[Shortening of the tongue as an aid to orthodontic treatment].
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R Becker.
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We report a case of feto-feto-fetal-transfusion-syndrome (FFFTS) in a spontaneous monochorionic triamniotic triplet pregnancy primarily diagnosed at 17 weeks of gestation. During the course of pregnancy, sequentially two triplets appeared as donor. Symptoms of a recipient (polyhydramnios, tricuspid valve insufficiency, and ascites) were present in the third triplet. The second of the donor twins died in utero at 25 weeks. At 27 weeks, a cesarean section was performed mainly due to pre-eclampsia. The first donor triplet developed normally, whereas the recipient showed periventricular leucomalacia and neurological impairment.
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We evaluated 29 knees with a minimum follow-up of 2 years after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using doubled autogenous semitendinosus tendons. On the femoral side, a 5-mm Mersilene tape (Ethicon, Norderstedt, Germany) with an Endobutton (Acufex Microsurgical, Mansfield, MA) was used. The tendon was fixed on the tibial side with two staples. Regarding the IKDC score, 66% of the patients were graded as normal or nearly normal. The anterior laxity side-to-side difference (KT 1000, man-max-drawer) was under 3 mm in 55% and under 5 mm in 90%. Radiographs taken in the lateral and anteroposterior projections of the knee showed sclerotic bone tunnel margins. The diameter of the bone tunnels were measured, corrected for magnification, then compared with the original reamed diameter to determine any change in size. Enlargement of at least 2 mm was identified in 72% of the femoral tunnels and 38% of the tibial tunnels. No correlation was found concerning the enlargement of the tunnel and the IKDC score or the residual joint laxity. We conclude that using an Endobutton-Mersilene construct in ACL reconstruction leads to femoral and tibial bone tunnel enlargement at follow-up of 2 years.
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We present a case of a 27 year old I. gravida, I. para. Despite of regular ultrasonographic examination the diagnosis of skeletal malformation at the fetus was not before 33. weeks of gestation. It was the rare type of a bothside femur-fibula-ulna (FFU) complex. The FFU-complex is a no lethal malformation with typical unilateral combination from defects of femur and fibula, with contralateral defect of ulna. Dependent to involvement of malformated limbs the FFU-complex is classifiable in four groups. Only in 10 % all limbs are affected. Our case (type IV) showed a peromelia of both upper limbs with stumps of humeri, bothside aplasia of fibula and missing from 4. and 5. toes. There fetus were without nonlimb congenital abnormalities. The etiology of FFU-complex is unknown, the occurrence sporadic. There are never found genetic abnormalities. Familial recurrence is not described. There is no maternal or paternal age effect on FFU-complex. The differential diagnosis must include malformations with reduction anomalies of extremities, like thalidomide syndrome, splenogonadal fusion with limb malformations, Roberts syndrome, oroacral complex or acheiropodia. Mark off are amniotic band too.
Haemorrhage from ruptured uterine vessels is a rare but life-threatening complication during pregnancy. The high rate of mortality associated with this condition is correlated to the rapidity of haematoma formation. The dynamics of this event become particularly evident at the time of birth when the uterus requires one-fifth of the cardiac output. This high rate of flow emphasizes the possible fatal consequences of delayed therapeutical intervention. Information available on the aetiology and pathogenesis of such events is poor, especially if an involvement of cervical vessels or extraperitoneal (incomplete) rupture of the uterus can be excluded. Diagnosis and therapy are based on the classical clinical symptoms of acute abdominal pain-and-shock symptomatology. We report on a 31-year old patient after spontaneous delivery and initially uneventful puerperium. She had to be laparotomised on the third day post partum because of pain and haemoglobin deficiency. We found a large retroperitoneal (supralevatorial) haematoma caused by ruptured lateral branches of the left arteria uterina. The uterus was preserved after haematoma removal and revision and suture of the bleeding vessels. The case reported on shows that peripartal rupture of arterial uterine vessels may turn out to be clinically relevant only after a relatively long time (> 72 hours). Only four comparable cases have been reported in the literature, the course being different from that in all the other cases. In all the documented cases arterial uterine haemorrhages resulted in short-term acute aggravation of the symptomatology with severe abdominal pain, haemodynamic collapse and simultaneous haemoglobin deficit. The case under report in the present paper was at first clinically occult and eventually developed a pathology that had not been described before. Its specific significance lies in illustrating the need for re-evaluating such initially hidden cases while paying special attention to ruptured uterine vessels.
The prognosis of conservative treatment of herniated lumbar discs is equivalent to operative treatment unless there is an absolute indication to operate. 85% of 58 patients with a proven herniated disc could be dismissed from the hospital in a satisfying condition, that is with working ability. 8 patients (12%) were operated, 3 of them at their own request. 2.5 years after the treatment in our hospital, a catamnesis of 30 patients showed positive results, only 4 patients had to undergo an operation.
Advances in ultrasound technology and sonographer's experience lead to the description of many rare syndromes and malformations through prenatal diagnosis. Diaphragmatic hernia is a rather common malformation but can be an indicator of different syndromes. We report the prenatal diagnosis of lethal multiple pterygium syndrome type II which has been established in the 34th week of pregnancy. The sonographically detectable symptoms consisted of polyhydramnios, hygroma colli, diaphragmatic hernia, scoliosis, short forearms, hypokinesia of the fetus and pterygia over the large joints. Labour was induced in the 34th week of pregnancy; the neonate died shortly after vaginal delivery as a result of the pulmonary hypoplasia. A multidisciplinary approach in prenatal assessment may help to clarify difficult diagnostic problems and may be of direct benefit for the pregnant patient.
We report on a case of embryonic anomaly detected at 9 + 5 gestational weeks. The lower part of the embryo was located in the coelomic cavity. Lower extremities could not be depicted. The abdominal wall showed the appearance of omphalocoele. After termination of pregnancy at 10 weeks, autopsy confirmed the anomaly of the lower embryonic parts consistent with the diagnosis of body stalk anomaly. To our knowledge, this is the first observation of this condition before 10 gestational weeks.
CHARGE association has been diagnosed postnatally in increasing numbers since the first description in 1979. The acronym CHARGE includes the abnormalities ocular Colobomas (iris, retina or nervus opticus), Heart disease, Atresia of choanae, Retarded growth and development and/or central nervous system anomalies, Genital hypoplasia, Ear anomalies and deafness. So far, no prenatal diagnosis of the CHARGE association has been described; only one case report presents prenatal symptoms detected at 31 gestational weeks. In our case, prenatally detected mild cerebral ventriculomegaly and dysplasia of choroid plexus were abnormalities visible as early as 15+6 weeks as well as mild cerebellar hypoplasia at 21+1 weeks. At 28+6 weeks, in addition polyhydramnios could be found. The combination of the 'benign' central-nervous findings raised suspicion of a severe congenital malformation at 21+1 weeks which was confirmed postnatally in the form of diagnosis of CHARGE association.
Premature obstruction of the foramen ovale is a rare but serious clinical entity. Obstruction can be associated with right ventricular failure, fetal hydrops, tricuspid regurgitation, left heart obstructive defects and supraventricular tachycardia. In most cases, the diagnosis is made at the postmortem examination. The etiology is unknown. We discuss 2 prenatal cases with the sole diagnosis of ventricular asymmetry. The right ventricle was dilated and hypertrophic, and the foramen ovale ballooned into the left atrium without color Doppler detection of right-to-left flow. After delivery, the infants had no hydrops or symptoms of cardiac or respiratory distress. Echocardiography demonstrated a structurally normal heart with increased right ventricle dimensions until the 7th day of life. Delivery should be induced if possible in cases of foramen ovale obstruction with signs of cardiac decompensation.
One hundred and three intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) pregnancies were scheduled for pulsed Doppler ultrasound of the common carotid and the umbilical artery, nonstress and contraction stress tests (NST/CST) as well as vibroacoustic stimulation tests (VAST). The last examinations < 3 days before birth were compared by receiver-operator characteristics: Results of the resistance indices of fetal common carotid/umbilical artery and NST were more predictive of later fetal distress during labour, compared to CST and VAST (p < 0.001/< 0.01). Similar results were found for the prediction of low pH and Apgar values, though differences were less pronounced. Our results suggest that stressful examinations should be abolished from mother and fetus in the supervision of IUGR.
We report on a case of unilateral primary fetal hydrothorax leading to nonimmunological fetal hydrops (NIHF). The NIHF was treated successfully by inserting two consecutive intrauterine catheters at 23 weeks gestation. The first catheter was dislocated through the uterine wall to the maternal peritoneal cavity. At 36 weeks gestation, the mother had a spontaneous onset of labor after premature rupture of membranes and a normal vaginal delivery of a healthy infant with good perinatal outcome. Shunting of PFHT has rarely been described up to now. This case report supports observations of previous authors that early shunting of pleural effusions may prevent progression of NIHF as well as postnatal pulmonary hypoplasia. Unexpected perinatal complications of fetus, mother or both should not be neglected.
Postterm pregnancies of more than 290 completed gestational days (n = 110) were simultaneously supervised after admission by pulsed Doppler ultrasound of the common carotid and the umbilical arteries, nonstress and contraction stress tests (NST/CST) and vibroacoustic stimulation tests (VAST). The results of these tests were blinded for the clinicians. Further decision making was based mainly on fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring. The prognostic value of tests performed < 3 days before birth predicting fetal distress, low Apgar and pH values in the umbilical artery were compared by receiver operator characteristics. Results of the NSTs and fetal Doppler measurements of the ratio of resistance indices of common carotid/umbilical artery were more predictive of later fetal distress than both, VAST and CST (p < 0.01, p > 0.05, respectively). There were no significant differences in the prediction of low Apgar values. NST was the only significant test for predicting a low pH in the umbilical artery immediately after birth compared to the other examinations (p < 0.05). The results suggest that even in prolonged pregnancies VAST and CST might be released from routine supervision.
This study examined the phenomenon of post-stroke depression and evaluated its impact on rehabilitation outcome. Sixty-four patients presenting to a rehabilitation program within weeks of first stroke were evaluated for depression through self-report measures and staff ratings. Patients also rated the particular coping strategies which they used in dealing with their illness and hospital stay. Physical and occupational therapists provided measures of functional impairment at admission and discharge. A high (47%) prevalence of depression was found in this population, with no overall differences observed between patients with right or left hemisphere lesions. Depressed patients, in comparison to non-depressed, evidenced greater functional impairment at both admission and discharge. However, both groups showed similar gains over the course of rehabilitation. Coping strategies employed by depressed patients appeared to reflect a lower level of participation in the rehabilitation process. A subgroup of patients evaluated 6 weeks after discharge revealed that depression was associated with a worsening on one measure of functional status. These findings indicate that depression is a frequent companion of stroke, that it is associated with degree of functional impairment, and that it may exert a negative impact on the rehabilitation process and outcome.