Incidence of congenital CMV in children at a hearing rehabilitation center.

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of children with congenital CMV (cCMV) infection in a hearing rehabilitation center.

Methodology: This was a retrospective review of 309 children followed in a rehabilitation center for mild to total sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Seventy-five children had dried blood spots that we retrieved and retrospectively analyzed for the presence of CMV DNA by real time PCR.

Clinical findings and PDS mutations in 15 patients with hearing loss and dilatation of the vestibular aqueduct.

Following systematic skull imaging of hundred and sixty seven individuals attending a medical referral centre for the deaf in Brussels, Belgium, fifteen patients (9 per cent) aged between two and 25 years were diagnosed with dilatation of the vestibular aqueduct. Careful audiological study, with a baseline assessment then longitudinal follow up, indicated mild to profound deafness with a progressive course (i.e.

[Hearing screening of newborns. Preliminary results].

Since 1976, an hearing screening is organized at the Clinic Edith Cavell. The testing was based on a behavioral technique of Veit-Bizaguet and, since 2001, the otoacoustic emissions are realised. The National Institutes of Health (1993) recommends universal newborn hearing screening of all newborns before 3 months of age and identification and treatment before 6 months of age.

Petrous bone fractures in children: risk of meningitis, and indication for early Cochlear implant?

The case of a 5 year old boy who had a right petrous bone fracture with right CSF otorrhea and deafness is reported. This child presented, three years after the trauma, a right side otitis media, complicated by meningitis and pneumococcal sepsis, which might have as consequence a left side deafness. The bilateral deafness and the early possibility for cochlear ossification made us decide rapidly on a cochlear implant.

[Cochlear implantation, new prosthetic alternative in the management of the profoundly deaf child].

Cochlear implants are new medical devices. In contrast to acoustic hearing aids which work by amplification, cochlear implants directly stimulate the hearing neurons via electrode implanted in the cochlear tympanic ramp. They are indicated in case of profound hearing deficiency or in cases of bilateral cophosis, congenital or acquired.

Investigation of two new [99mTc]Tc-HEDP preparations that can be expected to give a better lesion-to-normal-bone uptake ratio when used as bone scanning agents.

Two new potential bone scanning agents have been prepared and characterized. One of the agents, Tc(Sn,pH 12)-HEDP, is prepared at pH 12 (and subsequently neutralized). The other agent, Tc(Fe)-HEDP, is prepared by reducing [99mTc]TcO4- by a mixture of Fe(II) and Sn(II).

[Asthma: psychosomatic disease in children and adults (scientific and literary review of the literature)].

The personality of the asthmatic child, and his relation with his mother-characterized by an absence of normal separation and individuation-is examined through scientific and literary sources. The familial milieu and various behavioral attitudes of the asthmatic patient are also considered. Various therapeutic approaches are discussed.

The adsorption of 99mTc(Sn)-diphosphonate complexes on tri-calciumphosphate: the influence of preparation conditions, ligand-type, incubation media and adsorption conditions. The reversibility of the adsorption.

The influence of several variables on the adsorption of 99mTc(Sn)-diphosphonate complexes on tri-calciumphosphate was determined. The composition of the incubation medium influenced the percentage adsorption: with Hank's balanced salt solution (a medium frequently used for bone cell cultures) and Tris buffer lower percentage adsorption was obtained than with physiological saline as the incubation medium. The influence of addition to the incubation medium of some ions and neutral species, some of which occur in bone fluid, is very specific.

[Malaria and pregnancy. Report of a case of congenital Plasmodium falciparum malaria].

We report a case of congenital malaria due to a chloroquine-resistant strain of Plasmodium falciparum acquired in Mali. Ours is the first report of chloroquine-resistant congenital malaria in this part of Africa. We recall the various pathophysiologic, diagnostic and therapeutic features of this disease that should be considered in every neonate born to a mother who may have malaria.

The binding of 99mTc(Sn)-MDP complexes to human serum albumin and other blood proteins determined with gel chromatography and ultrafiltration.

The binding of 99mTc(Sn)-MDP to human serum albumin and other blood proteins was investigated by gel chromatography and ultrafiltration. During gel chromatography dissociation of the 99mTc(Sn)-MDP-protein complex occurs: thus, it is not a suitable technique for the determination of protein binding. The values found with ultrafiltration have to be corrected for non-ultrafiltrable TcO2.

Improvement of the reproducibility of ion-pair HPLC of 99mTc(Sn)EHDP complexes and the influence of the Sn(II) concentration on the composition of the reaction mixture.

The use of a non-volatile modifier and the simultaneous exclusion of oxygen by flushing with helium in ion-pair HPLC of 99mTc(Sn)EHDP-complexes prevents spurious oxidation during the separation process. It thus enables the omission of the reducing agent from the eluent solution and the determination of the labelling percentage from the TcO4(1)-peak. In addition, retention times become more reproducible.

99mTc bone scanning agents--IV. Chemical characterization of 99mTc(Sn)-pyrophosphate complexes.

Various reaction mixtures for the preparation of 99Tc(Sn)-pyrophosphate were investigated by means of gel chromatography. All components were radioactively labeled. The most likely composition of the complexes, which also appear in "no carrier added" preparations, was determined.

Effect of the composition of the eluent in the chromatography of 99mTc-diphosphonate complexes.

When the ligand and the reducing agent are added to the eluent used in the separation of 99mTc-diphosphonate complexes by column chromatography, a significant increase in recovery is obtained. The addition of the ligand and the reducing agent also influences the shape of the chromatogram.

Anion exchange chromatography of 99mTc(Sn)-MDP complexes: influence of eluent composition, determination of void volume and charge of the main component.

99mTc(Sn)-MDP complexes have been prepared by reduction of 99mTcO4- by Sn(II) in the presence of MDP. These complexes were separated on an anion exchange column. The necessity of the addition of the ligand and the reducing agent to the eluent to avoid decomposition during chromatography is demonstrated.

[Sensitivity and specificity of blood amylase, amylase and creatinine clearance ratio and urinary amylase/urinary creatinine ratio in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis].

The sensitivity and specificity of amylasemia, the ratios of amylase/creatinine clearance and amylasuria/creatininuria were determined in four groups of patients: a control group (n = 43), patients with acute pancreatitis detected on computed tomography (n = 30, 25 cases of alcoholic pancreatitis), patients with an acute surgical abdomen without pancreatitis (n = 25), and patients with renal failure (n = 20). Sensitivity was defined for the acute pancreatitis group and specificity for the other groups. When amylasemia was greater than 20 UI/dl and the amylasuria/creatininuria ratio greater than 100, sensitivity was 98 per cent.

The usefulness of fructosamine determination in diabetic patients and its relation to metabolic control.

In 116 diabetics and 101 control subjects, we measured both HbA1 and fructosamine values, neither could definitely separate the 2 populations. We observed an excellent correlation between both variables and between each of them and various other parameters of metabolic control. It appeared that the correlation with recent (4 weeks) diabetes control was better with fructosamine than with HbA1 levels.

99mTc bone scanning agents--V. Influence of experimental conditions on the labeling efficiency and gel chromatography of 99mTc(Sn)HMDP.

The preparation of 99mTc(Sn)HMDP was investigated as a function of pH, Sn(II) and ligand concentration. HMDP could be labeled efficiently from pH 2-9. The Sn(II) and the ligand concentrations had a beneficial influence.

Infective endocarditis on mitral valve prolapse (IEMVP): report of one case due to H. paraphrophilus and discussion of IEMVP with emphasis on its prophylaxis.

We describe one case of infective endocarditis on mitral valve prolapse (IEMVP) due to H. paraphrophilus and briefly discuss this pathogen and the valvulopathy. We than enhance some notions on IEMVP and especially on its controversial prophylaxis.

The influence of Sn(IV) on the mean size of 99mTc(Sn)MDP constituents at neutral pH.

The effect of addition of Sn(IV), Mg(II) and Ca(II) on the mean size of the 99mTc-containing constituents of a 99mTc(Sn)MDP reaction mixture was determined by a gel chromatographic batch procedure that does not disturb the equilibria in the mixture.