Prenatal ultrasound detection of cleft lip, or cleft palate, or both, in southern Sweden, 2006-2010

It has been possible to detect cleft lip (CL), with or without cleft palate (CLP), using ultrasound (US) since the beginning of the 1980s. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of prenatal diagnosis of cleft lip with or without cleft palate, and isolated cleft palate (ICP), in our catchment area. Screening protocols in the different US clinics in southern Sweden were also compared, as regards evaluation of the fetal face and prenatal diagnosis of CLP. Forty-four (31%) of the patients were diagnosed by prenatal US and 97/144 (67%) were diagnosed at birth. The detection rate was 44/102 (43%) if the ICP are excluded. The specificity was 100%. Among the prenatally diagnosed clefts, 25/44 (57%) were diagnosed before the gestational age of 20 weeks. In 19/44 (43%) of the cases the US diagnosis of cleft was accurate in the light of the postnatal outcome. All US departments in our catchment area follow the Swedish guidelines and offer one routine US examination during the second trimester between 18 and 20 weeks of pregnancy. In addition, many of the clinics offer an additional US examination during the third trimester. Our detection rate is similar to previous findings. The detection rates and the accuracy of the prenatal diagnosis can be improved. To achieve this, an increased focus on detecting clefts, standardising scanning plans, and rescans in case of incomplete facial views, are essential.     

Upright,supine, or bipositional reflux

INTRODUCTION: This study was undertaken to determine if the body position in which gastroesophageal reflux occurs before fundoplication--i.e., pattern of reflux--affects symptoms before or after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication. METHODS: A total of 417 patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) underwent pH studies, and the severity of reflux in the upright and supine positions was determined. The percent time with pH less than 4 was used to assign patients to one of four groups: upright reflux (pH < 4 more than 8.3% of time in upright position, n = 80), supine reflux (pH < 4 more than 3.5% of time in supine position, n = 73), bipositional reflux (both supine and upright reflux, n = 163), or neither (n = 101). Before and after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication, the frequency and severity of symptoms of reflux (e.g., dysphagia, regurgitation, choking, heartburn, chest pain) were scored on a Likert scale (0 = never/not bothersome to 10 = always/very bothersome). For each patient, symptom scores before versus after fundoplication were compared using the Wilcoxon matched pairs test; comparisons of symptom scores among patients grouped by reflux patterns were made using Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: Before fundoplication, the patterns of reflux did not affect the frequency or severity of reflux symptoms. After laparoscopic fundoplication, all symptoms of bipositional reflux improved, and essentially all symptoms of isolated supine or upright reflux or neither improved. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperatively, regardless of the patterns of reflux, symptoms among patients were similar. After fundoplication, symptoms of GERD improved for all patterns of reflux. Laparoscopic fundoplication imparts dramatic and broad relief of symptoms of GERD, regardless of the patterns of reflux. Application of laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication is encouraged.     

A factorial, randomized trial of pentoxifylline or placebo, four-layer or single-layer compression, and knitted viscose or hydrocolloid dressings for venous ulcers

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the effectiveness of pentoxifylline, knitted viscose or hydrocolloid dressings, and single-layer or four-layer bandaging for venous ulceration. METHOD: A factorial randomized controlled trial with 24-week follow-up was conducted in leg ulcer clinics in Scotland with blinded allocation to pentoxifylline (1200 mg) or placebo, knitted viscose or hydrocolloid dressings, and single-layer or four-layer bandages. The study enrolled 245 adults with venous ulcers. The main outcome measure was time to complete healing. Secondary outcomes included proportions healed, withdrawals, and adverse events. Analysis was by intention to treat. RESULTS: There was no evidence of interaction between the drug, bandages, and dressings. Pentoxifylline was associated with nonsignificant increased ulcer healing (62% vs 53%; P = .21). Four-layer bandages were associated with significantly higher healing rates (67% vs 49%; P = .009). There was no difference in healing between knitted viscose and hydrocolloid dressings (58% and 57%; P = .88). Cox regression models increased the significance of the pentoxifylline effect (relative risk of healing, 1.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.0 to 2.0). CONCLUSIONS: Pentoxifylline increased the proportion healing compared with placebo to the same extent as shown in recent systematic reviews, although this finding was only statistically significant when a secondary adjusted analysis was conducted. Four-layer bandaging produced higher healing rates than single-layer bandaging. There was no difference in time to healing between knitted viscose and hydrocolloid dressings.     

Indomethacin,Amiloride, or Eplerenone for Treating Hypokalemia in Gitelman Syndrome

Patients with Gitelman syndrome (GS), an inherited salt-losing tubulopathy, are usually treated with potassium-sparing diuretics or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and oral potassium and magnesium supplementations. However, evidence supporting these treatment options is limited to case series studies. We designed an open-label, randomized, crossover study with blind end point evaluation to compare the efficacy and safety of 6-week treatments with one time daily 75 mg slow-release indomethacin, 150 mg eplerenone, or 20 mg amiloride added to constant potassium and magnesium supplementation in 30 patients with GS (individual participation: 48 weeks). Baseline plasma potassium concentration was 2.8±0.4 mmol/L and increased by 0.38 mmol/L (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.23 to 0.53; P<0.001) with indomethacin, 0.15 mmol/L (95% CI, 0.02 to 0.29; P=0.03) with eplerenone, and 0.19 mmol/L (95% CI, 0.05 to 0.33; P<0.01) with amiloride. Fifteen patients became normokalemic: six with indomethacin, three with eplerenone, and six with amiloride. Indomethacin significantly reduced eGFR and plasma renin concentration. Eplerenone and amiloride each increased plasma aldosterone by 3-fold and renin concentration slightly but did not significantly change eGFR. BP did not significantly change. Eight patients discontinued treatment early because of gastrointestinal intolerance to indomethacin (six patients) and hypotension with eplerenone (two patients). In conclusion, each drug increases plasma potassium concentration in patients with GS. Indomethacin was the most effective but can cause gastrointestinal intolerance and decreased eGFR. Amiloride and eplerenone have similar but lower efficacies and increase sodium depletion. The benefit/risk ratio of each drug should be carefully evaluated for each patient.     

Systemic toxicity and resuscitation in bupivacaine-, levobupivacaine-, or ropivacaine-infused rats

We compared the systemic toxicity of bupivacaine, levobupivacaine, and ropivacaine in anesthetized rats. We also compared the ability to resuscitate rats after lethal doses of these local anesthetics. Bupivacaine, levobupivacaine, or ropivacaine was infused at a rate of 2 mg. kg(-1). min(-1) while electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, and arterial pressure were continuously monitored. When asystole was recorded, drug infusion was stopped and a resuscitation sequence was begun. Epinephrine 0.01 mg/kg was administered at 1-min intervals while external cardiac compressions were applied. Resuscitation was considered successful when a systolic arterial pressure > or =100 mm Hg was achieved within 5 min. The cumulative doses of levobupivacaine and ropivacaine that produced seizures were similar and were larger than those of bupivacaine. The cumulative doses of levobupivacaine that produced dysrhythmias and asystole were smaller than the corresponding doses of ropivacaine, but they were larger than those of bupivacaine. The number of successful resuscitations did not differ among groups. However, a smaller dose of epinephrine was required in the Ropivacaine group than in the other groups. We conclude that the systemic toxicity of levobupivacaine is intermediate between that of ropivacaine and bupivacaine when administered at the same rate and that ropivacaine-induced cardiac arrest appears to be more susceptible to treatment than that induced by bupivacaine or levobupivacaine.     

Acquired phimosis, or preputial sclero-atrophic lichen in children

From 1979 to 1988, 8 cases of balanitis xerotica obliterans were histologically demonstrated in children at Nantes University Hospital. In 6 of these 8 patients, whose average age at the time of consultation was 9.4 years, the phimosis was obviously acquired or recurrent, and the prepuce was sclerous, thick, and produced a tight distal phimosis. One child coming to consultation for relapsing urinary infections at once presented with a long, tight stenosis of the anterior ureter, associated with a dilatation of the upstream ureter and a filiform stream of urine. All the children were circumcised, and the histological study of the specimen demonstrated characteristic lesions in the superficial derma. During the same operation, meatostomy was performed in two children presenting with meatal stenosis. Six of 8 children were followed up with an average time lapse of 6 months: one of them presented with an involvement of the glans penis and a moderate meatal stenosis, which disappeared spontaneously. No improvement occurred for the child presenting with an extensive stenosis of the anterior ureter, in spite of the local instillation of androgens then of corticoids, but his left kidney was dilated on sonograms. Balanitis xerotica obliterans in children is often not recognized and regarded as a common phimosis; it can be suspected because of the clinical features of the phimosis. The condition must be confirmed by the histological study of a circumcision specimen, then followed up regularly to prevent any risk of involvement of the glans, of the ureteral meatus or of the anterior ureter.     

Adopted children with cleft lip or palate, or both, require special needs cleft surgery

In recent years adoption of children with cleft lip, with or without cleft palate (CLP), and other birth defects has become more common. The aim of the present study was to describe the characteristics and initial care and treatment of adopted children with CLP. A total of 25 children were referred to our department between 2008 and 2010, 7 (28%) of whom had bilateral CLP and 16 (64%) had unilateral CLP. Two children had atypical clefts. Twenty of the patients (80%) had been operated on with a lip plasty in China before adoption. Most patients (n = 14) was seen by the cleft team within two months of arrival, and 13 were operated on within a month of the first visit at our department. In total, 22 primary palatoplasties, 6 lip plasties, and 1 lip adhesion were done. There were 5 fistulas (14%) three months after the palatoplasty. On arrival, 11 (44%) of the children were carriers of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Adoption of children with CLP creates new challenges for the cleft teams, as we no longer have control over the overall treatment plan as regards preoperative and surgical treatment and timing of the operations. The patients are also often carriers of resistant bacteria, which create nursing challenges. In cases where the child is older than a year and has not been operated on, we advocate that the palatoplasty, or combined lip plasty and palatoplasty, is always given priority so that speech development is not compromised.     

Muscle sense, or nonsense?

The hypothesis presented is that a muscle, transferred to a new area for purposes of recontouring or soft-tissue coverage, may be used also to provide sensibility. I hypothesize that the muscle's sensory end-organs, the muscle spindles, can be reinnervated by regenerating sensory afferent fibers from an adjacent cutaneous nerve. The muscle spindle's neural impulses, which normally pass to a subconscious level, would instead pass to the postcentral gyrus and reach conscious perception. A mechanism exists, therefore, by adding a sural or calcaneal nerve repair to the motor nerve of a muscle flap, transferred, for example, to the foot, to restore sensibility through microneurovascular transfer of a classic motor end-organ.