Fetal MR Imaging Anatomy of the Transverse Temporal Gyrus (Heschl Gyrus).

Background And Purpose: The human auditory system develops early in fetal life. This retrospective MR imaging study describes the in vivo prenatal anatomic development of the transverse temporal gyrus (Heschl gyrus) site of the primary auditory cortex.

Materials And Methods: Two hundred seventy-two MR imaging studies of the fetal brain (19-39 weeks' gestational age) acquired from a single institution's 1.

Comparison of practice vs theory model training for vacuum-assisted delivery: A randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To assess the effect of two modalities of simulation training on acquisition/retention of skills for performing operative vaginal delivery.

Design: Randomized, controlled, single-centre study.

Setting: A tertiary referral hospital in Italy.

Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Gestational Diabetes: The Predictive Role of Routine Biomarkers and Nutrigenetic Variants.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) can be considered a silent risk for out-of-pregnancy diabetes mellitus (DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) later in life. We aimed to assess the predictive role of 3 trimester lipid profile during pregnancy for the susceptibility to markers of subclinical atherosclerosis (CVD susceptibility) at 3 years in a cohort of women with history of GDM. A secondary aim is to evaluate the usefulness of novel nutrigenetic markers, in addition to traditional parameters, for predicting early subclinical atherosclerosis in such women in order to plan adequate early prevention interventions.

Prenatal planning of placenta previa: diagnostic accuracy of a novel MRI-based prediction model for placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) and clinical outcome.

Purpose: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of MRI for placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) and clinical outcome prediction in women with placenta previa, using a novel MRI-based predictive model.

Methods: Thirty-eight placental MRI exams performed on a 1.5T scanner were retrospectively reviewed by two radiologists in consensus.

The influence of different inositol stereoisomers supplementation in pregnancy on maternal gestational diabetes mellitus and fetal outcomes in high-risk patients: a randomized controlled trial.

To identify the effects of different dietary inositol stereoisomers on insulin resistance and the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in women at high risk for this disorder. A preliminary, prospective, randomized, placebo controlled clinical trial. Nonobese singleton pregnant women with an elevated fasting glucose in the first or early second trimester were studied throughout pregnancy.

Effect of inositol stereoisomers at different dosages in gestational diabetes: an open-label, parallel, randomized controlled trial.

Aims: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most common metabolic disorder of pregnancy. The aim of the study is to compare the effect of different dosages of inositol stereoisomers supplementation on insulin resistance levels and several maternal-fetal outcomes in GDM women.

Methods: Participants were randomly allocated to receive daily: 400 mcg folic acid (control treatment), 4000 mg myo-inositol plus 400 mcg folic acid (MI treatment), 500 mg D-chiro-inositol plus 400 mcg folic acid (DCI treatment) or 1100/27.

Nutrigenetic variants and cardio-metabolic risk in women with or without gestational diabetes.

Aim: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most frequent metabolic disorder in pregnancy and it can be considered a silent risk associated to T2DM and CVD later in life. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of clinical parameters with nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involved with nutrients and metabolism in women with or without GDM in order to identify potential routine clinical markers for early prevention.

Methods: Nine gene variants associated with nutrients and metabolism, namely PPARG2 rs1801282 (C > G); PPARGC1A rs8192678 (C > T); TCF7L2 rs7903146 (C > T); LDLR rs2228671 (C > T); MTHFR rs1801133 (C > T); APOA5 rs662799 (T > C); GCKR rs1260326 (C > T); FTO rs9939609 (T > A); MC4R rs17782313 (T > C) were genotyped in 104 GDM cases and 124 controls using High Resolution Melting (HRM) analysis.

An 11.4-Mb Interstitial Deletion in a Fetus with No Apparent Phenotypic Alterations.

A prenatal case of a de novo interstitial deletion distal to 8q24 was reported. Ultrasound examination and postmortem evaluation demonstrated no apparent phenotypic alterations. Array CGH showed an 11.

Molecular Analysis of a Genetic Variants Panel Related to Nutrients and Metabolism: Association with Susceptibility to Gestational Diabetes and Cardiometabolic Risk in Affected Women.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most frequent metabolic disorder in pregnancy. Women with a GDM history are at increased risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Studies have demonstrated a significant correlation between several genes involved in the metabolic pathway of insulin and environmental factors.

Aneuploidy screening using circulating fetal cells in maternal blood by dual-probe FISH protocol: a prospective feasibility study on a series of 172 pregnant women.

Background: A long sought goal in medical genetics has been the replacement of invasive procedures for the detection of chromosomal aneuploidies by isolating and analyzing fetal cells or free fetal DNA from maternal blood, avoiding risk to the fetus. However, a rapid, simple, consistent, and low-cost procedure suitable for routine clinical practice has not yet been achieved. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of predicting fetal aneuploidy by applying our recently established dual-probe FISH protocol to fetal cells isolated and enriched from maternal blood.

Myo-Inositol Supplementation to Prevent Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common complication characterized by increased insulin resistance, and by increased risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes affecting both the mother and the fetus. International guidelines describe optimal ways to recognize it, and the recommended treatment of patients affected to reduce adverse outcomes. Improving insulin resistance could reduce incidence of GDM and its complications.

Effect of dietary myo-inositol supplementation in pregnancy on the incidence of maternal gestational diabetes mellitus and fetal outcomes: a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that dietary myo-inositol may improve insulin resistance and the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in women at high risk of this disorder.

Design: A prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial, pilot study.

Participants: Non-obese singleton pregnant women with an elevated fasting glucose in the first or early second trimester were studied throughout pregnancy.

Elevated maternal serum α-fetoprotein level in a fetus with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome in the second trimester of pregnancy.

Background: Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is a rare disorder characterized by macrosomia, macroglossia, visceromegaly, and omphalocele and an increased risk of growing tumors. Prenatal and postnatal high levels of serum alpha-fetoprotein are associated with several diseases and neoplasms including hepatoblastomas and other hepatic tumors. The diagnosis of BWS is usually made in the postnatal period on the basis of physical exam features and hypermethylation of the H19 gene.

Rhombencephalosynapsis in a severely polymalformed fetus with non-mosaic tetrasomy 9p, in intracytoplasmic-sperm-injection pregnancy.

Case Report: A fetus with rhombencephalosynapsis and prenatally diagnosed tetrasomy 9p is reported. Chromosomal analysis from amniocyte culture revealed non-mosaic supernumerary chromosome identified as isochromosome 9p (9p24-->q13::q13-->p24). Ultrasound scan revealed intrauterine growth retardation, renal anomalies, cardiac anomalies, ventriculomegaly, and agenesis of cerebellar vermis with fusion of the cerebellar hemispheres.

Two cases of vaginitis caused by itraconazole-resistant Saccharomyces cerevisiae and a review of recently published studies.

Genitourinary infections caused by non-Candida yeasts are uncommon, and especially due to Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We describe the cases of two adult females with vulvovaginal infections caused by itraconazole-resistant S. cerevisiae who made a full recovery after oral fluconazole therapy.

Fetal facial profile in Pallister-Killian syndrome.

Pallister-Killian syndrome (PKS) is a sporadic chromosomal anomaly, caused by a tissue-specific mosaic distribution of an additional isochromosome 12p. About 60 cases of prenatal diagnosis of PKS have been reported. Only 1 case of PKS is described on the basis of prenatal screening, presenting increased nuchal translucency.

Cystic hygroma and mid-trimester maternal serum screening.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between maternal serum screening markers and pregnancy outcome in fetuses with cystic hygroma at 15-18 weeks of gestation.

Study Design: We retrospectively reviewed case-notes of 34 consecutive singleton fetuses with cystic hygroma referred at 15-18 weeks of gestation. All cases had maternal blood sampled for triple screening at the time of the ultrasound scan.

Reversible acute fetal renal failure due to maternal exposure to angiotensin receptor blocker.

We report on a case of fetal toxicity due to maternal treatment with olmesartan medoxomil. At 29 weeks' gestation, oligohydramnios was found, although the fetus had normal kidneys on ultrasound evaluation. Withdrawal of olmesartan medoxomil, maternal rehydration, and a single dose of furosemide reversed the renal impairment.

Prenatal diagnosis of septal agenesis with normal pituitary function.

Septal agenesis is a rare brain malformation that is characterized by partial or complete absence of the septum pellucidum, either isolated or associated with other brain anomalies. We report a case presenting with septal agenesis and normal optic chiasm and pituitary function in a fetus at 19 weeks of gestation.

Prenatal diagnosis of Meckel-Gruber syndrome in a pregnancy obtained with ICSI.

The association of occipital encephalocele, cleft palate, postaxial polydactyly, polycystic kidneys, and hepatic cysts is well known as Meckel-Gruber syndrome (MGS). Nowadays, the diagnosis of MGS is usually performed prenatally by ultrasound findings. MGS was previously described following in vitro fertilization.