Fetal liver calcifications: sonographic appearance and postnatal outcome.

Purpose: To determine the importance of intrahepatic calcifications seen sonographically in the fetus.

Materials And Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed sonograms obtained in fetuses scanned between 16 and 40 gestational weeks in whom intrahepatic calcifications were seen. The number and character of these calcifications were determined.

Vulvar vestibulitis--subgroup with Bartholin gland duct inflammation.

Some women with vulvar vestibulitis have tenderness at the Bartholin gland duct opening and associated dyspareunia. Forty-four patients with severe incapacitating dyspareunia of up to 5 years' duration were studied. Microscopic examination revealed a chronic inflammation located near the Bartholin gland duct opening.

Laser ablation of hymenal fissures.

Four patients presented with linear ulcers (hymenal fissures) that had not responded to conventional local therapy or oral antibiotics. These sexually active women had experienced dyspareunia for 8-24 months. Cultures for venereal agents were negative.

Positive correlation between mature amniotic fluid optical density readings and the absence of neonatal hyaline membrane disease.

Fetal pulmonary maturity is generally determined by analyzing amniotic fluid for surfactants. This task is accomplished by lipid extraction of the fluid and resolution, identification and quantitation of the isolated lipids with thin-layer chromatography. These methods are lengthy, cumbersome and often not available on demand.

Cesarean delivery and severe idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. A case report.

A postsplenectomy patient had idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) that was exacerbated with both her pregnancies. She failed to have sustained platelet counts in her previous pregnancy in spite of receiving steroids and chemotherapy. She underwent elective cesarean section with a platelet count of 7,000 but did not receive platelet transfusions.

Use of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin in gestational aging.

Quantitative radioimmunoassay (RIA) of the beta chain of human chorionic gonadotropin (B-hCG) in serum has been used to evaluate the gestational status of 99 normal early pregnancies in contrast to 29 ectopic, threatened, aborted and/or terminated cases. Quantitative measurement of serum B-hCG-RIA standardized against the second international standard (2dIS) accurately established age of normal pregnancies in utero up to but not after three weeks postconception and with an accuracy of plus or minus four days between the third and eighth week of gestation. Quantitative urinary hCG-RIA standardized against the 2dIS were not useful for gestational aging.

Laser photoablation of pathological endocardium: in vitro findings suggesting a new approach to the surgical treatment of refractory arrhythmias and restrictive cardiomyopathy.

In selected patients, malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmias have been successfully abolished by excision of subendocardial arrhythmogenic foci. Likewise, in certain patients in whom restrictive cardiomyopathy is due to endocardial thickening, endocardial resection has resulted in hemodynamic improvement. The present study was designed to explore the utility, in vitro, of laser photoablation of pathologically thickened endocardium.

Laser-assisted debridement of aortic valve calcium.

Experimental debridement of aortic valve calcium by means of laser phototherapy was investigated in vitro. Near-total debridement of calcific deposits observed on pretreatment x-ray films was accomplished using carbon-dioxide laser phototherapy. Analysis of liberated photoproducts suggests that debridement is effected by thermal degradation of the surrounding connective tissue envelope and thermal expansion of the calcific nodules.

Triplet pregnancies.

Fifteen triplet gestations delivered over 23 years beginning with 1954 are reviewed. The mortality rate was 7.1% in the gestation period of 28 weeks or more.

Relation between optical density at 650 nm and L/S ratios.

A simple and rapid test that correlates with L/S ratios has been developed. By centrifuging fresh, unfrozen amniotic fluids at 200g for 10 minutes and measuring the optical density at at 650 nm, correlation with L/S ratios is obtained. Optical density readings of 0.

Correlation between amniotic fluid optical density and L/S ratio.

A test that circumvents the complex methodology needed for the determination of L/S ratios has been developed. It has been observed that the optical density, measured at 400 nm, of supernatants collected from fresh amniotic fluids centrifuged at 2000 g for 10 minutes correlates with L/S ratios.