Cost-effective procedure for Streptococcus pyogenes immobilized DNA preparation and miniPFGE subtyping.

Introduction: Group A streptococci (GAS) is responsible of several human diseases ranging from mild infection to severe invasive toxin-mediated disease and post-infectious sequelae. Accordingly, a GAS surveillance program based on molecular techniques is advisable for its epidemiological control. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) is the gold standard for GAS molecular subtyping, but a major disadvantage is the length of the procedure, which takes 1-3 days of work, minimum.

Cardiovascular causes for sudden infant death.

Although sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a cause for sudden infant death, other causes should be ruled out before diagnosing SIDS. Cardiac causes for sudden infant death include viral myocarditis, congential heart disease particularly congential aortic stenosis, endocardial fibroelastosis, and anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. Other cardiac conditions that may result in sudden death include rhabdomyomas of the heart in tuberous sclerosis and conduction system disorders.

Decreased serotonergic receptor binding in rhombic lip-derived regions of the medulla oblongata in the sudden infant death syndrome.

The sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is postulated to result from a failure of homeostatic responses to life-threatening challenges (e.g. asphyxia, hypercapnia) during sleep.

Laryngeal basement membrane thickening is not a reliable postmortem marker for SIDS: results from the Chicago Infant Mortality Study.

It has been suggested that laryngeal basement membrane (LBM) thickening is a pathognomonic postmortem marker for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and is not seen in other causes of explained sudden infant death. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated longitudinal sections of the right hemilarynx taken through the midpoint of the true vocal cord from 129 SIDS cases and 77 postneonatal sudden infant death controls. Using a five-point semi-quantitative scale, maximum LBM thickness (LBMT) for SIDS cases and controls was not statistically different (mean, 2.

Tritiated-naloxone binding to brainstem opioid receptors in the sudden infant death syndrome.

The sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is defined as the sudden death of an infant under 1 year of age that remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including a complete autopsy. We hypothesized that SIDS is associated with altered 3H - naloxone binding to opioid receptors in brainstem nuclei related to respiratory and autonomic control. We analyzed 3H - naloxone binding in 21 regions in SIDS and control brainstems using quantitative tissue receptor autoradiography.

CHARGE association: histopathological report of two cases and a review.

Background: The CHARGE association (C = coloboma, H = heart disease, A = atresia or stenosis of the choanae, R = retarded growth and development or CNS anomalies, G = genital hypoplasia, and E = ear anomalies or deafness) is a rare, recently well-recognized clinical study. The ophthalmic abnormalities have been described in numerous reports, but the ocular histopathologic findings have not been presented in detail.

Methods: We conducted gross and microscopic studies of eyes of two patients with the CHARGE association obtained postmortem.

Decreased muscarinic receptor binding in the arcuate nucleus in sudden infant death syndrome.

Muscarinic cholinergic activity in the human arcuate nucleus at the ventral medullary surface is postulated to be involved in cardiopulmonary control. A significant decrease in [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate binding to muscarinic receptors in the arcuate nucleus is now shown to occur in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) infants, compared to infants dying acutely of known causes. In infants with chronic oxygenation abnormalities, binding is low in other nuclei, as well as in the arcuate nucleus.

[Risk factors for persistent diarrhea].

The current concepts in persistent diarrhoea (PD) are reviewed. 102 patients with acute diarrhoea and 85 with PD are studied. All were less than one year old.

The sudden infant death syndrome: pathologic findings.

The last decade has witnessed a remarkable evolution in fundamental concepts regarding SIDS. It begins to appear now that the phenomenon is more likely the remote consequence of a subtle, physiologic birth defect than a single catastrophic incident. One can only hope that the next 10 years will continue to shed more light on this gradually resolving mystery.

Glomerulosclerosis in the sudden infant death syndrome.

In the past two decades, two groups of investigators have alleged that infants who die of the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) have excess numbers of sclerotic glomeruli in their kidneys. This double blind, case-control study was undertaken to test that assertion. Using microscopic sections of the kidney from 153 autopsies (99 SIDS infants and 54 control infants) in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Cooperative Epidemiologic Study of Risk Factors for SIDS, we counted relative numbers of sclerotic glomeruli in four fields of renal cortical tissue in two sections from each infant.

A senior elective program in anatomic pathology.

The faculty of the Department of Pathology at the University of Miami School of Medicine has developed a senior elective program in anatomic pathology for fourth-year students. The program is designed in such a way that the fundamental concepts involved will be easily remembered and clinically useful. The teaching methods, which maximize active learning, include the students' group resolution of challenging unknown autopsy cases, participation in the performance of necropsies, individual presentation of one of their own autopsy cases to the group, and work with several interactive videodisc programs.

Iatrogenic disease in the perinatal period.

The ever-changing complexion of iatrogenic perinatal disease dictates the following: 1. Neonatologists and pediatric pathologists must be aware of the current spectrum of these lesions and ever alert to the appearance of new ones. 2.

Pediatric pathology and the autopsy.

The damaging effects of low and declining autopsy rates on the discipline of pediatric pathology are discussed. A survey of autopsy rates in 25 children's hospitals indicates that current rates are about 51%. Strategies for improving autopsy rates are presented.

The Goldston syndrome: report of a case.

We present a case of the Goldston syndrome--that is, cystic renal dysplasia and the Dandy-Walker malformation. The condition was diagnosed by ultrasound in a 635 g fetus in the seventeenth week of gestation. Ultrasound studies showed the fetal head to be somewhat enlarged with slight dilatation of the lateral ventricles and marked dilatation of the fourth ventricle.

Sudden infant death syndrome: overview of recent research developments from a pediatric pathologist's perspective.

Interesting new information concerning SIDS infants has appeared in the medical literature in recent years. It seems that the unique curve for their ages at death is independent of all other risk factors suggesting that, in most cases, there is probably an important mechanism involving growth and development. Furthermore, some SIDS deaths occur among newborns and comprise as much as 10% of all neonatal mortality, an issue heretofore systematically excluded from consideration.

An independent testing system in anatomic pathology for sophomore medical students.

Herein is presented a detailed description of the materials and methods employed in the conduct of an ongoing system for the independent evaluation (or testing) of individual sophomore medical students, as part of a major sophomore course in anatomic pathology. The academic environment and the advantages and disadvantages of the system are discussed.