Value of routine ultrasound examination at 35-37 weeks' gestation in diagnosis of fetal abnormalities.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential value of routine ultrasound examination at 35-37 weeks' gestation in the diagnosis of previously unknown fetal abnormalities. METHODS: This was a prospective study of 52 400 singleton pregnancies attending for a routine ultrasound examination at 35 + 0 to 36 + 6 weeks' gestation; all pregnancies had a previous scan at 18-24 weeks and 47 214 also had a scan at 11-13 weeks. We included pregnancies resulting in live birth or stillbirth but excluded those with known chromosomal abnormality. Abnormalities were classified according to the affected major organ system, and the type and incidence of new abnormalities were determined. RESULTS: In the study population, the incidence of fetal abnormality was 1.9% (995/52 400), including 674 (67.7%) that had been diagnosed previously during the first and/or second trimester, 247 (24.8%) that were detected for the first time at 35-37 weeks and 74 (7.4%) that were detected for the first time postnatally. The most common abnormalities that were diagnosed during the first and/or second trimester and that were also observed at 35-37 weeks included ventricular septal defect, talipes, unilateral renal agenesis and/or pelvic kidney, hydronephrosis, duplex kidney, unilateral multicystic kidney, congenital pulmonary airway malformation, ventriculomegaly, cleft lip and palate, polydactyly and abdominal cyst or gastroschisis. The most common abnormalities first seen at 35-37 weeks were hydronephrosis, mild ventriculomegaly, ventricular septal defect, duplex kidney, ovarian cyst and arachnoid cyst. The incidence of abnormalities first seen at 35-37 weeks was 0.5% and those that were detected exclusively for the first time at this examination were ovarian cyst, microcephaly, achondroplasia, dacryocystocele and hematocolpos. The incidence of abnormalities first seen postnatally was 0.1% and the most common were isolated cleft palate, polydactyly or syndactyly and ambiguous genitalia or hypospadias; prenatal examination of the genitalia was not a compulsory part of the protocol. CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of fetal abnormalities are detected for the first time during a routine ultrasound examination at 35-37 weeks' gestation. Such diagnosis and subsequent management, including selection of timing and place for delivery and postnatal investigations, could potentially improve postnatal outcome. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Lipid profile, BMI, body fat distribution, and aerobic fitness in men with metabolic syndrome.

Obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and insulin resistance are wellknown components of metabolic syndrome and are associated to increased cardiovascular morbidity. The present study aimed to evaluate the relationships between cardiorespiratory fitness, body fat distribution, and selected coronary heart disease risk factors. A total of 22 untrained subjects affected by one or more features of metabolic syndrome and without clinical history of cardiovascular disease were studied. Nondiabetic subjects underwent an oral glucose tolerance test for glucose and insulin measurement; fasting glucose and insulin were measured in diabetic patients. Complete lipid profile, thyroid hormones, and thyroid-stimulating hormone were measured in all subjects. Basal energy expenditure and cardiorespiratory fitness were measured using a K4 analyzer. Cardiorespiratory fitness ( VO(2max)/kg) was assessed using a treadmill graded exercise test. Peak aerobic capacity ( VO(2max)/kg) was predicted by body fat distribution, insulin sensitivity index, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol ( p<0.001). A significant relationship was found between cardiorespiratory fitness ( VO(2max)/kg) and body mass index (BMI), insulin sensitivity index, and LDL cholesterol ( r=0.60, p<0.05; r=0.66, p<0.01 and r=0.54, p<0.05, respectively). Data demonstrated that aerobic fitness is related to metabolic parameters and to body fat distribution, and suggest that its modification may improve well-known predictors of coronary artery disease.

A comparison of mandibular lingual surgical flaps with and without a vertical releasing incision.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the short-term postoperative pain for surgical flaps with mandibular lingual vertical releasing incisions (ML-VRI) compared with envelope flaps and to observe the postoperative clinical healing of ML-VRI. Using a split mouth design, 12 adult periodontal patients received bilateral posterior mandibular surgery with an envelope flap on one side and a flap with an ML-VRI on the contralateral side. Surgical procedures were performed at separate appointments, varied in order, and performed an equal number of times on the right and left sides. Postoperative pain was scored by the patients, and scores for each technique were compared using an analysis of variance and covariance with repeated measures. Photographs were used to assess postoperative clinical healing of ML-VRI with various degrees of initial closure. Results indicated no significant statistical difference (P greater than 0.05) between pain levels for the two surgical techniques. There was complete clinical healing despite variations in the degree of closure of ML-VRI. The findings of this study support the use of ML-VRI. They are indicated in areas with flat contours or with slight ledges and inferior concavities. ML-VRI are contraindicated in areas with prominent ledges and inferior concavities and in areas with exostoses. Suturing the vertical incision is unnecessary and may be detrimental to the tissues. A "step down" incision that preserves attachment levels in nondiseased sites is discussed.

Bilateral palatal myoclonus. Pathophysiology and report of a case.

A case of palatal myoclonus in a 52-year-old woman is described. This is a rare condition in which the rhythmic contraction of the palatal musculature gives rise to otologic symptoms. The clinical symptoms, pathophysiologic characteristics, and recommended treatment modalities are discussed.

The value of the nuclear medical scan in the diagnosis of temporomandibular joint disease.

A total of 125 patients with TMJ complaints underwent nuclear medical scans of their joints as part of their diagnostic work-ups. The scan results were compared with the radiographic and arthrogram findings of these patients. The results suggest that the nuclear medical scan is not a highly reliable diagnostic aid for the majority of temporomandibular joint patients.

Differences in cAMP levels in the gingival fluid of diabetics and nondiabetics.

Gingival fluid from eight control subjects and ten diabetics was collected and the content of cAMP and protein in the fluid was assayed to determine the nature of the biochemical changes occurring in the gingival fluid due to diabetes. The gingival fluid of the control subjects had a cAMP concentration of 2.4 X 10(-6) M, which was a hundredfold greater than that seen in serum, thus suggesting that the cAMP in the fluid resulted from active synthesis by the gingival cells and was not merely a transudate from the blood. The gingival fluid of the diabetics contained only one-seventh the level of cAMP seen in the control group. It is suggested that the decreased level of cAMP seen in the givgival fluid of diabetics may be a manifestation of a defect in the cAMP forming mechanism of the gingival tissue, which may reflect the systemic etiology of diabetes. It was also found that in the control subjects the content of cAMP in the gingival fluid was in inverse proportion to the volume of exudate in the gingival crevice. No such relationship was seen in the diabetic group. It appears that the level of cAMP present in the gingival fluid of normal individuals without any generalized endocrine deficiencies may be used as an additional indicator of the inflammatory status of the gingival tissues, along with the clinical evaluation based on gingival index.