A Retrospective Cohort Evaluation of Left Ventricular Remodeling, Perioperative Complications and Outcome in Medium and Large Size Dogs with Patent Ductus Arteriosus after Percutaneous Closure.

This retrospective cohort study included one hundred fifty-seven medium and large-size dogs with the aim of evaluating the effect of signalment and echocardiographic features on complications, outcomes and left ventricular modifications before and after patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) closure. The patients were divided in two groups based on the heart remodeling after closure: Group A included dogs that had a reduction in the end-systolic volume index (ESVI) after closure compared to the ESVI measured before; Group B included dogs without a reduction in ESVI after closure. Body weight, minimal ductal diameter (MDD) of PDA, end-diastolic volume index and presence of arrhythmias at presentation were significantly higher in Group B compared to Group A.

Systemic methotrexate treatment in early unruptured ectopic pregnancy.

Ectopic pregnancy is one of the most common and dangerous complications of the early pregnancy period. Until now diagnosis has been late because major symptoms occur after tubal rupture and so only demolitive surgery has been possible. At present, with the appearance of ultrasound in obstetrics an earlier diagnosis of this pathology can be made before tubal rupture so medical treatment has become possible.

Serum lipoperoxide level variations in normal and luteal phase defect cycles.

A luteal phase defect (LPD) is a clinical problem leading to infertility and is characterized by reduced progesterone levels during the luteal phase. Serum lipoperoxidation is an expression of cellular hypoxic damage occurring under all stress-oxidative conditions. Forty-eight consecutive infertility patients, according to the infertility class II of the WHO classification, underwent clinical observation.

Serum CA 125 and first trimester abortion.

Objective: The study was carried out to assess the clinical value of serum CA 125 in association with serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) for predicting pregnancy outcome.

Methods: One hundred spontaneous pregnancies, 52 non-threatened pregnancies and 48 with threatened abortions, observed in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University 'La Sapienza', Rome, Italy, were evaluated during the first trimester using ultrasound examination, CA 125 and beta-hCG titrations.

Results: Threatened pregnancies had statistically significantly higher CA 125 serum values than non-threatened pregnancies, especially those with a negative outcome (P < 0.

Lag in endometrial morphology in artificially reproduced cycles (ARC).

To observe if endometrial artificially reproduced cycles were identical to the natural spontaneous ones, we have matched for the endometria of 22 assessed spontaneous ovulating women and 16 postmenopausal ones sequentially treated with exogenous ovarian steroid hormones. The endometrial samples were drawn in the middle luteal phase (20th-22nd of an ideal cycle, 6-8 days from ultrasound assessed ovulation or progesterone exposure), because this is the "implantation window" period. These results can be particularly interesting in the FIV-OD technique that implyes the implantation of the zygote in a fully matured endometrium.

[Diagnostic possibility in neonatal bacterial infections].

Bacterial infections in neonates may be acquired in utero, as is the case in congenital syphilis, or after delivery, such as late onset B streptococcal meningitis. Although some infections remain localized and may even be self-limiting, the majority of neonatal bacterial infections require speedy diagnosis and immediate and appropriate treatment. Severe invasive bacterial infections are rare but catastrophic; they are more common in intensive care wards.

[Clinical evaluation of DHEA-S plasma levels and possible therapeutic value of the hormone in the third trimester].

Three groups of women were studied. The first included women without obstetric or systemic pathology; in these, plasma concentrations of progesterone, E, and DHEA-S were assayed at 30-40 weeks of pregnancy. The second group comprised women after physiological first delivery at term, and in these the plasma levels of the same hormones were assessed.

[The pharmacological options for an immediate intervention in threatened premature labor].

The following preparations, with different mechanism of action, have been comparatively tested for induction of immediate tocolysis in case of threatened preterm labour: Hyoscine butylbromide, ritodrine, ketoprofen and the association of ritodrine with ketoprofen. Hyoscine butylbromide was found to be very easy to handle, but its myolytic effect is modest. Ritodrine and ketoprofen have shown a high and quantitatively similar tocolytic power.

LUF-syndrome biological diagnosis by basal body temperature (BBT) graph.

73 consecutive patients were monitored and submitted to ambulatorial screening for primary infertility. In all of them was also performed a study of the BBT behaviour and the results reported on a graph. All these with LUF syndrome had substantial deviation of the BBT graphs.

CA-125 and uterine leiomyomas.

CA-125, in the past considered as marker of ovarian neoplasms, has been proven to be useful successively in several obstetric-gynecologic physiopathologic conditions (Endometriosis, beginning pregnancy, PID), united by the common characteristic of peritoneal involvement. Such evidence has suggested us to search possible correlations with uterine leiomyomatosis disease, which for its frequency has the character of a social disease. Our findings would justify the clinical use of this marker in the first screening of fibromiomas, but above all, its diagnostic utility in evolutive aspects of such pathology.

[An increase in the median plasma values of progesterone in luteal deficiencies treated with clomifene citrate in the early follicular phase].

A clinical study performed during 265 cycles in 63 normo-ovulating and normo-menstruating patients, of whom 27 with a luteal phase defect (LPD), assessed by morphological, hormonal, echographic and clinic criteria. These were given Clomiphene Citrate, 100 mg per day from the second to sixth day of the cycle, for a total of 108 cycles. The other 36 patients, without any luteal abnormality, were utilized as a control group during 156 cycles.

Progesterone immunosuppressive levels and luteal steroid profiles in the cycles induced with clomiphene citrate.

Several studies have focused their attention on the possible interferences of the endocrine with the immunity system; these interrelations have been summoned to explain some aspects of the implantation. It has already been demonstrated that progesterone could play an immunosuppressive role, allowing the implantation of allotransplantation. However, the individual plasmatic levels of the substance needed to produce that effect still unknown.

CA-125 and ovarian hyperstimulation.

The ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) has become more and more frequent in relation to the spread of the method of superovulation by means of pharmacologic induction and consequently the necessity of measures suitable for preventing and controlling it has been more and more improved. Among them the discovery of indicators which could reveal as early and sensitive as possible the onset and, when it is possible, also the degree of severity of this syndrome, holds an important position. Till now only the serum estradiol concentration performed this task, among the other things, in an incomplete and not-well defined manner, but its inadequacy has stimulated once again the search for new substances which would allow attention to be drawn to the development, entity and evolution of this syndrome in compliance with necessary requisites with greater timeliness, and tenacity.

Correction of the luteal phase defect with clomiphene citrate.

Among the various strategies proposed for the therapy of the luteal phase defects (L.P.D.

Efficacy of biochemical vs biological monitoring during the "timing" of the chorionic gonadotropin administration in FSH and HMG stimulated cycles.

The problem of an exact timing of the HCG administration in stimulated cycles (for infertility problems) is of primary importance for optimizing the results. In this study the authors show the results obtained in two groups of patients to whom HCG was administered according to two different methods of monitoring: the first biochemical, the second biological. The examination of the results has proven that the insertion of the biological method (cervical mucus) among those used in the monitoring has allowed a significant increase of the biological response to treatment.