Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD): do genetic disorders modify assisted reproductive technologies outcomes?

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of common Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene mutations, 5T polymorphism and presence of severe Cystic Fibrosis (CF) on fertility outcomes with Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) in patients presenting Congenital Bilateral Absence of Vas Deferens (CBAVD).

Methods: A comparative observational cohort study was performed from 2002 to 2018 with 51 patients with diagnosis of CBAVD. Presence of CFTR mutations and 5T, CF, pregnancy and newborn rates were analyzed.

Pigmented Deposits in the Skin.

Pigmented deposits can occur in the skin due to many and varied causes. Some of them are systemic conditions accompanied by involvement of internal organs. Others have serious prognostic implications, and early diagnosis can help in the correct and adequate management of the diseases.

Osmotic-shock produced by vitrification solutions improves immature human oocytes in vitro maturation.

Background: During cytoplasmic oocyte maturation, Ca(2+) currents are vital for regulating a broad range of physiological processes. Recent studies have demonstrated that DMSO and EG cause large transient increases in intracellular Ca(2+) in mouse oocytes. The CP used in vitrifying protocols also increases the intracellular calcium transient.

Bacterial and fungal contamination risks in human oocyte and embryo cryopreservation: open versus closed vitrification systems.

Objective: To study the contamination risk in open and closed vitrification devices for oocyte/embryo cryopreservation by evaluating the contaminants present (bacteria and fungi) in the thaw medium and in liquid nitrogen (LN) storage containers.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Human reproduction unit.

A minimally invasive methodology based on morphometric parameters for day 2 embryo quality assessment.

The risk of multiple pregnancy to maternal-fetal health can be minimized by reducing the number of embryos transferred. New tools for selecting embryos with the highest implantation potential should be developed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of morphological and morphometric variables to predict implantation by analysing images of embryos.

Assessment of the implantation of day-2 human embryos by morphometric nonsubjective parameters.

Objective: To demonstrate the usefulness of image analysis in designing objective embryonic morphometric variables.

Design: Retrospective study of 214 top-quality day-2 embryo photographs from 50 double-embryo transfers resulting in no pregnancy (group 0) and 57 resulting in twin pregnancy (group 1).

Setting: Human reproduction unit.

Modifications to the airway management trainer intubation head for training in difficult airway recognition through a comparative study with the Airsim® intubation head.

Introduction: The goal of this study was to explain some modifications to the Airway Management Trainer intubation head (case) that transform it into a difficult airway intubation head and to compare it with the Airsim intubation head (control).

Methods: Eight anesthesiologists (5 experienced and 3 residents) conducted 80 endotracheal intubations each, 10 intubations with each of the 2 airway training heads under 4 distinct clinical scenarios: normal airway, macroglossia (placing a squash ball under the tongue), cervical spine rigidity (with tape placed on the cervical spine to inhibit its extension), or both macroglossia and cervical spine rigidity. We used a Macintosh laryngoscope with a #3 blade and a 7-mm (internal diameter) endotracheal tube.

Contribution of hyperammonemia and inflammatory factors to cognitive impairment in minimal hepatic encephalopathy.

To assess the contribution of hyperammonemia and inflammation to induction of mild cognitive impairment (or MHE). We analyzed the presence of mild cognitive impairment (CI) by using the PHES battery of psychometric tests and measured the levels of ammonia and of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-18 in blood of patients with different types of liver or dermatological diseases resulting in different grades of hyperammonemia and/or inflammation. The study included patients with 1) liver cirrhosis, showing hyperammonemia and inflammation; 2) non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) showing inflammation but not hyperammonemia; 3) non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) showing inflammation and very mild hyperammonemia; 4) psoriasis, showing inflammation but not hyperammonemia; 5) keloids, showing both inflammation and hyperammonemia and 6) controls without inflammation or hyperammonemia.

Cutaneous sarcoidosis developing after treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin: a new case and review of the literature.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease that affects multiple organs in adults between 20 and 50 years old. Interferon alpha (IFN-α) is an immunomodulator that has been used in a wide range of diseases, including hepatitis C virus infection, multiple sclerosis, and other types of neoplasias, including leukemia, lymphoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, and melanoma. Standard IFN-α-induced sarcoidosis has been reported, but there are few reports of cutaneous sarcoidosis with pegylated IFN-α therapy.

Multiple lentigines confined to a resolving psoriatic plaque.

Development of nevus spilus-like lentigines in zones previously affected by plaques of psoriasis has been described. Most cases have appeared following phototherapy; then it has been suggested that the mechanism involved could be an abnormal reaction to UV light. However, cases of multiple lentigines arising within resolving psoriatic in patients who had not received phototherapy or photochemotherapy have been described as a result of possible post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Lymphoepitelioma-like carcinoma of the skin: report of three cases.

Primary cutaneous lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) is an extremely rare cutaneous neoplasm with histopathological features similar to those seen in the undifferentiated subtype of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Microscopically, the tumor is well circumscribed and is composed of irregular nests of malignant epithelial cells in a background of reactive lymphoid cells including mature plasma cells. Its histogenesis remains unknown although an adnexal or epidermic origin has been proposed, and despite its poorly differentiated histology, the LELC prognosis is relatively good.

1,4-Dioxane-2,5-dione-type monomers derived from l-ascorbic and d-isoascorbic acids. Synthesis and polymerisation.

l-Ascorbic and d-isoascorbic acids have been used as the starting materials for the preparation of (3R,4'S)-3-(2',2'-dimethyl-1',3'-dioxolan-4'-yl)-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione (IPTA), (3R and S, 4'S,6R)-3-methyl-6-(2',2'-dimethyl-1',3'-dioxolan-4'-yl)-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione (IPTP) and (3R,4'R)-3-(2',2'-dimethyl-1',3'-dioxolan-4'-yl)-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione (IPEA), three novel 1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione-type monomers. Ring-opening homopolymerisation and copolymerisation of the IPTA monomer, derived from l-ascorbic acid, with d,l-lactide have been performed. The polymers were characterised by elemental microanalysis, as well as IR and (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopies.

Buschke-Lowenstein tumor.

Background: Verrucous carcinoma of the skin and mucosa is an uncommon type of well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. When it is present in the genitoanal region the term used is Buschke-Lowenstein tumor. The human papillomavirus seems to be implicated in its aetiology.

Cutaneous metastasis of breast carcinoma mimicking malignant melanoma in scalp.

Cutaneous metastases of carcinoma of the breast may present a broad spectrum of clinical and histologic appearances. Pigmented metastases of a breast carcinoma have rarely been described in the literature and these metastases are usually located on the chest and abdominal wall close to the mastectomy scar. We report an unusual case of a cutaneous metastasis of carcinoma of the breast simulating malignant melanoma.

Granular parakeratosis.

A healthy 62-year-old woman was referred to our dermatology department with a 1-month history of a pruritic axillary eruption. On examination, multiple erythematous and brownish hyperkeratotic papules were seen in both axillae. Some of these lesions coalesced into plaques, with small areas of sparing, and a background erythematous color was also found in the axillary vaults (Fig.

Occlusive eccrine hidradenitis presented as a reticulated eruption on the buttocks.

A 13-month-old girl presented a reticulated eruption of 2 months duration located on her buttocks. Histologically, a mononuclear cell inflammatory infiltration was found within and around the eccrine sweat glands, with epithelial cell damage. The lesions were related to several traumatic mechanisms involving the buttocks, such as crawling and repeated trauma with a bathmat carpet.

[Lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei].

Lupus miliaris faciei is a chronic inflammatory dermatosis that most often affects young adults. For years, it has successively been considered a form of tuberculosis, sarcoidosis and rosacea. Recently, some authors have proposed that it should be considered a distinct entity.

[Acute contact eczema from paraphenylenediamine contained in temporary henna tattoos].

Henna is a plant with coloring properties which is used as a dye for hair and skin, on occasion mixed with other substances. Paraphenylenediamine (PPD) is one of the additives used to accelerate drying, improve definition and darken its reddish color. There are several descriptions in literature of sensitization to the PPD contained in henna.

Hydrolytic and enzymatic degradations of physically crosslinked hydrogels prepared from PLA/PEO/PLA triblock copolymers.

Degradable copolymers were synthesized by ring opening polymerization of lactide in the presence of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), using CaH2 as a biocompatible initiator. The resulting PLA/PEO/PLA triblock copolymers were dissolved in a biocompatible solvent, namely tetraglycol. Physically crosslinked hydrogels were then prepared by introducing small amounts of water into the thus obtained solutions.