Cytogenetic and cryobiology of human cocultured embryos: A 3-year experience

Purpose Coculture, which allows good-quality human blastocysts with good yields to be obtained, has been designed mainly to select the best embryos for transfers.Methods In a first attempt during coculture, we have studied by fluorescent in situhybridization the chromosomic content of the in vitroblocked embryos, using centromeric probes for chromosomes 1, 12, and 18. Close to 37% of the arrested embryos show aneuploidymosaicism.Results Freezing cocultured blastocysts gives good recovery rates after transfer (83%). The ongoing pregnancy rates per transfer (19%) are high, and the implantation rate per embryo is 13%. This compares favorably with freezing at an early stage.Conclusions We observed that the quality of the endometrium is always the limiting step, as first of all we observed wide variations according to the hormonal preparation of the patients. Moreover the implantation per embryo in the pregnant patients is very high (57%), indicating that most of the losses are directly related to the receptivity of the endometrium.Presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Fertility Society, San Antonio, Texas, November 5–10, 1994.     

Wilmss' tumor: The northern israel oncology institute experience

Between 1971 and 1992, 42 children (median age = 2 years) with histologically proven Wilms' tumor were evaluated at the Northern Israel Oncology Institute. Most patients were staged according to National Wilms' Tumor Study (NWTS) criteria by which 18 were clinical stage I-II and 24 were III-IV. Combined therapy (surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy) was given with a change to lower dose radiotherapy (<2,000cG) after 1981. The pre-1981 group (13 patients) suffered six relapses, most of which were pulmonary, whereas the 1981-1992 group (29 patients) had three relapses. The actuarial 5-year survival rate using Kaplan-Meier tables was 79% for the entire group but 100% for the 1981-1992 group and 38% for the 1971-1980 group. One case of immediate hepatic toxicity and one sudden death, unknown cause, of a patient in remission occurred in the group. Late deleterious effects were seen in five other patients; four had scoliosis and one developed osteoid osteoma of a rib. Despite these encouraging results, the necessity of ongoing monitoring for further longterm toxicities is apparent.     

Amniotic band syndrome. Case report

Amniotic band syndrome is a rare fetal malformation involving limb ring strictions, cranio-facial and trunck abnormalities. The authors report a case of 5 months old infant with also facial cleft. The plastic reconstructive surgery leads to a better functional result. This affection represents a sporadic disease without genetic causes. The pregnancy ultrasonography visualise fetal abnormalities.     

Autologous fibrin tissue adhesive

Various methods of making fibrin tissue adhesive from a patient's own blood were evaluated. The method using ammonium sulfate for fibrinogen preparation produced the greatest bonding strength. The average bonding strength of the commercially manufactured adhesive and of the autologous fibrin tissue adhesive were compared at 10 minutes and 30 minutes after glucing together lxl cm samples of fresh human dura. Results indicate the commercial glue holding 57 gms/cm² at 10 minutes and 123 gms/cm² at 30 minutes, while autologous glue prepared with the “ammonium sulfate method” has a bonding strength of 41 gms/cm² at 10 minutes and 217 gms/cm² at 30 minutes.     

Ear myiasis. Two case reports

The authors report two cases of aural myiasis. This pathology rarity induced us to search after epidemiologic, clinic and therapeutic peculiarity of this parasitical disease.     

Costal hydatid cyst (report of 2 cases)

Hydatidosis is an endemic affection in our country. Hepatic and pulmonary localisation is the most frequent. The other localisation especially in the bone, are exceptional. We report 2 cases of costal hydatid diagnosed on 17 and 33 years old male patients admitted for parietal tumor respectively localized in cervix and thorax. The diagnosis, suspected on chest tomography is confirmed by histologic patterns of resected rib.     

Mullerian adenosarcoma of the uterus: report of a rare case and review of the literature

A rare case of Mullerian adenosarcoma of the uterus is described, found during diagnostic curettage. Panhysterectomy was performed. These rare tumors have a low potential for malignancy and are characterized by benign epithelial and malignant stromal elements. They should be distinguished from the highly malignant mixed Mullerian tumors which contain, by definition, both carcinomatous and sarcomatous elements. The literature on the subject has been reviewed.     

Radiological abnormalities of the skeleton in patients with sickle-cell anemia

The way in which bones are affected in cases of sickle-cell anemia is well known. Nevertheless, advances in treatment and in methods of transfusion mean that we are increasingly seeing cases of older patients with this disease. A retrospective analysis of 222 cases of sickle-cell anemia demonstrates the radiological appearance of the skeleton in the disease and reveals the various bone segments which are particularly vulnerable at certain periods of life. Correlation of X-rays permits the discovery of lesions which are not clinically apparent. The frequency and characteristics of epiphyseal osteonecrosis and osteitis are studied. Aggravation of the bone lesions when corticoids are administered poses the problem of differential diagnosis of the disease, especially in comparison with rheumatic fever.