Chorioamnionitis represents the leading cause of preterm birth and related pathologic conditions as well as of fetal death and frequently occurs in symptom-free mothers. Recent radiologic findings have indicated that thymus size is significantly reduced in preterm infants born to mothers with subclinical, histologically proven chorioamnionitis. However, an accurate morphologic description of the thymus gland in fetuses and neonates with chorioamnionitis is lacking, although it is known that infection and other stress processes may cause lymphocyte depletion in the thymuses of infants and older babies (acute stress involution). We describe morphologic modifications in the thymus of fetuses with histologically proven chorioamnionitis and newborn infants with chorioamnionitis and proven sepsis. The main findings included (1) decreased organ volume (ANOVA, P < .0024); (2) reduced corticomedullary ratio (P < 10(-6)); (3) significant changes in the relationship between thymic parenchyma and thymic interstitial tissue with resulting increased organ complexity (P = .03); (4) severe reduction of thymocytes; and (5) other degenerative processes such as monocyte/macrophage infiltration of Hassall's bodies. These results indicate that chorioamnionitis, with or without sepsis, is associated with significant morphologic modifications in the thymus. We wish to note that the described thymic pathology is only one aspect of the fetal systemic inflammatory response syndrome with which chorioamnionitis is associated.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/hupa.2000.16676 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Novel Insights In presence of cardiotocographic features suspected for hypoxic insult, intrapartum ultrasound in the hands of experienced operators can demonstrate cerebral edema as an indirect sign of fetal hypoxia affecting the fetal CNS and exclude non-hypoxic conditions potentially leading to abnormalities of the fetal heart rate. Introduction Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is a syndrome involving the fetal central nervous system as the result of a perinatal hypoxic-ischemic injury. To date, transfontanellar ultrasound represents the first line exam in neonates with clinical suspicion of HIE as it allows to show features indicating acute hypoxic injury and exclude potential non-hypoxic determinants of HIE, however there is no report concerning the sonographic assessment of the brain during labor.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Interventions aimed at preventing and treating maternal infections during the gestational period are of paramount importance. Timely immunizations, screening strategies and management of maternal infections reduce the risk of complications for the developing fetus and play a pivotal role in improving neonatal outcomes.
Summary: We summarize evidence for a total of thirteen interventions, pertaining to the prevention and treatment of maternal infections during the antenatal period, from Every Newborn Series published in The Lancet 2014.
TTC7A Variants Results in Gastrointestinal Defects and Immunodeficiency Syndrome: Case Series and Literature Review.
Clin Rev Allergy Immunol
January 2025
Department of Neonatal Surgery, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, China.
Gastrointestinal Defects and Immunodeficiency Syndrome-1 (GIDID-1), caused by abnormalities in TTC7A, is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by multiple gastrointestinal malformations and immune deficiencies, often accompanied by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This condition typically results in poor treatment outcomes and is usually fatal in early infancy. This paper examined the genetic abnormalities and clinical features of GIDID by analyzing data from three children and one fetus with gastrointestinal dysfunction and immune deficiency associated with TTC7A abnormalities at our hospital, and reviewed reported cases worldwide.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEarly differential diagnosis of cystic biliary atresia and choledochal cyst in the fetus: A multicenter retrospective study.
J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Sci
January 2025
Department of Neonatal Surgery, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
Background/purpose: Fetal hilar cyst is primarily diagnosed as two diseases after birth, cystic biliary atresia (CBA) and choledochal cyst (CC). The aim of our study was to explore more reliable indicators in early differential diagnosis of these cysts.
Methods: We recruited a total of 50 cases with a prenatal diagnosis of hepatic cyst at three centers, and patients were divided into a CBA group (n = 16) and CC group (n = 34) according to postnatal intraoperative diagnosis.
The fetal cerebral Doppler in the last weeks of pregnancy can select very small fetuses unlikely to present intrapartum compromise.
J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med
December 2025
Fetal Medicine Unit, St George's Hospital, London, UK.
Objective: To evaluate whether, in late pregnancy, the cerebral Doppler can identify very small fetuses that are less likely to experience intrapartum compromise (IC).
Material And Methods: This was a retrospective study of 282 singleton pregnancies that underwent an ultrasound scan at 32 + 0- 40 + 6 weeks and were delivered after induction, or spontaneous onset of labor. Very small fetuses were defined as fetuses with estimated weight less than the 3rd centile.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!