Hyperechogenic fetal bowel: Current evidence-based prenatal diagnosis and management.

Echogenic fetal bowel (EB) is a prenatal ultrasound finding (0.2%-1.4% of all pregnancies) defined as bowel of similar or greater echogenicity than surrounding bone. In fact, the ultrasound assessment is strongly subjective with inter-observer variability. The pathophysiology depends on the underlying condition, apparently related with meconium stasis and hypercellularity. It is often an isolated finding, with possible association with other structural anomalies. About the origin, it was observed in fetuses with cystic fibrosis, congenital infections, thalassemia, intraamniotic bleeding, fetal growth restriction. Fetuses with EB are at increased risk of adverse perinatal outcome, such as intrauterine growth restriction, placental dysfunction and perinatal death, highlighting the need for a thorough antenatal management and post-natal follow-up. It seems to be associated with a plenty of conditions, such as a poor fetal outcome, fetal growth restriction and placental dysfunction. Therefore management requires a multidisciplinary approach with different specialties' involvement and the prognosis is influenced by the underlying pathophysiology. In this complex scenario, the present review aims to define the clinical pathway which should be offered to pregnant women in case of finding of fetal EB ultrasound marker, to rule out any suspected pathological cause.

Echocardiographic features and outcome of restrictive foramen ovale in fetuses with and without cardiac malformations: Literature review.

Foramen ovale is a small communication between the left and the right atrium and its restriction is a rare congenital heart anomaly. There is no consensus on diagnosis and management of fetal restrictive foramen ovale (RFO). In our paper we included 11 studies about fetuses affected by isolated RFO, RFO with D-Transposition of the Great Arteries (dTGA) and RFO with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). While fetuses affected from HLHS and dTGA with RFO have a poor prognosis, premature RFO in an otherwise structurally normal heart, if found in later gestation, have an overall good outcome.

Observations on dental structures when placed in contact with acids: experimental studies to aid identification processes.

In a "mafia" crime case, a magistrate asked us whether it is possible to destroy a cadaver by immersing it in acids, and would it be possible to identify any residues. The aim of this study was to observe the behavior of teeth exposed to four kinds of acid solutions. The teeth were placed in plastic containers with 25 mL of acid and observed. The experiences showed that teeth are completely dissolved after 14 h of immersion in 37% solution of hydrochloric acid, while at 90h in 96% sulfuric acid, the destruction of the samples is still incomplete. In nitric acid the teeth undergo a complete dissolution in 12 h, and in 17 h in aqua regia (chloroazotic acid-hydrochloric/nitric acid 1:3). It was possible to recognize the characteristic morphological features of dental tissues and structures up until the advanced stages of degradation.