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Biomedical subjects

T E Wiswell

Publications and source records attributed to T E Wiswell.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Infantile myofibromatosis: the most common fibrous tumor of infancy.

We describe the clinical courses of four infants with infantile myofibromatosis (IM). This entity is a mesenchymal disorder of early infancy characterized by the formation of tumors in skin, muscle, viscera, bone, and subcutaneous tissues. Previously known as congenital generalized fibromatosis, IM was formerly thought to be a rare condition that was frequently fatal. The majority of the 170 affected patients we describe have been diagnosed since 1980. Furthermore, the mortality rate for these patients is less than 15%. Our review includes the clinical manifestations, as well as histopathologic features, and discusses the prognosis in affected infants. We found that infants with solitary lesions or multiple lesions without visceral involvement generally have a benign course. However, in patients with the multicentric form of the disorder and visceral involvement, 73% have died. Because the lesions may not be easily discernible and most spontaneously resolve, the condition is underdiagnosed and underreported. IM is the most common fibrous tumor of infancy and must be considered when evaluating children who present with either solitary or multiple tumors, particularly during the neonatal period.

Female↗
PubMed1988

Tracheal and bronchial injury in high-frequency oscillatory ventilation and high-frequency flow interruption compared with conventional positive-pressure ventilation.

We compared the histopathologic changes in the airways of premature baboons treated with conventional positive-pressure ventilation (PPV) with those seen after high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) and high-frequency flow interruption (HFFI). Twenty-six animals were treated with ventilation for 24 hours (five PPV, 10 HFOV, 11 HFFI), and 18 were treated with ventilation for 96 hours (six PPV, six HFOV, six HFFI). A semiquantitative scoring system was used to grade tissue changes in the trachea, carina, and both main-stem bronchi. Alterations were produced by all forms of mechanical ventilation. The degree of injury was similar and relatively mild for the PPV- and HFOV-treated animals at both 24 and 96 hours. Eleven of 17 baboons treated with HFFI ventilation (8/11 at 24 hours; 3/6 at 96 hours) had severe airway damage characterized by diffuse submucosal necrosis, extensive hemorrhage, dense polymorphonuclear leukocyte infiltration, sloughed epithelium, focal basophilia, and intraluminal debris. HFOV resulted in no greater degree of airway damage than did PPV. The use of HFFI, with the particular strategy we employed, resulted in a far greater degree of damage than either PPV (P less than 0.01) or HFOV.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Effect of circumcision status on periurethral bacterial flora during the first year of life.

To determine whether bacterial colonization is a factor in the pathogenesis of urinary tract infection, we compared the periurethral bacterial flora of uncircumcised versus circumcised boys during the first year of life. Intraurethral and circumferential glans cultures were obtained from 25 circumcised and 25 uncircumcised infants at 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and 12 months of age. Different children were used at each age (300 total). The types of bacteria and the total and specific colony counts were compared. The results of the glans cultures were similar to those from the urethra. Uncircumcised boys had significantly higher total colony counts (p less than 0.003) at all ages except 12 months. Escherichia coli was present significantly more often (p less than 0.01) in the urethras of uncircumcised boys at 2 weeks, 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months. Gram-negative uropathogenic organisms (Klebsiella-enterobacter, Proteus mirabilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were cultured more frequently (p less than 0.0005) from the urethras of uncircumcised boys at 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months. The specific colony counts for E. coli and the other uropathogenic organisms were significantly higher (p less than 0.05) at all ages except 12 months. We conclude that during the first 6 months of life, the presence of a foreskin is associated with a greater quantity of periurethral bacteria and a greater likelihood for the presence of, as well as higher concentrations of, potentially uropathogenic organisms.

Bacteria↗
PubMed1987

Tracheal and bronchial injury in high-frequency oscillatory ventilation compared with conventional positive pressure ventilation.

We compared airway histopathologic findings in premature baboons given standard positive pressure ventilation with those seen after high-frequency oscillatory ventilation. Six animals received standard frequency conventional ventilation for a mean of 9.2 days; seven received high-frequency oscillatory ventilation at 10 Hz using a piston oscillator for a mean of 10.2 days; five baboons served as controls, and were killed immediately after birth. A semiquantitative histopathologic scoring system was used to grade tissue changes in the trachea, carina, and both mainstem bronchi. Compared with the nonventilated control animals, injury was produced with both forms of mechanical ventilation (P less than 0.01 for both instruments); however, the degree of damage was mild, with no significant difference in the extent of injury between the two treatment groups. High-frequency oscillatory ventilation appears to result in no greater degree of airway damage than conventional positive pressure ventilation.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Declining frequency of circumcision: implications for changes in the absolute incidence and male to female sex ratio of urinary tract infections in early infancy.

The results of an investigation examining the circumcision frequency rate and its effect on the incidence of urinary tract infections in a large, widely dispersed population base during the 10-year period since the 1975 report of the American Academy of Pediatrics Ad Hoc Task Force on Circumcision are reported. Our study population included the 427,698 infants born in all United States Army hospitals, worldwide, from Jan 1, 1975, through Dec 31, 1984. There was an initial plateau in the circumcision frequency rate at approximately 85% during the first 4 years of the study period. In the subsequent 6 years there was a steady, significant decrease (P less than .001) of 1.4% to 4.0% per year through 1984, when the circumcision frequency rate reached its nadir of 70.5%. There was a concomitant increase in the total number of urinary tract infections among male infants (P less than .02) as the circumcision rate declined. This increase was due to the increase in the overall number of uncircumcised boys (who had a greater than 11-fold increased infection rate compared with circumcised boys). During the first half of the study period, there was a female predominance for urinary tract infections from birth onward. As the number of circumcised boys decreased (with a resultant increase in the total number of boys with infection), the male to female ratio of urinary tract infections during the first 3 months of life reversed, reflecting a movement toward a male predominance for infection in early infancy. This is the first, well-documented report of a decreasing rate of circumcisions performed on the American male population.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1986

Infections of congenital cervical neck masses associated with bacteremia.

Congenital cervical neck masses are usually benign lesions. However, cystic hygromas and cervical teratomas are associated with a high risk for potentially life-threatening complications, primarily that of respiratory distress secondary to tracheal compression. Children with unoperated teratomas are also at high risk for malignant changes. A third potential complication is that of infection of the lesion. We present two newborns with infections of cervical neck masses associated with bacteremia. One lesion was a teratoma, the other a cystic hygroma. In both infants, surgical excision had been delayed. These cases illustrate the need for prompt, accurate diagnosis and treatment of congenital cervical neck masses.

Escherichia coli Infections↗
PubMed1986

Decreased circumcision rate with videotaped counseling.

Despite the lack of medical indication for routine circumcision in the newborn, neonatal circumcision continues to be done on the vast majority of male infants in the United States. A trial of videotaped "informed consent" counseling was undertaken to determine whether such counseling could affect the parental choice about circumcision. We studied the circumcision frequency rate (CFR) after videotape counseling. We compared it to the rates following standard oral counseling. Videotaped counseling, in contrast to the standard physician-parent oral counseling, significantly reduced the incidence of parents' requests for routine neonatal circumcision.

Circumcision, Male↗
PubMed1986

Neonatal polycythemia: frequency of clinical manifestations and other associated findings.

We report the results of a two-part study examining the frequency of symptoms and other findings associated with neonatal polycythemia. In the first part of the investigation, we evaluated the occurrence and features of the disorder in a cohort of 3,768 infants born at our institution that had been screened for the disorder during a 4-year period. Fifty-five infants (1.46%) had neonatal polycythemia. Of these infants, 85% had features associated with the disorder. Frequent signs and symptoms included "feeding problems" (21.8%), plethora (20.0%), lethargy (14.5%), cyanosis (14.5%), respiratory distress (9.1%), jitteriness (7.3%), and hypotonia (7.3%). Other findings included hypoglycemia (40.0%) and hyperbilirubinemia (21.8%). Of the polycythemic infants, 14.5% had no clinical symptoms or associated laboratory abnormalities. In the second portion of the study, we reviewed the features of polycythemia in all infants so diagnosed who were born in United States Army hospitals, worldwide, during a 5-year period. There were 220,050 infants born during this period; 932 (0.42%) were diagnosed as having neonatal polycythemia. Frequent findings were hyperbilirubinemia (33.5%), hypoglycemia (13.0%), and respiratory distress (6.6%). In this large group, only 13 (1.4%) had necrotizing enterocolitis, and nine (1.0%) were thrombocytopenic. Several findings among the 932 infants were unexpected. Six of the infants (only one premature) had intracranial hemorrhages. Additionally, three of the 932 had gonadal dysgenesis and three had cystic fibrosis. We found that premature infants were not less prone to having polycythemia and that the overall frequency of the disorder was less than that which has been previously reported.

Birth Weight↗
PubMed1986

Corroborative evidence for the decreased incidence of urinary tract infections in circumcised male infants.

We report the results of a two-part study examining the incidence of urinary tract infection during the first year of life. In the first part of the investigation, we reviewed the occurrence of urinary tract infection in a cohort of 3,924 infants born at our institution during a 4-year period. Infection developed in 16 infants (0.41%). The incidence of urinary tract infection in noncircumcised males was greater than the incidence in both female (P less than .004) and circumcised male (P less than .001) infants. In the second part of the study, we explored the frequency of urinary tract infection in all infants born in US Army hospitals, worldwide, over a 10-year period. There were 422,328 infants born in army facilities during this time period. Subsequent hospitalization for urinary tract infection occurred for 1,825 (0.43%) infants during the first year of life. Overall, there was no male preponderance for infections in early infancy compared with females. After an equivalent incidence during the first month of life, female infants had significantly more infections than did male infants (P less than .001). However, noncircumcised male infants had a higher incidence of urinary tract infection than female infants (P less than .001). Additionally, noncircumcised male infants had a tenfold greater incidence of infection than circumcised male infants (P less than .001). There was a significant decrease in the circumcision frequency rate during the 10-year study period (from 85.4% to 73.9%, P less than .001). As the number of circumcisions decreased, there was a concomitant increase in the overall number of urinary tract infections in males (P less than .02).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Circumcision, Male↗