Fetal echocardiography: accuracy and limitations in a population at high and low risk for heart defects.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to assess the accuracy of prenatal echocardiography in detecting congenital heart defects in patients at high and low risk for structural cardiac anomalies. STUDY DESIGN: Sixty-nine consecutive fetuses with congenital heart defects who had had prenatal ultrasonography at greater than or equal to 18 weeks' gestation were evaluated to determine the accuracy of prenatal ultrasonography in identifying structural cardiac defects. Thirty-nine patients were at high risk and 30 patients were at low risk for cardiac anomalies. All fetuses were scanned with standard four-chamber and outflow tract views. Data concerning extracardiac anomalies and karyotypic abnormalities were tabulated. The accuracy of the four-chamber view alone in identifying congenital heart defects was evaluated. RESULTS: Fifty-seven of 69 fetuses (83%) were prenatally identified ultrasonographically as having a heart defect. There was no difference in the sensitivity of detecting cardiac anomalies between high-risk and low-risk groups. When the four-chamber view was used, only 63% of fetuses were recognized as having an abnormal heart. Extracardiac anomalies were noted in 36% and karyotypic abnormalities in 17% of patients. CONCLUSION: The four-chamber and outflow tract views done routinely in an ultrasonography laboratory seeing a mixed population of patients was successful in detecting 83% of fetuses with structural cardiac malformations. Because 43% of the fetuses with heart defects were referred for low-risk indications, systematic ultrasonographic examination of the fetal heart should not be reserved only for those at high risk.     

Experience with the EndoPap device for the cytologic detection of uterine cancer and its precursors: a comparison of the EndoPap with fractional curettage or hysterectomy

Cytologic assessment of the endometrium with the EndoPap sampler was compared with curettage or hysterectomy in 249 women with symptoms. The sensitivities for the detection of primary corpus cancer and hyperplasia were 0.90 (59/66) and 0.58 (18/31), respectively. All six cases of atypical endometrial hyperplasia were detected by the EndoPap device. Malignant EndoPap cytologic findings were present in 4 of 10 patients with a primary adnexal malignancy and normal endometrial histologic findings. Ninety-two percent of primary uterine cervical cancers were detected by EndoPap cytologic sampling. The specificity for the cytologic diagnosis of benign conditions was 0.93. EndoPap cytologic sampling has a reasonably high sensitivity for the detection of uterine cancers and preinvasive endometrial lesions with a high risk of progression to carcinoma. Further evaluation as to its usefulness in a screening program for uterine and adnexal cancers in postmenopausal women should be considered.     

Liver disease in neonatal lupus erythematosus

We report the cases of neonatal lupus erythematosus associated with significant hepatic involvement in three living infants and in one infant who died 3 hours after delivery. The three living infants had neonatal cholestasis as a major component of their clinical findings. Pathologic changes included giant cell transformation, ductal obstruction, and extramedullary hematopoiesis. Liver involvement has been noted incidentally in children with neonatal lupus erythematosus, but it has generally been attributed to hemodynamic compromise as a result of congenital heart block or systemic toxic reactions. We speculate that neonatal hepatitis proceeding to hepatic fibrosis may occur in neonatal lupus erythematosus, analogous to the occurrence of "idiopathic" congenital heart block. The neonatal hepatitis associated with neonatal lupus erythematosus is a form distinguishable from the "idiopathic" group. Liver involvement may be more common than was previously recognized, and prospective studies to look for maternal autoantibodies in idiopathic neonatal liver disease should be undertaken.     

Radiological evidence of constipation in urinary tract infection

Little objective evidence has been published to support the claim that constipation is an important contributory factor in recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) in childhood. Using a radiological scoring system, two observers assessed faecal loading from abdominal radiographs of children with proved UTIs. There was a significant increase in the degree of faecal loading in children with UTI when compared with controls (r = 0.237). This difference was mainly accounted for by girls with recurrent (greater than five) UTIs. This study confirms an association between recurrent UTI and faecal loading. Further studies are needed to establish if there is a causal relationship and benefits from treatment.     

Sensory deficit and the risk of pedestrian injury.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between sensory deficit and the risk of child pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions. SETTING: The Auckland region of New Zealand. METHODS: A community based case-control study was conducted. Cases (n = 190) were all children (< 15 years) killed or hospitalised as a result of a pedestrian injury occurring on a public road between 1 January 1992 and 1 March 1994. Controls (n = 479) were a random sample of the child population. RESULTS: The risk of pedestrian injury for children whose parents reported abnormal vision was over four times that of children with reported normal vision (odds ratio = 4.25, 95% confidence interval 1.68 to 10.8). The risk of injury for children whose parents reported abnormal hearing was close to twice that of children with reported normal hearing (odds ratio = 1.73, 95% confidence interval 0.83 to 3.61). CONCLUSIONS: Children with sensory deficits constitute a high risk group for pedestrian injuries. Paediatricians caring for children with sensory impairments should be aware of this increased risk.