No COVID-19 Cases Detected Between April and September 2020 After Screening All 838 Admissions to a Maternity Unit in Poland.

BACKGROUND Between April and September 2020, there were <10 000 reported cases of COVID-19 in the Masovia district, Poland, and <1000 new cases daily in Poland. During this period, all new hospital admissions to a maternity unit of a teaching hospital in Warsaw were screened for the COVID-19 infection. This retrospective study presents the findings from the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for COVID-19. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study included 838 women admitted for delivery between April 20 and September 20, 2020. All the admitted women were assigned to a low-risk or a high-risk group for COVID-19 and underwent RT-PCR nasopharyngeal swab tests (GeneFinder™-COVID-19-Plus-RealAmpKit. OSANG Healthcare Co., Ltd., Gyeonggi-do, Korea) for COVID-19. The testing protocol included repeated testing in case of inconclusive results or negative results in the symptomatic patients. The maternal and neonatal data from these cases were collected and analyzed. RESULTS All of the 838 women tested negative for COVID-19. Two women (0.24%) were classified as high risk for COVID-19. For 4 (0.48%) women, the results were initially inconclusive and negative when repeated. One hundred and eighty-one (21.5%) women presented with comorbidities, and 60 (7.2%) women were ≥40 years old. CONCLUSIONS The findings from this study show that between April and September 2020, there were no cases of COVID-19 infections at the maternity unit of a teaching hospital in Warsaw, Poland. However, the infection rates for COVID-19 across Europe continue to change. Testing protocols have been developed and established for all hospital admissions and it is anticipated that testing methods will become more rapid and accurate.

Endovascular embolization of varicoceles using n-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) glue.

BACKGROUND: Varicoceles are abnormally dilated veins within the pampiniform plexus. They are caused by reflux of blood in the internal spermatic vein. The incidence of varicoceles is approximately 10-15% of the adolescent male population. The etiology of varicoceles is probably multifactorial. The diagnosis is based on Doppler US. Treatment could be endovascular or surgical. The aim of the study was to describe and evaluate a novel method of endovascular embolization of varicoceles using n-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) glue. MATERIAL/METHODS: 17 patients were subjected to endovascular treatment of varicoceles using NBCA. A 2.8 Fr microcatheter and a 1:1 mixture of NBCA and lipiodol were used for embolization of the spermatic vein. RESULTS: All 17 procedures were successful. There were no complications. DISCUSSION: Embolization of varicoceles using NBCA glue is efficient and safe for all patients. The method should be considered as a method of choice in all patients. Phlebography and Valsalva maneuver are crucial for technical success and avoidance of complications. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular treatment of varicoceles using NBCA glue is very effective and safe.

Effects of ischaemia and hypoxia on the development of the nervous system in acardiac foetus.

The twin-reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence and development of an acardius are rare and severe complications in monozygotic twin pregnancy. Haemodynamic disturbances in placental perfusion via abnormal vascular anastomoses allow inter-twin transfusion to occur. Because of blood perfusion, one of the twins is poorly oxygenated and contains metabolic waste products. Retrograde placental perfusion leads to the formation of a non-viable malformed acardiac foetus. We studied the effects of haemodynamic disturbances in acardiac foetus on the development of the nervous system. The acardius was a product of a 32-weeks pregnancy. Caesarean section yielded a skin covered ovoid mass (size, 10 x 8 cm; weight, 220 g). The dissection of the acardiac twin showed a skin with hair and appendages, rudimentary lower limbs, vertebral column and brain mass. The rudimentary brain tissue was considerably disorganised structurally. We distinguished two main morphological forms of various appearances. In the centre, we observed a scarcely vascularised mass of tissue containing mature and immature neurones, glial cells and randomly distributed fibres. The mass of tissue appeared poorly differentiated, although there were some arrangements reminiscent of cerebral structures. Clusters of neurones provided a slight suggestion of nuclear or fibre structure. The cerebellar cortex was the only well recognisable structure. In the other fragment of the tissue, we found a slit cavity with ependymal outline and well-developed choroid plexus, which seemed to represent the 3rd ventricle. The scarcely vascularised disorganised tissue was surrounded by the highly vascularised one. It included many thin-walled sinusoid vessels. In some places, they were so concentrated that they resembled cavernous haemangioma. The spinal cord appeared comparatively well organised with a slightly dilated central canal. The morphological picture of the rudimentary brain tissue was similar to the picture of the cerebrovasculosa area. The effect of ischaemia in the presented case is the anomalous formation of the cerebral structures. The morphological features imply that the failure occurred after neurulation and before the prosencephalic began to grow. The failure of neural tube formation occurred on the 22nd-25th day of gestation. The malformed formation of the nervous system might be caused by impaired induction due to altered gene expression or to the interference of exogenous agents that interrupt normal development. The haemodynamic abnormal placental circulation, which induced lack of oxygen supply and nutritional deficiency, implies the morphological pattern of the anomaly.