Unilateral haemorrhagic parenchymal lesions in the preterm infant: shape, site and prognosis

Rademaker KJ, Groenendaal F, Jansen GH, Eken P, de Vries LS. Unilateral haemorrhagic parenchymal lesions in the preterm infant: shape, site and prognosis. Acta Pædiatr 1994;83:602–8. Stockholm. ISSN 0803–5253 In a prospective cranial ultrasound study of 544 infants with a gestational age of 32 weeks or less, 20 (3.6%) infants were diagnosed as having a unilateral parenchymal lesion (PL). Based on the shape of the PL and the evolution on ultrasound, the infants were divided into three groups: group I consisted of 11 infants, in whom the PL was triangular/fan-shaped and separate from the ventricle. The PL evolved into small cystic lesions; group II comprised 3 infants who had a PL with a similar shape, but partially communicating with the ventricle; group III consisted of 6 infants who had a globular-shaped lesion in communication with the ventricle. In groups II and III, the PL evolved into one porcncephalic cyst. The PL was considered to be due to venous infarction in all cases with intraventricular haemorrhage preceding the PL in 7 cases. Sixteen infants survived. A postmortem was performed in 2 of the 4 infants who died, confirming the diagnosis of venous infarction. Neurologicdl sequelae were present in only 2 cases in the first group, while all 6 survivors of the other two groups developed mild to severe hemiplegia. Long-term follow-up was not always available and 4 of the 18 survivors were still less than 18 months when last seen. In 9 of the 11 infants in group I, the PL was localized in the frontoparietal region, while in 8 of the 9 infants in group II or III, the PL was beyond the trigone in the occipital region. The outcome of the unilateral PL is not always unfavourable. It was evident that not only the shape of the lesion and whether or not there was communication with the lateral ventricle, but also the site of the lesion (whether or not it extended into the occipital periventricular white matter) appeared to be important with regard to neurodevelopmental outcome.     

Ultrasonic features of pyogenic liver abscesses

Ultrasonic features of 21 surgically confirmed pyogenic liver abscesses in 18 patients were analyzed. Typical lesions were round or ovoid with a discrete, irregular, echo-poor margin. The number and intensity of internal echoes and sound transmission were variable. Such lesions can be aspirated percutaneously for definitive preoperative diagnosis. Pyogenic liver abscesses appear to have more ragged walls and are less frequently elliptical or multilocular than abscesses elsewhere in the abdomen.     

ENDOTHELIAL CELL CULTURE AND SEEDING OF PROSTHETIC VASCULAR GRAFTS: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Current synthetic vascular prostheses do not acquire lining of vascular endothelium in humans or dogs. Endothelial seeding of vascular grafts has been proposed as a means of reducing the thrombogenicity of these grafts. We examined feasibility of cultivating endothelial cells (EC) by tissue culture technique and their subsequent seeding onto small diameter polytetra fluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts. Twenty adult dogs underwent common carotid artery interposition with 4 mm PTFE grafts. Ten dogs received seeded and the remaining ten received unseeded grafts. Grafts were removed at 4 and 12 weeks and their gross/morphological features compared. Cumulative patency rates for seeded grafts were 70% as compared to unseeded ones 30%. Seeded grafts were completely surfaced with a mono-layer of endothelium by 4 weeks. Small graft patency appears to be related to the establishment of an endothelial surface, the development of which is clearly facilitated by seeding with autogenous endothelium.KEY WORDS: Endothelial cell seeding, Vascular grafts     

2-[对-(二甲氨基)苯乙烯]氯化甲基吡啶对大鼠心电图、豚鼠左心房收缩及乳头肌动作电位的影响

2-[对-(二甲氨基)苯乙烯]氯化甲基吡啶(DSPM-Cl),是由氯取代2-[对-(二甲氨基)苯乙烯]碘化甲基吡啶(DSPM)上的碘而得。本文应用心电图、机械收缩描记方法及细胞内标准微电极技术,研究DSPM-Cl对大鼠心电图(ECG)、豚鼠心房肌量效曲线及对豚鼠乳头肌快反应动作电位(AP)、高钾除极慢反应动作电位(SAP)的影响。结果显示,DSPM-Cl(2mg·kg^-1)对大鼠有明显的负性频率、负性传导作用,分别使PP间期、PR间期延长达66.2%(P<0.01),17.0%(P<0.01),50μmol·L^-1能明显抑制左心房收缩力,非竟争性拮抗Iso及CaCl₂对豚鼠左心房的正性肌力作用,PD^2'分别为4.6,4.34,100μmol·L^-1DSPM-Cl延长动作电位时程APD₉₀,有效不应期(ERP),降低高钾除极豚鼠乳头肌0期最大上升速率Vmax,其作用与Ver相似,提示DSPM-Cl可能为钙拮抗剂。