A second opinion: response to 100 professors.

Induced abortion is a controversial topic among obstetricians. "100 Professors" extolled the benefits of elective abortion in a Clinical Opinion published in AJOG. However, scientific balance requires the consideration of a second opinion from practitioners who care for both patients, and who recognize the humanity of both. Alternative approaches to the management of a problem pregnancy, as well as short and long term risks to women as published in the peer reviewed medical literature are discussed. Maintaining a position of "pro-choice" requires that practitioners also be given a right to exercise Hippocratic principles in accordance with their conscience.

Fetal mediastinal lymphangiomas.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this series was to evaluate the prenatal sonographic findings and postnatal outcomes in 2 fetuses with mediastinal lymphangiomas. METHODS: The fetal images were compared with postnatal imaging and surgical findings. RESULTS: The 2 fetuses had anechoic mediastinal masses at 25 and 22 weeks, which proved to be lymphangiomas. One, located in the anterior mediastinum, also enveloped the superior vena cava, brachial plexus, phrenic nerve, larynx, and lower parts of the neck vessels and extended into the subcutaneous tissues of the anterior chest wall through an intercostal space. In the second patient, the lymphangioma appeared to be a unilocular cyst, which involved the deep tissues of the neck as well as the posterior and lateral mediastinum. Both required 2 interventions after birth. CONCLUSIONS: Fetal mediastinal lymphangiomas appeared anechoic and sent extensions into the neck in the first case, around the superior vena cava, through the intercostal spaces to the skin, and around the brachial plexus in the second case, and deviated the trachea in both cases. In 1 case, there was also ectasia of the superior vena cava. This ability to entwine around vital structures can make it difficult to determine the extent of involvement on antenatal sonography and to remove lymphangiomas completely, and recurrence is common.

Cavernous hemangioma: diffuse enlarged venous spaces within the myometrium in pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Diffuse enlarged vessels throughout the myometrium are very rare. This case illustrates the diagnosis and clinical management of a pregnancy complicated by large vessels diffusely distributed throughout the myometrium. CASE: A primigravida measured large for dates at 27 weeks gestation. Ultrasonography demonstrated tubular echolucent spaces throughout the myometrium. No flow could be detected within them by color or spectral Doppler. During cesarean delivery blood loss was 1,700 mL, but the uterus was successfully closed with 3 suture layers. A biopsy specimen showed myometrium containing large vascular spaces thought to be veins, consistent with a hemangioma. CONCLUSION: Enlarged vascular spaces diffusely distributed throughout the myometrium proved to be a cavernous hemangioma. Cesarean delivery in the present case produced some additional bleeding that was easily controlled, and the uterus was closed without incident.

Psychometric properties and three proposed subscales of a self-report version of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale translated into Hebrew.

We investigated the overall test-retest reliability and other psychometric properties of a self-report version of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) translated into Hebrew. We also evaluated the utility of three new subscales that were identified by nonparametric analysis (multidimensional scaling; MDS). Two hundred and seven patients who sought treatment for social anxiety or panic disorder were evaluated. All patients completed the self-administered version of the LSAS. A subsample completed the LSAS a second time prior to the beginning of treatment. The results indicate that the self-report format of the LSAS translated into Hebrew demonstrates high test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and discriminant validity. Additionally, some evidence for convergent and divergent validity was noted, and treatment sensitivity was high. MDS analysis followed by the investigation of common underlying facets for items related in two-dimensional space identified three subgroups: 1) the Group Performance/Interaction ("Group") subscale that consists of group performance and group interaction items; 2) the Dyadic Interaction ("Dyadic") subscale that consists of Dyadic interaction items; and 3) the Public Activities ("Public") subscale that consists of individual activities carried out in public. The three new subscales identified by MDS appear to provide clinically relevant information that relates to both demographic and treatment outcome variables and warrant further study.