Evaluation of seizures in the term newborn

Seizures occurring in the neonate are not uncommon and usually indicate an underlying neurological disorder. In many cases the occurrence of seizures is followed later by other neurological sequelae and sometimes handicapping. To study the use of MRI in the newborn for the diagnosis of the etiology of seizures in comparison to Cranial US and CT scans and its possible prognostic value regarding neurodevelopmental outcome. In this study 20 term neonates 8 girls and 12 boys presenting with seizures with or without evidence of HIE were prospectively studied to identify cause of the seizures comparatively using US, CT and MRI as well as EEG and laboratory testing. Follow up neurological and developmental examination of these infants was done at 6months, 1 and 2 years. Based on MRI findings the causes of seizures in these patients were hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy [HIE] [70%], intracranial hemorrhage [ICH] [15%], cerebral dysgenesis [10%] and acute fulminating inflammatory process [5%]. The cause was unknown in 20% of the cases until magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] was performed. Cranial ultrasonography failed to show any basal ganglia lesions seen by MRI. Regarding follow up, infants with diffuse MRI lesions had higher mortality and morbidity compared to infants with focal MRI and normal MRI findings. The combined use of various imaging techniques to detect the etiology of neonatal seizures with precise anatomical definition is of great importance for the management of neonatal seizures as well for the alleviation of parental distress

comparative study of the length of the lower limb long bones by using surface anatomy and dissection methods

Fifty male thin fresh cadavers [with no deformity in the lower limbs] from the student's dissecting rooms of the Faculty of Medicine in Alexandria University are used. The lengths of the femora, tibiae and fibulae are measured before dissection by using surface anatomy of these bones and after dissection by measuring the actual bones prepared by maceration method. The points of land marks chosen for our meassurments are; the highest point of the greater trochanter, tibial point, styloid process of the fibula and lastly the malleolar points [meclial and lateral]. The results are shown in three tables and statistically analysed. From these results it is found that the long bones of the lower limbs of the two sides are nearly equal to each other and the highest point of the greater trochanter, tibial point, styloid process of the fibula and the malleolar points [medial and lateral] can be used at the easiest and more accurate points for the measurment of the true lengths of the lower limb bones on living persons