Fetal-maternal complications and their association with gestational thrombocytopenia.

Objectives: Thrombocytopenia is defined as a platelet count of < 150 × 10⁹/L. It is a common hematologic abnormality during pregnancy. Evaluation and treatment of gestational thrombocytopenia can be both, expensive and invasive, and may result in an adverse outcome.

The role of antibiotic prophylaxis in preterm premature rupture of membranes.

Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) occurs in 3 percent of all pregnancies and is responsible for, or associated with, approximately one-third of preterm births causing significant perinatal morbidity and fetal death. Preterm infants are very vulnerable to respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), periventricular leucomalacia (PVL), other neurological sequelae, infection and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Chorioamnionitis based on clinical criteria occurs in approximately 3-30% of all PPROM pregnancies.

Fetal brain magnetic resonance imaging and long-term neurodevelopmental impairment.

Objective: To determine the incidence of fetal brain injury by fetal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in pregnancies complicated with preterm labor (PL), preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM), and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), and to compare fetal brain MRI with prenatal surveillance methods, and with immediate and long-term neurodevelopmental outcome.

Methods: Between February 2007 and January 2009, high-risk pregnancies were analyzed by MRI at 1.5 Tesla after 24 weeks of gestation at the Clinical Hospital Center Zagreb, Croatia.

Nucleated red blood cells count as first prognostic marker for adverse neonatal outcome in severe preeclamptic pregnancies.

The purpose of this study was to determine acceptability of the nucleated red blood cells counts (NRBC) as early prognostic parameter for adverse outcome in preterm neonates born from pregnancies complicated with severe preeclampsia. We analysed 77 premature newborns who were born from pregnancies with severe preeclampsia during eight years (2004-2011) in our tertiary center. Women with other pregnancy complications were excluded from the study, as well as newborns with malformations and chromosomal anomalies.

Coexistance of cerebral sinovenous thrombosis and Dandy Walker malformation in newborn.

Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis in neonatal period may cause neurological impairment, epilepsy, and lead to stroke. It is caused primarily by coagulopathy of numerous reasons, occasionally perinatal asphyxia, traumatic delivery and hyperhomocysteinemia. Dandy-Walker malformation is characterized by agenesis or hypoplasia of the cerebellar vermis, cystic dilatation of the fourth ventricle, and enlargement of the posterior fossa.

[Video-assisted extirpation of breast fibroadenoma with immediate bilateral breast augmentation--a case report].

Background: Since mid 1990s video-assisted breast surgery (VABS) has been developed in the treatment of benign and malignant breast diseases. According to studies that are conducted mainly in Japan, this tehnique is safe, easy to learn and his main advantage is excellent cosmetic results on postoperative appearance of breasts that cannot be achived with standard surgical procedures.

Objective: To present a first case of video assisted breast surgery in Croatia applied to treatment of breast fibroadenoma and immediate bilateral breast augmentation.

[Surgical and radiotherapy in treatment of postauricular keloids--case report].

Treatment of keloid remains a great challenge for clinicians, in spite of numerous therapeutic regimens reported in the literature to date. Earlobe or postauricular regions are predominant locations for postoperative keloids due to the treatment of lop ears. There are several treatments that include intralesional steroid injections, surgical excision, cryotherapy, laser therapy, radiotherapy and pharmacotherapy.

Clinical presentation of a patient with localized acquired cutis laxa of abdomen: a case report.

Background. Cutis laxa (CL) is a rare disorder of elastic tissue characterized by loose, sagging skin with reduced elasticity, and resilience without resulting scarring. CL may be inherited as a dominant, recessive, or X-linked recessive disease, or acquired.

[Trauma of the brachial plexus and associated vascular injury--a case report].

Acute vascular trauma in the axillary region is usually associated with brachial plexus injury and presents a great challenge to surgeon and formidable obstacle to restore a useful limb function. Interdisciplinary operative and postoperative approach is mandatory providing an optimal care of these severe patients. Here we present a case of neurovascular trauma that affected axillary artery and vein, complete transection associated with complete transection of the brachial plexus.

Oxidative stress in small-for-gestational age (SGA) term newborns and their mothers.

This study used malondialdehyde (MDA) determination by HPLC and enzymatic assays for total serum peroxides and antioxidant capacity to evaluate oxidative stress in 47 healthy full-term small-for-gestational age (SGA) newborns vs 67 appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA) newborns. Blood samples were collected at delivery from umbilical cord artery and vein and from peripheral blood of the babies on the third day after birth. Blood samples of mothers were also collected and compared with blood of 29 normal non-pregnant women (NPW).

Can neonatal myasthenia gravis be predicted?

Aim: To determine any association between history of mothers with myasthenia gravis (MG) and the occurrence of neonatal myasthenia gravis (NMG).

Methods: The prospective study involved pregnant women with MG and their newborns delivered in our center throughout the nine-year period. The study included 16 newborns with NMG and 33 healthy newborns without symptoms of NMG.

Perinatal care improves the outcome of triplets.

Objective: To compare pregnancy complications and neonatal outcome of 85 triplet gestations cared for during the 15 years in a single perinatal unit.

Methods: Pregnancies were divided in two groups according to the differences in the management plan and their outcomes were compared. Group I (N = 44) consisted of pregnancies cared from 1986 to 1995, using standard model of care: preventive hospitalization from the early second trimester or home bed rest with routine hospitalization after 28-32 weeks of pregnancy, routine clinical and ultrasound examinations, biophysical profile and non-stress tests starting at 28 weeks, expert neonatal care without free access to surfactant or to parenteral nutrition.