Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to U Willi.
We report a full-term newborn girl with a giant vein of Galen malformation and extreme cerebral atrophy of prenatal origin. She presented on the 3rd day of life with intractable congestive heart failure. The diagnosis of the vascular malformation was confirmed by ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging.
The established prophylaxis for vitamin D-deficient rickets today is 400 IU vitamin D3 given daily during the first year of life. With this regimen, vitamin D intoxication is a rare event. Nevertheless, we have recently seen 4 infants with vitamin D intoxication after a so called "stoss" prophylaxis, i.e. twice 300,000 units (7.5 mg) vitamin D3 orally within 4 weeks. One patient presented with failure to thrive due to marked hypercalcemia (3.9 mmol/l) and nephrocalcinosis, 2 patients showed medullary nephrocalcinosis on ultrasonography and one patient had gross hematuria and spontaneous passage of a calculus. Three patients had massive hypercalciuria (calcium/creatinine ratio 1.8-4.8 mol/mol, normal less than 1). The 25 (OH) vitamin D3 plasma levels, measured only in 2 patients, were strikingly increased (270 and 158 nmol/l, respectively, normal 25-80). Urinary calcium excretion slowly decreased to normal values on a low calcium diet and high fluid intake. Nephrocalcinosis, however, persisted in 2 patients and showed a slight progression ultrasonographically in one patient. The short time interval between vitamin D administration and onset of symptoms and the subsequent clinical course provide strong evidence that hypercalciuria and nephrocalcinosis were due to vitamin D "stoss" prophylaxis in all four cases. In conclusion, there is no indication for vitamin D "stoss" prophylaxis for vitamin D-deficient rickets in infants. Vitamin D intoxication still has to be considered as a possible cause of hypercalciuria.
Four months after termination of successful chemotherapy for epipharyngeal B-non-Hodgkin lymphoma, an enlarging anterior mediastinal mass was discovered in a 15-year-old boy. There was no other suspicion of tumour recurrence. A simple thymic rebound was likely and a conservative management was chosen. Follow up for more than 12 months was uneventful. The frequency of thymic hyperplasia after termination of chemotherapy is discussed. It is a benign immunological rebound phenomenon and does not require operative intervention.
We present a case of antenatal failure of bone growth and mineralisation in a newborn whose anorectic mother repeatedly administered hypertonic phosphate enemas during pregnancy. Phosphate overload in pregnant women appears to impede calcification of the fetal skeleton.
Clinical observations and findings on imaging are reported in six newborns with symmetrical thalamic lesions (STL). In three cases the diagnosis was confirmed by postmortem examination. Characteristic observations in this series and 17 previously reported cases include no evidence of perinatal asphyxia, high incidence of polyhydramnios, absent suck and swallow, absent primitive reflexes, appreciable spasticity at or within days of birth, lack of psychomotor development, and death within days or months. Characteristic pathological findings include loss of neurons, astrogliosis, and 'incrusted' neurons particularly in the thalamus. In two thirds of cases the basal ganglia and brain stem are involved as well. A hypoxic-ischaemic event occurring two to four weeks before birth is most likely responsible for STL. Bilateral thalamic calcification can often, but not always, be demonstrated in the newborn period by computed tomography and/or cranial ultrasound. The presence of these calcifications and the observation of spasticity at birth imply that the responsible insult occurred at least two to four weeks earlier. The small number of published cases with STL suggest that it may be easily missed.
In a consecutive series of 15 male adolescents and young adults with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), the size, shape, firmness and echostructure of the testes were assessed. The latter was abnormal in 7 patients under long standing treatment with glucocorticoids (group I). In 8, 5 under and 3 off treatment for several years, ultrasonography (US) was normal (group II). On the basis of the US findings the patients were placed in two groups. In group I, the testes had a heterogeneous ultrasonographic pattern; clinically, most felt hard and irregular, although their volume was normal. Sperm count in 3 patients was 5.0 to 14.4 x 10(6)/ml. Five patients have 21-hydroxylase deficiency that was diagnosed in early infancy and had salt-wasting; two have 11-beta-hydroxylase deficiency that was diagnosed late and had no salt-wasting. In group II, testicular volume, shape, firmness and echostructure were normal. All have 21-hydroxylase deficiency, no history of salt-wasting and were diagnosed late. Sperm counts in 3 patients off treatment were 10.5 to 66.0 x 10(6)/ml. In severe cases with a history of salt loss, TALT with deficient spermiogenesis seems likely despite treatment. In mild cases, TALT is absent and spermiogenesis may be normal even without treatment. US is much more accurate in assessing the testes than palpation.
We report a 6 year old male with a pattern of malformations and anomalies including intrauterine growth retardation, microcephaly, psychomotor retardation, a pattern of craniofacial anomalies (flat face, hypertelorism, epicanthic folds, strabismus, short nose, low set ears), hypospadias and cryptorchidism, bilateral partial cutaneous syndactyly between fingers 2 to 5 and toes 2 to 4, postaxial polydactyly of the fingers and toes, severe conductive hearing loss, hypoplasia of the ischiadic bones, complex renal dysfunction, hypogammaglobulinaemia with proneness to bacterial infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract, and recurrent pseudomembranous enterocolitis. The parents are cousins of Turkish origin.
Transdermal 17 beta-oestradiol administration (17 beta-E2), used mainly in menopausal women, allows a continuous 17 beta-E2 delivery through the skin into the systemic circulation, avoiding intestinal and hepatic passage. In order to explore whether transdermal 17 beta-E2 could be used for the induction of puberty, 17 beta-E2 patches with low dose delivery were administered in nine prepubertal girls with Turner syndrome (bone age greater than 10.5 years) for a mean period of 2.2 years. Treatment schedule: 5 micrograms/day for 6-9 months, 10 micrograms/day for 6-9 months, 25 micrograms/day for long-term substitution; addition of cyclic gestagen p.o. after 18-24 months. Breast development started within 3 months of therapy and menstruation occurred after 2 years. Growth rate increased from 3.2 to 5.0 cm/year during the 1st year of therapy, height prediction did not change. Serum oestradiol (E2) and urinary E2 conjugates increased proportionally with 17 beta-E2 doses, serum oestrone (E1) rose much less. The possibility to imitate time course, clinical events and hormonal changes of normal puberty, the absence of adverse drug reactions and the excellent acceptance and easy mode of application suggest that transdermal 17 beta-E2 is optimally suited for hormonal substitution in girls with hypogonadism.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
We report two patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) and life-threatening infections: a 10 10/12-year-old boy had Aspergillus fumigatus spondylitis with destruction of the 11th vertebral body and paravertebral abscess formation, and an 8 5/12-year-old boy had multiple Staphylococcus aureus hepatic abscesses with subphrenic abscess formation. Both patients failed to respond to intense antimicrobial therapy but showed a remarkable recovery following surgical drainage combined with granulocyte transfusions. These results suggest that antimicrobial therapy and surgical drainage followed by granulocyte transfusions may be the ideal mode of treatment for severe infections in patients with CGD.
Heat stroke, heat exhaustion and heat cramps are the most important heat syndromes. Heat stroke must be recognized as a medical emergency. Inappropriate delay in diagnosis and treatment may lead to death caused by functional impairment or irreversible damage to almost every organ of the system. The history, clinical findings and outcome are described in four patients with heat injury during a 13-km military cross country race. Pathophysiology, complications, treatment and prevention of heat illness are discussed.
In a patient with Hyper-IgE-syndrome multiple liver abscesses developed in spite of prophylactic treatment with trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazol. Ultrasound confirmed the clinical diagnosis and percutaneous needle aspiration under ultrasonographic guidance and culture of the aspirated pus allowed specific antibiotic treatment by oral chloramphenicol alone without surgical drainage. The isolated Staph.aureus strain was resistant to trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazol.
Radionuclide voiding cystography is a sensitive and accurate method for diagnosing vesicoureteric reflux. This method allows for continuous monitoring of bladder filling and emptying, permits detection of reflux at any time during the study, and evaluates its dynamics. Since it results in very low amounts of radiation to the patient, it is an ideal method for the diagnosis and follow-up of children with reflux.
In blunt abdominal trauma in childhood, sonography should be the primary method for diagnostic imaging. This simple and non-invasive investigation can be readily performed even in cases with severe traumatic organ lesions. In cases not requiring immediate surgery the method can be used for monitoring and follow-up. Other diagnostic procedures such as IVP, CT, abdominal plain x-ray, angiography, scintigraphy do not become superfluous but should be used according to the clinical and sonographic findings.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Following a stay of a few months in Africa, a 9 year old boy developed gross hematuria, dysuria and pollakisuria. Two urine cultures remained sterile, the intravenous urography was normal. Therefore a tropical disease was looked for. Eggs of Schistosoma mansoni in the urine sediment, a significant level of schistosomal antibodies, and blood eosinophilia proved our suspected diagnosis of schistosomiasis to be correct. An ultrasonic examination of the urinary tract showed a thickened bladder wall. Very unusual in this case is the primary infection of the bladder with Schistosoma mansoni which normally affects the intestine.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Fractures of the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae may be difficult to identify radiographically because they are often obscured by gas and feces. With unilateral fractures, there is often scoliosis convex to the side of the fractures. We propose that this may be due to the ineffective action of the ipsilateral quadratus lumborum muscle which inserts into the transverse processes. The unopposed action of the contralateral quadratus lumborum results in scoliosis convex to the side of the fracture(s). Awareness of this cause of scoliosis can help in differentiating it from scoliosis caused by other painful abdominal processes, and may aid in recognition of the fracture(s).