasoreactivity of umbilical vessels and placenta of small for date newborns to that of the normal pregnancies. METHOD: Samples of the umbilical cord and placenta were divided into case and control groups. Two 10 cm long segments were cut of the umbilical cord at placental insertion. Tissue bath experiment was performed on umbilical vessels and pathomorphologic data were collected according to the Royal College of Pathologists' protocol. RESULTS: After the development of basal tone, oxytocin and desmopressin did not enhance the vascular contraction, but the pathomorphological and ultrasonographic data were significantly different in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that umbilical vessels might not have oxytocin or vasopressin receptors. The pathomorphologic and flowmetric differences could be the causes of small birth weight.

[Recommendation for the pathological examination of the placenta: practical aspects and indications. Methodological recommendation]. / A placenta vizsgálatának ajánlott módszertana és a vizsgálat javallatai. Módszertani javaslat.

Introduction: According to the Hungarian law, placental examination is not mandatory, although it is known from the international practice that it can give valuable information in cases of stillbirth or in conditions, where the neonate has difficulty in the postnatal adaptation. Aim: It can be useful in the early detection of diseases, which otherwise would have gone undetected until late in life. This article is unique in Hungary, as no similar guideline exists in Hungarian language. Method: The recommendation of the Royal College of Pathologists (United Kingdom) determines those conditions where essential information can be obtained from the placental examination in not normal pregnancies. It serves as a useful guide in the medical practice. The journal titled "Placenta", first published in 1980 with impact factor above two, just underlines this statement. Results: In this article, the authors present the recent guideline of the RCPath and finish with the presentation of established clinicopathological association that might help clinicians to get the most valuable information from placental examination. Conclusion: The present article aims to summarise updated recommendations and present clinicopathological correlations. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(48): 1894-1903.

Postnatal outcome and placental blood flow after plasmapheresis during pregnancy.

PURPOSE: Plasmapheresis in pregnancy adversely affects maternal hemodynamics, however there are studies suggesting it to reduce pregnancy loss in immunological diseases when medication is more harmful to the fetus. The overall optimal plasmapheresis treatment protocol remains unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A pregnant with neuromyelitis optica was followed up after receiving six volumes of fresh frozen plasma via plasmapheresis. RESULTS: The placenta compensated the hemodynamic change until the 33rd week of gestation, resulting a small for gestational age, otherwise healthy girl. CONCLUSIONS: More research is needed on plasma exchange during pregnancy because in our observation placental circulation can adapt to the change in blood pressure.

Lyme disease associated neuroretinitis - Case report.

We describe a rare case of Lyme disease complicated by unilateral neuroretinitis in the right eye. We report a case of a 27-year-old woman with blurred vision on her right eye. Because of the suspicion of optic neuritis (multiplex sclerosis) neurological examination was ordered. Surprisingly, computer tomography of the brain revealed incomplete empty sella, which generally results not monocular, but bilateral optic nerve swelling. Opthalmological examination (ophthalmoscopy and optical coherence tomography) indicated not only monocular optic nerve, but retinal oedema next to the temporal part of the right optic disk. Visual evoked potentials (VEP) demonstrated no P100 latency delay and mild differences between the amplitudes of the responses of the left and right eye. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) demonstrated the swelling of the optic nerve head and oedematous retina at the temporal part of the disk. Suspicion of an inflammatory cause of visual disturbance blood tests was ordered. Doxycycline treatment was ordered till the result of the blood test arrived. The Western blot and ELISA test were positive for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. Following one week corticosteroide and ceftriaxone treatments, the patient displayed a clinical improvement. Unilateral neuroretinitis with optic disk swelling due to neuroborreliosis is a rare complication and in many cases it is difficult to distinguish between inflammatory and ischemic lesions. Further difficulty in the diagnosis can occur when intracranial alterations such as empty sella is demonstrated by CT examination.