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Biomedical subjects

J M Opitz

Publications and source records attributed to J M Opitz.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

The pathologist's perspective of genetic disease. Malformations and dysmorphology.

The pathologic approach to the study of malformations and congenital abnormalities emphasizes the importance of careful dissection and pathologic studies. Concepts and terms of morphogenesis as defined by the International Working Group are presented. The developmental field is the central concept of a malformation. Malformation syndromes, disruptions, sequences, deformations, dysplasias, and associations are presented. The significance of fetal hydrops and short umbilical cord is discussed. Pathologic studies in chromosome defects suggest pathologic markers for some chromosome abnormalities.

Chromosome Aberrations↗
PubMed1989

Selected midline defect associations: a population study.

Using data from the population-based Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program, the association of seven relatively common and easily ascertainable groups of midline defects was studied. These defects were neural tube defects (575 patients), oral clefts (633 patients), omphalocele (141 patients), esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula (88 patients), imperforate anus (151 patients), conotruncal heart defects (289 patients), and diaphragmatic hernia (75 patients). Known syndromes were excluded from the analysis. Of 1743 infants with at least one midline defect, 86 (4.9%) had at least a second midline defect, and 9 (0.5%) had two additional midline defects. Pairwise analysis of the seven defects shows that, although most midline defects tend to be statistically associated with other midline defects, specific combinations of midline defects are seen. For example, neural tube defects are more strongly associated with cleft lip with or without cleft palate than with cleft palate alone; imperforate anus is more strongly associated with spina bifida than with anencephaly or encephalocele. Moreover, some combinations of defects are not observed (eg, neural tube defect and conotruncal heart defect, clefts and diaphragmatic hernia, omphalocele and esophageal atresia/tracheoesophageal fistula). These data point to the need for further refinement in the study of the association of midline defects in terms of embryologic and pathogenetic mechanisms because most midline defects tend to occur as an isolated defect, some midline defects occur with nonmidline defects (such as limb defects), and specific associations among midline defects are observed.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1988

Facial midline defect in the fetal alcohol syndrome: embryogenetic considerations in two clinical cases.

We report on two unrelated patients with fetal alcohol syndrome with hypoplasia of the periocular region, resulting in a low and narrow forehead and hypotelorism. Other typical manifestations of the syndrome involving the facial midline are also present. These observations can be added to clinical and experimental evidence from other authors, supporting the concept that the facial anomalies of the fetal alcohol syndrome are the expression of a midline defect originating from the disruption of the ordered development of midline mesoderm cells during early embryogenesis.

Child↗
PubMed1988

Pathogenetic analysis of certain developmental and genetic ectodermal defects.

It is postulated that, in the nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome, independent mosaic pleiotropic action of the mutant gene on morphogenesis and histogenesis produces primary malformations of midline and nonmidline structures and dysplasias more or less highly predisposed to cancer development. However, in focal dermal hypoplasia and the Bartsocas-Papas syndrome, it is highly tempting to postulate that embryonic dysplasias, ie, breakdown or necrosis of ectoderm, especially in the region of the Ekdodermring, are responsible for the production of many of the congenital anomalies seen in these patients, and that these anomalies more likely represent sequences rather than primary malformations. The sequences in the type 1 fetal epidermal dysplasias probably represent mucosal breakdown, producing various upper gut atresias and an epidermal "disease" with loss of epidermis and many severe secondary consequences. Polyhydramnios, micrognathia, "arthrogryposis," reduced fetal growth, and short umbilical cord are other consequences of fetal hypokinesia due to stiff skin in the type 2 fetal epidermal dysplasias, with severe muscle involvement in the Hutterite-Mennonite type possibly responsible for additional fetal hypokinesia. Thus it seems likely that embryonic and fetal dysplasias can now be held responsible, directly and indirectly, for a fascinating variety of human congenital anomalies.

Basal Cell Nevus Syndrome↗
PubMed1987

Sedaghatian congenital lethal metaphyseal chondrodysplasia--observations in a second Iranian family and histopathological studies.

In 1980, Sedaghatian described in two brothers and one sister a neonatally lethal disorder associated with slight rhizomelic limb shortness, mild platyspondyly, and severe metaphyseal dysplasia. Here data are presented on another Iranian infant with the Sedaghatian syndrome who died on day 4 and was found to have histologic evidence of severe epimetaphyseal dysplasia. The occurrence in children of both sexes in one instance, born to normal parents who were first cousins, and currently apparent confinement of the disorder to Iranians suggests that the Sedaghatian syndrome is an autosomal recessive trait with high gene frequency in Iranians. This may be a more complexly pleiotropic syndrome than suggested by the roentgenograms, since one of Sedaghatian's patients also had "microphthalmia, asymmetry of ears, depressed nasal bridge, broad nose, short neck, prominent sternum, and short lower extremities."

Bone and Bones↗
PubMed1987

Sudden death in childhood in a case of the G syndrome.

We report on the unexpected death at almost 8 years of a boy with the G syndrome who had successfully survived many prior life-threatening complications of the condition. The patient had a characteristic facial appearance, hypertelorism, second-degree hypospadias, stridor and cough on feeding with aspiration of barium, and uncoordinated esophageal swallowing mechanism, but no obvious laryngotracheobranchial defect on endoscopy (or coroner's autopsy). He had a prior cardiac arrest and had outgrown need for a tracheostomy. Aspiration is presumed to be the cause of death.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1987

The Montana Fetal Genetic Pathology Program and a review of prenatal death in humans.

Western medicine is being sensitized to the enormous extent of prenatal death in humans at a time when such deaths, occurring after the first missed period, involve to an ever increasing degree wanted pregnancies conceived by women with rising mean maternal age, decreasing mean fertility, and ever greater desire and intention to assure a good pregnancy outcome. Available data suggest that about two-thirds of human ova, embryos, and fetuses fail to reach birth or the end of the first year of life, with infant mortality of 1.06%, stillbirth rate of 8/1,000, abortion rate of about 15%, and death rate around the time of implantation estimated at 34%. Based on limited data on sperm, ova aspirated from Graafian follicles in infertile women, direct observation of a few implanting ova, the low rate of human fecundity, and the high failure rate of in vitro fertilization, it seems reasonable to suppose that about 30% of human ova perish at the time of fertilization and before implantation. Most of this prenatal death is attributable to chromosome abnormalities (aneuploidy and polyploidy), estimated to be present at the beginning of development in about half of all human ova or embryos. Parent's anguish about prenatal death and their desire to understand its causes and to prevent recurrence is putting the medical profession under severe pressure to provide diagnostic and counseling services and make available prenatal diagnosis and preventive approaches; this comes at a low point in the ability of Western medicine to respond adequately, especially in the fields of embryology and developmental genetics, clinical teratology, anatomical pathology, and genetic pathology. Unless drastic ameliorative measures are taken, the situation is likely to get much worse, since health insurance pays for only a minute fraction of costs involved and the number of pediatric pathologists devoting major effort to this work in North America has dwindled to a small number without great hope for replacement from younger ranks, primarily as a result of the lack of incentive by the tertiary centers to make fetal genetic pathology ("morphology") an attractive field to work in. Here we report an effort by a secondary care center to provide such a service--presently more on demand than as systematic effort to reach all at need--in a huge, underpopulated state with birthrate of less than 13,000 and lacking any specially trained pathologist with a strong interest in the field.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Rett syndrome--a review and discussion of syndrome delineation and syndrome definition.

The current status of clinical genetic and pathogenetic knowledge in Rett syndrome is reviewed and updated. Some of the concepts which are highlighted include among others, casual homogeneity vs heterogeneity; the difficulty of dealing with potential variability while the possibility of heterogeneity still exists; progress in examining genetic hypotheses. We review our experience with 8 new patients, note the evidence for the presence of congenital hypotonia in all and several instances of minor anomalies and again raise the issue of whether girls with the Rett syndrome are in fact normal from the time of birth and in early infancy until the characteristic phenotype is recognizable. Previous recommendations for standardized international history, examination and investigation protocols are strongly reinforced, and the question as to who should study brains of Rett syndrome patients is raised by a parent. As is the case in most conditions now being studied by molecular geneticists, finding a marker will be a major etiologic breakthrough, but the work of delineating the pathogenesis will remain to be done.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

The Farber lecture. Prenatal and perinatal death: the future of developmental pathology.

It seems evident that most of "humanity" dies before, not after birth and that perhaps only one-third survive from earliest beginnings until birth or the end of the first year of life. As many as 50% of all human ova may have a chromosome abnormality with over 99% mortality, making this type of genetic defect not just the commonest cause of death prenatally and the cause of a substantial proportion of the malformations of abortuses and fetuses, but the commonest cause of death in humans altogether. This study, along with numerous studies before it, is the most convincing justification for doing autopsies on pre- and perinatally dead embryos and fetuses. With appropriate supervisory collaboration from a university pediatric pathology unit, such studies can be done efficiently at secondary-care centers, including some in rather remote locations. Thus, there exists no excuse anymore for not doing such studies which, in a high proportion of cases, will give the parents and attending physicians an explanation of the events and observed abnormalities with a chance in all cases at correct diagnostic and genetic counseling, appropriate monitoring of the next pregnancy, and an improved possibility of population monitoring for teratogens and substantial increases in the mutation rate. These immediate benefits to patients and the quality of medical care are the major, but not the only, justification for doing fetal pathology. Literally thousands of new discoveries still await the investigator with a prepared mind and will afford many research opportunities to those with an interest in normal and abnormal human development. And if it can be resolved in present-day pathology training programs how to attract greater numbers of interested residents and fellows into the field and to motivate them to take the additional training to become expert in developmental and genetic analysis, then "developmental" pathology will be facing a very bright future indeed.

Adult↗