ABSTRACT
In three fetuses, congenital intestinal atresia was associated with linear ulcerations of the umbilical cord. In two cases, hemorrhage was seen from the cord ulcer. Both fetuses required emergency cesarean section for fetal distress and were born anemic. The third fetus was mildly hydropic, attributed to hemorrhage, and was stillborn. The mechanism of the association could not be determined. These cases suggest a risk of prenatal umbilical cord hemorrhage in infants with intestinal atresia.
Subject(s)
Duodenal Obstruction/congenital , Fetal Diseases/pathology , Intestinal Atresia/pathology , Jejunum/abnormalities , Umbilical Cord , Adult , Duodenal Obstruction/pathology , Female , Hemorrhage/congenital , Hemorrhage/etiology , Hemorrhage/pathology , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Jejunum/pathology , Male , Ulcer/complications , Ulcer/congenital , Ulcer/pathology , Umbilical Cord/pathologyABSTRACT
Chorionic villus sampling is being considered as an alternative to amniocentesis for genetic evaluation. The risk of subsequent spontaneous abortion from this invasive procedure, however, remains unclear. A prospective analysis of pregnancy outcome after ultrasound documentation of fetal viability at eight to 12 weeks' gestation was carried out in an uninstrumented population of patients to establish a background loss rate against which to evaluate the safety of chorionic villus sampling. All patients presenting to the authors' private practice from December 1983 to January 1986 were enrolled in the study. An ultrasound examination was performed at the first visit to confirm intrauterine pregnancy and assess gestational age; in gestations less than eight weeks, the sonogram was repeated four weeks later. Four hundred eighty-nine delivered patients are the subject of this study. We evaluated the differences between this group and those patients presenting either with a blighted ovum or beyond the first trimester, as well as the outcome of those patients with spotting early in gestation. This study suggests that if a live fetus is documented by ultrasonography at eight to 12 weeks' gestation, the risk of spontaneous abortion before 20 weeks' gestation in an uninstrumented population is 2.0%.
Subject(s)
Fetal Death/epidemiology , Ultrasonography , Adult , Body Weight , Epidemiologic Methods , Female , Fetal Death/diagnosis , Gestational Age , Humans , Maternal Age , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular/etiology , Pregnancy Trimester, First , Prospective Studies , Uterine Hemorrhage/etiologyABSTRACT
Antipyrine and 4-aminoantipyrine have been used for approximately 20 years to measure uterine and umbilical blood flow. Fetal infusion of 4-aminoantipyrine has been shown to decrease myometrial activity and to significantly lower prostaglandin F2 alpha metabolite levels. Since prostaglandins are thought to be important in regulating uterine and umbilical blood flow, their decrease could cause significant changes in blood flow. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of antipyrine on uterine and umbilical blood flow as measured with electromagnetic flow probes and to determine whether antipyrine causes significant changes in levels of prostaglandin E2, prostaglandin F2 alpha metabolite, and prostaglandin I2 measured as 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha. Antipyrine infusion produced significant reductions in the uterine venous levels of prostaglandin E2 and prostaglandin F2 alpha metabolite (p less than 0.05). These reductions in prostaglandin levels were not associated with any significant changes in maternal blood pressure, heart rate, uterine blood flow, or oxygen content. Although fetal prostaglandin levels tended to decrease during the antipyrine infusion, these changes were not significant. Fetal blood pressure, heart rate, umbilical blood flow, PaO2, and oxygen content were not significantly altered. These data suggest that the antipyrine method does not affect basal blood flow in the uterine or umbilical circulation even though uterine prostaglandin levels are significantly decreased.
Subject(s)
Antipyrine/pharmacology , Dinoprost/analogs & derivatives , Fetal Blood/drug effects , Pregnancy, Animal/drug effects , Prostaglandins/metabolism , Uterus/blood supply , 6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha/blood , Ampyrone/pharmacology , Animals , Depression, Chemical , Dinoprostone , Female , Pregnancy , Prostaglandins E/blood , Prostaglandins F/blood , SheepABSTRACT
A Golgi-Cox study of the supraoptic nucleus of the adult rabbit has revealed the presence of three major cell types: (1) large multipolar neurons; (2) large bipolar neurons, and (3) small interneurons. The multipolar and bipolar neurons demonstrated regional variation in the rostral and caudal aspects of this nucleus, while the interneurons appeared identical throughout the nucleus. This study provides detailed cytoarchitectural descriptions of the magnocellular neurosecretory cells in the supraoptic nucleus and establishes the presence of an interneuronal cell population through which incoming afferent messages could influence the neurosecretory neurons.