Biomedical subjects
J K Ahern
Publications and source records attributed to J K Ahern.
The effects of prenatal diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure on the genitalia of pubertal Macaca mulatta. I. Female offspring.
Nineteen pregnant female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) received 1 mg/day diethylstilbestrol (DES) over three time periods during gestation: day 21 to delivery (group I), day 100 to delivery (group II) and day 130 to delivery (group III). Seven females and five males of a total of 20 offspring are presently alive at 5 1/2 years of age; one female died at 5 years of age. No deaths have been shown to be treatment related. In female offspring, menstruation began at about 2 1/2 years of age, was irregular for approximately one and one-half to two years and then became regular. Vaginal ridging and/or cervical hooding have been observed in seven of the eight DES-exposed females, and three had histologically demonstrable vaginal adenosis. None of the anomalies was related to a specific treatment period, for they appeared in all treatment groups, nor did they occur in the age-matched controls. Furthermore, none of the animals, either treated or control, showed any evidence of adenocarcinoma. Therefore, exposure of Macaca mulatta females to DES in utero appears to be teratogenic, but thus far no carcinogenicity has been observed. Reports in humans indicate that adenocarcinoma is an additional manifestation of prenatal exposure to DES; also, treatment effects appear to be more commonly observed in individuals exposed during the early stages of gestation. From this viewpoint, the rhesus monkey is a potentially valuable model for the study of vaginocervical anomalies and adenosis, but it is premature to consider it a suitable model for the study of adenocarcinoma.
Cesarean section in the massively obese.
The case histories of 4 massively obese patients who underwent cesarean section are summarized. In all, a Pfannenstiel incision was made beneath the patient's huge panniculus, and a lower segment cesarean section was easily accomplished. There were no postoperative wound infections and all of the women had an essentially benign postoperative course.
Comparison of cold conization and directed biopsy.
A study was performed to compare the results of directed biopsy with those of cold conization of the cervix in the private practice community. The intent of the study was to determine whether the two procedures were comparable in accuracy, to compare them in terms of economic impact and to compare the complications of each procedure. The study shows that directed biopsy is as accurate as cold conization of the cervix, is less expensive for the patient and is not fraught with as many serious hazards as is cold conization.
Cervical hemangioma: a case report and review of the literature.
A case of cervical hemangioma is reported. This is a rare lesion of the uterine cervix, is not usually large and characteristically has a deep wine-red color. A review of the world literature indicates that all such hemangiomas that have been reported are benign. It is thought from this information that they may be treated conservatively.