Efficacy of combining aspirin with hydroxychloroquine in pregnancies at high risk for pre-eclampsia: a prospective, multicentre, open-label, single-arm clinical trial, investigator-initiated study (HUGS study).

Introduction: The use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) during pregnancies complicated by systemic lupus erythematosus or refractory antiphospholipid antibody syndrome has demonstrated a significant ability to prevent pre-eclampsia (PE). As such, the potential for the administration of HCQ to prevent PE in other high-risk pregnancies is an important clinical research agenda among maternal and fetal medicine specialists. Mechanistically, the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of HCQ can offer vascular protection and inhibit the placental dysfunction-associated thrombotic changes underlying the pathophysiology of PE, fetal growth restriction (FGR) and fetal death in utero (FDIU).

Antenatal diagnosis and management of fetal inguinoscrotal hernia: A case report with literature review.

Primary inguinal hernia is a common pediatric surgical condition with an incidence of 1%-4%, which is higher in male or premature newborns. It is characterized by the protrusion of abdominal contents through inguinal canal in newborns. However, prenatal fetal inguinal hernia is a rare condition because the pressure of amniotic fluid is similar to intra-abdominal pressure.

Improving Prenatal Diagnosis Precision for Congenital Clubfoot by Using Three-Dimensional Ultrasonography.

Prenatal diagnosis of clubfoot traditionally relied on two-dimensional ultrasonography. To enhance diagnosis and predict postnatal outcomes, we examined the parameters that differentiate pathological clubfoot using three-dimensional ultrasonography. In our retrospective study, we examined the findings of prenatal ultrasound and the postnatal outcomes of pregnancies with suspected congenital clubfoot between 2018 and 2021.

Prenatal screening for neural tube defects: from maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein to ultrasonography.

The two main screening tests during pregnancy are those for chromosomal abnormalities and neural tube defects (NTDs). In particular, for NTDs, measurement of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) levels early in the second trimester (15-18 weeks of gestation) has been considered the gold standard screening test for the past 4 decades. However, with remarkable technological advancements and the widespread use of ultrasound during those periods, mid-trimester ultrasonography has gradually replaced the role of measuring MSAFP levels as a screening method for NTDs.

External cephalic version in the outpatient clinic.

The continuous increase in the rates of cesarean section worldwide is concerning. Breech presentation is one of the major indications for cesarean section in most countries. External cephalic version (ECV) can reduce cesarean rates by approximately two-thirds in term breech pregnancies.

Omental Incarceration over Twenty Years Presenting as a Hyperechoic Endometrial Mass in a Postmenopausal Woman.

Uterine perforation related with dilatation and curettage (D&C) is an uncommon event. Combined complications such as hemorrhage, adjacent organ injury, and omental incarceration may require an emergent surgical treatment. These are usually evident immediately or several days after the D&C, and a delayed presentation of uterine perforation are extremely rare.

A Huge Hemorrhagic Epidermoid Cyst of the Perineum with Hypoechoic Semisolid Ultrasonographic Feature Mimicking Scar Endometriosis.

Epidermoid cysts are small, solitary, and slow-growing lesions that rarely appear in the perineum and mostly arise because of trauma. This study examined a huge perineal epidermoid cyst that slowly grew over eight years in a premenopausal woman. Ultrasonography showed that the hemorrhage in the cyst was a semisolid hypoechoic mass, which mimicked endometrioma, and was tentatively diagnosed as scar endometriosis in the perineum after vaginal delivery.

Efficacy of fetal cardiac axis evaluation in the first trimester as a screening tool for congenital heart defect or aneuploidy.

Objective: To prove the efficacy of determining the abnormal fetal cardiac axis for screening congenital heart defects (CHDs) and predicting fetal aneuploidy at 11.0 to 13.6 weeks of pregnancy.

A giant symptomatic placental chorioangioma managed with a histoacryl injection.

Chorioangiomas are generally small and associated with favorable outcomes, but large tumors can cause serious fetal complications, such as polyhydramnios, fetal anemia, intrauterine growth restriction, cardiac failure, fetal hydrops, and intrauterine fetal death. Signs of fetal cardiac failure on ultrasonography are indications for urgent in utero interventions. We report a case of a giant chorioangioma causing fetal cardiac failure at 26 weeks' gestation, which was treated by embolization of the feeding vessels.

Generation of human androgenetic induced pluripotent stem cells.

In humans, parthenogenesis and androgenesis occur naturally in mature cystic ovarian teratomas and androgenetic complete hydatidiform moles (CHM), respectively. Our previous study has reported human parthenogenetic induced pluripotent stem cells from ovarian teratoma-derived fibroblasts and screening of imprinted genes using genome-wide DNA methylation analysis. However, due to the lack of the counterparts of uniparental cells, identification of new imprinted differentially methylated regions has been limited.

Heritability of telomere length across three generations of Korean families.

Background: Leukocyte telomere length (LTL), an indicator of aging, is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors; however, its heritability is unknown. We determined heritability and inheritance patterns of telomere length across three generations of families.

Methods: We analyzed 287 individuals from three generations of 41 Korean families, including newborns, parents, and grandparents.

Reviving external cephalic version: a review of its efficacy, safety, and technical aspects.

Currently, the rate of cesarean sections being performed in Korea is approximately 40%, with Korea ranking 4th among the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries with respect to cesarean deliveries. Breech presentation at term is an important indication for cesarean section among other factors, including medicolegal concerns and pregnancies in women of advanced maternal age. Term breech presentation is associated with a higher fetal mortality rate than that associated with a cephalic presentation.

Interference-Aware Routing for Difficult Wireless Sensor Network Environment with SWIPT.

The main challenges of sensing in harsh industrial and biological environments are the limited energy of sensor nodes and the difficulty of charging sensor nodes. Simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) is a non-invasive option to replenish energy. SWIPT harvests energy and decodes information from the same RF signal, which is influencing the design of a wireless sensor network.

Alteration of Genomic Imprinting Status of Human Parthenogenetic Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells during Neural Lineage Differentiation.

Background And Objectives: Genomic imprinting modulates growth and development in mammals and is associated with genetic disorders. Although uniparental embryonic stem cells have been used to study genomic imprinting, there is an ethical issue associated with the destruction of human embryos. In this study, to investigate the genomic imprinting status in human neurodevelopment, we used human uniparental induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) that possessed only maternal alleles and differentiated into neural cell lineages.

Extra-adrenal paraganglioma masquerading as severe preeclampsia.

Paraganglioma in pregnancy is an extremely rare condition and its diagnosis is often delayed because the clinical symptoms can mimic those of preeclampsia or gestational hypertension. Here, we report the case of a 32-year-old, gravida 2, para 1 woman who presented with severe headache, palpitation, and sweating at 37 weeks' gestation. Although emergent cesarean section was performed on the assumption of severe preeclampsia, blood pressure fluctuated and heart rate remained tachycardiac.

Novel imprinted single CpG sites found by global DNA methylation analysis in human parthenogenetic induced pluripotent stem cells.

Genomic imprinting is the process of epigenetic modification whereby genes are expressed in a parent-of-origin dependent manner; it plays an important role in normal growth and development. Parthenogenetic embryos contain only the maternal genome. Parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells could be useful for studying imprinted genes.

Higher maternal vitamin D concentrations are associated with longer leukocyte telomeres in newborns.

Gestational vitamin D insufficiency is related with increased risks of various diseases and poor health outcomes later in life. Telomere length at birth or early in life is known to be a predictor of individual health. Both vitamin D and telomere length are related with various health conditions, and vitamin D concentrations are associated with leukocyte telomere lengths in women.

External cephalic version experiences in Korea.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate obstetric outcomes of external cephalic version (ECV) performed at or near term.

Methods: Single pregnant woman with breech presentation at or near term (n=145), who experienced ECV by one obstetrician from November 2009 to July 2014 in our institution were included in the study. Maternal baseline characteristic and fetal ultrasonographic variables were checked before the procedure.

Primary cervical choriocarcinoma during viable intrauterine pregnancy.

A 31-year-old multigravida woman at 27 weeks' gestation was admitted with vaginal bleeding and a hypervascular mass near the cervix on ultrasonography. After discharge with improvement, she was readmitted the next day for uncontrolled, heavy vaginal bleeding and underwent emergency cesarean section at 29 weeks' gestation. A 3-cm friable mass found near the cervix was removed surgically; this lesion was shown to be primary cervical choriocarcinoma.

Prune-belly syndrome detected by ultrasound in the first trimester and the usefulness of vesicocentesis as a modality of treatment.

Prune-belly syndrome may be related to lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO). LUTO in the early gestational age exacerbates fetal renal function and may require intrauterine intervention. If early developed LUTO causes bladder distension and abdominal musculature deficiency, it will result in prune belly syndrome.

Congenital chloride diarrhea in dizygotic twins.

Congenital chloride diarrhea (CLD) is a rare inherited autosomal recessive disorder. Mutations of the solute carrier family 26 member 3 gene cause profuse, chloride ion rich diarrhea, which results in hypochloremia, hyponatremia and metabolic alkalosis with dehydration. If a fetal ultrasound shows bowel dilatation suggestive of bowel obstruction, or if a neonate shows persistent diarrhea and metabolic alkalosis, CLD should be considered in the differential diagnosis.

Congenital epidermoid cyst of the oral cavity: prenatal diagnosis by sonography.

Epidermoid cysts are benign developmental anomalies that are rarely observed in the oral cavity of neonate. If large in size, especially in the developing fetus or newborn infant, they can cause swallowing difficulty and occasionally respiratory difficulty. We report a case of epidermoid cyst in the oral cavity detected prenatal sonography.

A tailgut cyst-cystic mass diagnosed by prenatal ultrasonography.

Tailgut cysts are congenital lesions found in the presacral space. These have been mainly identified in adults and are rare in children, especially neonates. Here, we present the case of a neonate with a presacral cystic mass detected by prenatal ultrasonography that was diagnosed as a tailgut cyst after postnatal surgical removal.

Rapidly grown congenital fetal immature gastric teratoma causing severe neonatal respiratory distress.

A pregnant woman in the mid-third trimester developed complications with enlarged fetal abdomen and polyhydramnios. Prenatal ultrasound visualized dilated bowel, intraperitoneal calcifications, ascites, hydroceles and polyhydramnios, giving the impression of meconium peritonitis. The fetal abdomen continued to increased in size, and maternal dyspnea due to polyhydramnios was aggravated.