Mystery of love, goiter and death in flu pandemic.

Ivan Mestrovic (1883-1962), a Croatian sculptor and architect, portrayed his close friend Marija Banac (born Racic) with a goiter. She died from flu in 1918 in Rome, just few days apart from her brother Edi Racic and his fiancée. In the tragic memory of the Racic family that disappeared in the burst of a terrible pandemic, Mestrovic built a church and mausoleum in Cavtat near Dubrovnik.

Prevalence of G-6-PD deficiency in the Croatian Adriatic Coast population.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency among the population of the Croatian Adriatic Coast, part of the Mediterranean basin. METHODS: The fluorescent spot test was used to screen 2,726 randomly selected high school students in the Croatian Adriatic coastal area. Fluorescence readings were performed at the beginning and at 3, 6, 10, and 25 min of incubation. Results were classified into the following three groups: bright fluorescence (BF), weak fluorescence (WF), and no fluorescence (NF). All NF and WF samples at 3 min were quantitatively measured using the spectrophotometric method. RESULTS: Twelve persons, 10 boys and 2 girls, were found to be deficient in G-6-PD, rendering a 0.44% prevalence of G-6-PD deficiency. All NF samples at fluorescent spot test were G-6-PD-deficient. WF at 3 min of the incubation period was present in 33 (1.2%) subjects, and only 2 (6%) were true positive. Fluorescence reading at 10 min of incubation omits five (41%) of the G-6-PD deficient samples. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of G-6-PD deficiency in the Croatian Adriatic coastal population is 0.44%. Fluorescent spot test for moderate enzyme deficiency is reliable in early fluorescence reading.

Effect of insulin and insulin-like growth factor I on fetal macrosomia in healthy women.

The aim of the study was to determine the values of insulin, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and glucose in the umbilical cord blood of macrosomic (> or = 4000 g) and control (3,000-3,500 g) infants born to healthy mothers, and to assess their possible correlation with the newborns' birth weight and maternal anthropometric parameters. A series of 207 macrosomic term infants, and 200 control term infants, born to healthy mothers with normal oral glucose tolerance test throughout gestation, were studied. The glucose concentration did not differ between the macrosomic and control group while macrosomic infants had significantly higher values of insulin and IGF-I. Female macrosomic infants had significantly higher levels of insulin and IGF-I than male macrosomic infants. The levels of insulin and IGF-I, but not levels of glucose, differed between the macrosomic and control group according to the maternal weight, height, pregestational body mass index, weight gain during gestation, and maternal birth weight. The maternal anthropometric parameters were significantly greater in the macrosomic infants. Accordingly, macrosomia was concluded to be a multifactorial condition.

[Neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenic purpura caused by anti-HPA-1a alloantibodies. Case report]. / Neonatalna aloimuna trombocitopenijska purpura (NATP) uzrokovana anti-HPA-1a aloprotutijelima. Prikaz bolesnika.

We report the case of serologically proven HPA-1a NATP. The child was born after uneventful 4th pregnancy. Immediately after birth generalized petechiae and signs of gastrointestinal bleeding were present. Isolated thrombocytopenia with the platelet number of 29 x 10(9)/L was observed. Serological investigation (PSIFT and MAIPA) showed high titre anti-HPA-1a antibody and low titre anti-HLA antibody in mother's sera. Mother's platelets were HPA-1a negative and she was HLA DR 52 positive. Father's platelets were HPA-1a positive. Cross-match between mother's sera and father's platelets was positive. 24 hours after the introduction of corticosteroid therapy platelet number increased to 73 x 10(9)/L and 48 hours later to 155 x 10(9)/L. The child was treated by corticosteroids because the NATP was severe and antigen negative platelets (mother or donor) or IVGG were not available. According to data from the literature the efficiency of corticosteroid therapy in NATP is questionable, but in this case it provided sufficient increase of platelet number with the stop of newborn bleeding.

The significance of Chlamydia trachomatis in urethritis and prostatitis - differences in therapeutic approach - Croatian experience.

We examined a total of 1014 patients over 18 years of age; 252 with urethritis and 762 with chronic prostatitis syndrome. the mean age of patients with urethritis was 32.7 and with prostatitis syndrome 37.6 years. Clinical symptoms of urethritis were present from a few days to several months. in patients with chronic prostatitis syndrome, symptoms were present for at least 3 months. Chlamydia trachomatis alone was confirmed in 26 (10%) and in combination with Ureaplasma urealyticum in 6 (2%) patients with urethritis. in 171 (68%) patients with urethritis neither C. trachomatis nor U. urealyticum or Mycoplasma hominis were found. C. trachomatis alone was confirmed in 70 (9%), and in combination with other microorganisms in 7 (1%) patients with chronic prostatitis syndrome. in Croatia, the frequency of chronic chlamydial prostatitis has not significantly changed in the last 10 years, while the frequency of infections among adolescents decreased. the recommended regimen for acute chlamydial urethritis in Croatia is azithromycin 1.0 g as a single dose, and a total dose of 4-4.5 g azithromycin for chronic chlamydial prostatitis.

Thyroid diseases in a school population with thyromegaly.

A survey of 5462 schoolchildren was conducted for signs of thyroid disease in the seaside region of Sibenik, Croatia. In this region, salt is regularly iodised with 0.01% potassium iodide. Thyromegaly was found in 152 children (2.8%). The most common disorder was simple goitre, which was established in 126 of these, 12 boys and 114 girls (combined prevalence of 2.3%, and of 0.45% in boys and 4.07% in girls). Juvenile autoimmune thyroiditis was found in 19 of the children (prevalence 0.35%), with a female:male sex ratio of 8:1. Diagnosis was confirmed in all cases by fine needle biopsy. Thyroglobulin antibodies were detected in all 19 of the patients with juvenile autoimmune thyroiditis, but microsomal antibodies in only eight. Three patients had decreased concentrations of thyroxine and raised concentrations of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), one of these also with clinical hypothyroidism. Raised concentrations of TSH but with normal triiodothyronine and thyroxine were seen in two patients. Graves' disease was diagnosed in four children, three girls and one boy (combined 0.07%). Thyroid nodules were identified in three children (0.055%; two benign adenomas and one cyst). Only seven of the 152 patients with thyromegaly (three with hyperthyroidism and four with simple goitre) had previously sought medical advice, which points to the need for careful thyroid examination of apparently healthy children even in regions where the regular iodide intake is assumed to be sufficient.