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Biomedical subjects

R N Laurini

Publications and source records attributed to R N Laurini.

33 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Routine perinatal postmortem radiography in a peripheral pathology laboratory.

Routine postmortem radiography was done in 234 consecutive perinatal autopsies. Using ossification centre appearance and length of femoral shafts as variable it was a very useful and dependable method for estimating gestational age and intrauterine growth. In this way important conclusions can be drawn as to the reason for intrauterine growth deviations. Also many, sometimes diagnostic, abnormalities can be found.

Autopsy↗
PubMed1988

Intraplacental choriocarcinoma: a report of two cases.

Two examples of intraplacental choriocarcinoma are described. Both were small and had arisen in otherwise normal third trimester placentas. The covering mantle of many of the villi adjacent to the choriocarcinomas was formed, either focally or wholly, of neoplastic trophoblastic tissue: it is only at this stage of the development of a choriocarcinoma that villous structures are present, and a study of these cases adds further evidence for an origin of choriocarcinoma from villous trophoblast. Intraplacental choriocarcinomas can give rise to both maternal and fetal metastases during pregnancy, and it is suggested that such lesions also serve as an origin for those choriocarcinomas which follow a term pregnancy.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Reliability of sonography in non-hemorrhagic periventricular leucomalacia.

Sonographic pictures of the brain of 19 newborn infants who died at a mean age of 4.2 days after birth (range 1-23 days) were examined independently by five experienced sonographers. In all infants information on postmortem brain pathology was available. Diagnoses made by the sonographers based on the sonographic pictures were compared with the gross postmortem findings. The results of the study show that except for one infant with a subarachnoid hemorrhage all cerebral hemorrhages were diagnosed accurately by all sonographers. Non-hemorrhagic periventricular leucomalacia (PVL), however, was missed on sonography in 2 of the 3 cases. Surprisingly, PVL was diagnosed on sonography in 1 (8%) to 6 (50%) of 12 infants in which postmortem examination of the brain revealed no PVL. It is concluded that non-hemorrhagic PVL cannot be diagnosed accurately using sonography in the first days of life, if a 5 MHz transducer is used.

Diagnostic Errors↗
PubMed1986

Risk factors in gestational trophoblastic disease, and consequences for primary treatment.

Treatment with methotrexate (MTX) for two patients with gestational choriocarcinoma proved to be inadequate; subsequently both patients received a combination of cis-platinum, cyclophosphamide, actinomycin D and etoposide. These histories demonstrate the need for better prediction of the efficacy of MTX treatment. Baghshawe and Goldstein developed scoring systems to recognize patients requiring primary combination chemotherapy. The Dutch Working Group for Trophoblastic Tumors recently introduced a simplified scoring system to classify these patients. In order to compare these three scoring systems to predict the effect of primary treatment with MTX a retrospective study was made of 37 patients. MTX treatment failures were predictable in 8 out of 13 patients using Bagshawe's system and 6 out of 13 by the Dutch scoring system. The specificity was 88 and 92%, respectively. Goldstein's scoring system proved to be the least sensitive, but very specific.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Abnormal motor behaviour in anencephalic fetuses.

In eight anencephalic fetuses ultrasound observations of movement patterns were made and correlated with the morphological findings at postmortem. In all fetuses the movements were qualitatively abnormal: they were forceful, jerky in character and of large amplitude. In some of the most defective cases classification of the movements was hardly possible as they showed little similarity to those observed in normal fetuses. In these cases movements tended to occur in burst-pause patterns in contrast to being scattered over the record. Excessive activity occurred also only in the more defective cases. In fetuses with no evident cervical cord present isolated arm movements were observed. Fetal lung hypoplasia occurred as early as 16 weeks and in a fetus which showed both hiccups and breathing movements. It is concluded that with a severely defective fetal central nervous system, already in the first half of pregnancy movement patterns are abnormal. This abnormality mainly concerns the quality of the different movements. Secondly, movements can occur despite severe reduction in the amount and alteration in the organisation of the fetal central nervous system.

Anencephaly↗
PubMed1985

A case of congenital esophageal stenosis.

A case study of congenital esophageal stenosis is reported. Light microscopic examination revealed extensive disorganization of the inner circular muscle layer, with partial absence of the muscularis mucosae.

Esophageal Stenosis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sputum cytology by the Saccomanno method in diagnosing lung malignancy.

From 1,488 patients, satisfactory sputum was available for cytologic diagnosis. Overall diagnoses were correct in 85.4% of patients, false negative in 193 patients (13.0%), and false positive in 24 patients (1.6%). In patients with a malignant lung process, cytologic diagnoses were correct in 228 patients (54.2%) and false negative in 193 patients (45.8%). In patients with primary lung cancer, the proportion of correct positive diagnoses increased from 0.47 to 0.87 with one to five sputum specimens examined. In patients with metastatic disease, the figures were 0.35 with one specimen examined and 0.38 with two and more sputum specimens. Cytologic typing accuracy was 67% for large-cell carcinomas, 73% for adenocarcinomas, 91% for small-cell lung cancers, and 98% for squamous-cell carcinomas. For the clinically most relevant groups of nonsmall-cell lung cancer and small-cell lung cancer, these figures were 99% and 91%, respectively.

Biopsy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Morphological findings in placentae of insulin-dependent diabetic patients treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII).

Twenty-one placentae from type I (insulin-dependent) pregnant diabetic patients, treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII), were studied morphologically. Despite a near-optimal blood glucose control the placental changes were identical to those previously reported in diabetic pregnancy. The most frequently observed lesion was that of relative placental immaturity; this, when extensive, was related to antenatal fetal asphyxia. These data indicate that near normoglycaemia, achieved with CSII, does not modify the morphological expression of the disease in the placenta. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of placental development in the context of diabetic pregnancy.

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Treatment of twin-twin transfusion syndrome by laser and digoxin. Biophysical and angiographic evaluation.

OBJECTIVES: A combination of surgical and medical approaches may address both the underlying pathophysiological processes and the most threatening symptoms in twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). CASE: A primigravida with monochorionic twin pregnancy was referred with signs of TTTS at 16 weeks. One twin was severely hydropic with normal amniotic fluid, the co-twin had anhydramnios. Laser treatment was performed. Nevertheless, signs of severe cardiac decompensation in the recipient remained unchanged. After treatment with digoxin restoration of congestive heart failure and a resolution of the hydrops were achieved. Activity and inter-twin contacts increased significantly. At 37 weeks 2 healthy boys were delivered. Postnatal computerangiography of the placenta revealed no arteriovenous anastomoses. CONCLUSIONS: This case suggests that a combined causal and symptomatic therapy in cases with cardiac decompensation of the recipient can be beneficial as demonstrated by echocardiography, venous Doppler and behavioral analysis. Computer angiography of the placenta may demonstrate the effect of laser treatment.

Adult↗