Biomedical subjects

Liana Ventura

Publications and source records attributed to Liana Ventura.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

[Cataract in childhood: socioeconomic and gestational profiles and neuropsychomotor development].

PURPOSE: To analyze the socioeconomic and gestational profiles, and the neuropsychomotor development of patients with infantile cataract cared for at a medical ophthalmologic center in Pernambuco state, Brazil. METHODS: A standardized questionnaire was applied, in October and November 2003, to the parents of children who underwent child cataract surgery at the Altino Ventura Foundation. RESULTS: Of the 40 patients, 23 were females (57.0%) and 17 males (43.0%). Most of the mothers (65.0%) and fathers (55.0%) of the children informed that they had not finished elementary school. The family income was between 1 and 3 minimum wages in 70.0% of the cases. As for the parental marital status, 40.0% of them were married. Thirty-nine mothers (97.5%) underwent prenatal exams, 37 reported that they had not received rubella immunization (92.5%), and 13 reported rubella during their pregnancy (32.5%). Three mothers reported consanguinity with their husbands and 5 were exposed to medications during pregnancy. Most of the patients had a neuropsychomotor development within limits considered normal by other studies. Fourteen patients (35.0%) were 6 years or older when the interview was performed. Eleven (78.6%) of these children attended school and 45.4% of them had to repeat the school grade. CONCLUSION: It was observed in the studied sample that the patients were characterized by being part of a low-income population. Less than half of the interviewed parents were married and the patients presented low school performance. Insufficiencies in the health system as regards immunization against rubella was identified.

Cataract Extraction↗

PubMed2004

Autism with ophthalmologic malformations: the plot thickens.

PURPOSE: To review the association of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in individuals manifesting thalidomide embryopathy and Möbius sequence and compare them with three new studies in which ASD was also associated with ocular and systemic malformations: (1) a Swedish study of individuals with CHARGE association (Coloboma, Heart, choanal Atresia, developmental or growth Retardation, Genital anomaly, and Ear involvement); (2) a Swedish study of Goldenhar syndrome; and (3) Brazilian Möbius syndrome (sequence) study. METHODS: In the Swedish CHARGE study, 31 patients met the inclusion criteria (3+ or 4 of the common characteristics of the CHARGE syndrome). The same team of investigators also evaluated 20 Swedish patients with Goldenhar syndrome. In the Brazilian Möbius study, 28 children with a diagnosis of Möbius sequence were studied; some children had a history of exposure during their mother's pregnancy to the abortifacient drug misoprostol in an unsuccessful abortion attempt. RESULTS: In the CHARGE study, five patients had the more severe autism disorder and five had autistic-like condition. In the Goldenhar study, two had autism disorder and one had autistic-like condition. In the Brazilian Möbius study, the systemic findings of the misoprostol-exposed and misoprostol-unexposed patients were almost undistinguishable, and ASD was present in both groups (autism disorder in five and autistic-like condition in three). CONCLUSION: Autism spectrum disorder has been reported in two conditions with known early pregnancy exposure to the teratogenic agents thalidomide and misoprostol. In the Brazilian Möbius study, autism also occurred in both the misoprostol-exposed and misoprostol-unexposed groups. Autism also was present in patients with both CHARGE association and Goldenhar syndrome.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗

PubMed2002

Retinal fluorescein contrast arrival time of young patients with the hepatosplenic form of the Schistosomiasis mansoni.

Schistosoma mansoni is responsible for lesions that can alter the hemodinamic of the portal venous circulation, lung arterial and venous sistemic systems. Therefore, hemodinamic changes in the ocular circulation of mansonic schistosomotic patients with portal hypertension and hepatofugal venous blood flow is also probable. The purpose of this study was to determine the fluorescein contrast arrival time at the retina of young patients with the hepatosplenic form of schistosomiasis, clinically and surgically treated. The control group included 36 non schistosomotic patients, mean age of 17.3 years, and the case group was represented by 25 schistosomotic patients, mean age of 18.2 years, who were cared for at The University Hospital (Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil), from 1990 to 2001. They underwent digital angiofluoresceinography and were evaluated for the contrast arrival time at the early retinal venous phase of the exam. Both groups were ophthalmologically examined at the same hospital (Altino Ventura Foundation, Recife, Brazil), using the same technique. There was retardation of the retinal contrast arrival time equal or more than 70 sec in the eyes of three schistosomotic patients (12%) and in none of the control group, however, the mean contrast arrival time between the two groups were not statistically different. These findings lend support to the hypothesis that there could be a delay of the eye venous blood flow drainage.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Autism associated with conditions characterized by developmental errors in early embryogenesis: a mini review.

Autism is a complex developmental disorder without an established single etiology but with significant contributions from genetic studies, functional research, and neuropsychiatric and neuroradiologic investigations. The purpose of this paper is to review the findings in five studies involving individuals manifesting the characteristic findings of autism spectrum disorder associated with malformations and dysfunctions known to result from early embryogenic defects. These investigations include two associated with teratogens (thalidomide embryopathy, Mobius sequence with misoprostol) and three (most Mobius sequence cases, CHARGE association, Goldenhar syndrome) with no known etiology. These studies suggest that early embryonic development errors often involving cranial nerve palsies, internal and external ear malformations, ophthalmologic anomalies, and a variety of systemic malformations may be associated with autism spectrum disorders statistically more frequently than expected in a normal population. Although the exact time of developmental insult for each condition cannot be identified, the evidence is that it may occur as early as week 4 to 6+ of embryogenesis.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Functional outcome of visually handicapped children cared for at the Department of Visual Stimulation--"Fundação Altino Ventura"].

PURPOSE: To analyze the functional outcome of visually handicapped children. METHODS: Twenty-seven children were evaluated using the standard functional PEDI test. Seventeen who attended school at "Escola Municipal Alto do Maracanã", Recife - Pernambuco, Brazil, had normal visual acuity and the other ten had visual handicap, and were cared for at Stimulation Visual Department - "Fundação Altino Ventura", in the same city. RESULTS: The children who had visual handicap showed significantly worse performance in self-care and mobility than normal children. CONCLUSION: Visual handicap may have limited the performance regarding self-care, mobility, understanding, communication, home works, in the studied group.

Activities of Daily Living↗