Non-progressive ataxia: origins, brain pathology and impairments in 78 swedish children.

This population-based study refers to 78 Swedish children with non-progressive ataxia from a total population of 3.1 million inhabitants. Inclusion criteria were ataxic gait without any signs of spasticity, dyssynergia, dysmetria and intention tremor.

Maternal antibodies against fetal cardiac antigens in congenital complete heart block.

An immunologic basis for congenital heart block has been proposed previously. To investigate the association between congenital heart block and maternal antibodies capable of crossing the placenta, we used immunofluorescence to examine serum samples from 41 mothers and 8 affected children, together with serum from controls, for antibodies to fetal cardiac tissue. Twenty-one mothers (51 percent) had IgG antibody reactive with fetal heart tissue, as compared with only 9 of 94 controls (10 percent; P less than 0.

Anatomy of congenital complete heart block and relation to maternal anti-Ro antibodies.

The anatomy of the conduction system was studied in 8 patients who had isolated congenital complete heart block. Atrial-axis discontinuity was seen in 7 hearts from children born to mothers with anti-Ro antibodies. The anticipated area of the atrioventricular node was occupied by fibrous and adipose tissue.