Congenital anomalies associated with thoracic outlet syndrome. Anatomy, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

Personal evaluation of more than 2,300 patients for possible thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) and knowledge gained from 980 TOS operations in 766 patients (operative incidence of 33.7 per cent of the patients examined) have shown that most patients with TOS have anomalous fibrous muscular bands near the brachial plexus that predispose them to neurologic irritation or compression involving the plexus. Anatomic analysis during operations for TOS, plus cadaver dissections, have disclosed seven distinct types of fibromuscular bands in addition to the less frequent bony anomalies long associated with neurovascular compression. One third of fifty-eight cadaver thoracic outlets dissected showed at least one of the seven muscular anomalies recognized at operations. These anomalies can be accurately related to the patients' symptoms, which are neurologic complaints in 99 per cent of the patients examined who ultimately have the diagnosis of TOS established. Neurologic symptoms are clearly explained by the anomalous bands irritating or compressing the brachial plexus and rarely have any effect on the subclavian vessels. These studies, and others before, have shown no correlation with impairment of circulation or positional radial pulse changes in almost all patients with true TOS. Also, arteriograms and nerve conduction studies generally have failed to be of value in establishing the accurate diagnosis. Reasons for these conclusions are explained, and the most reliable tests are described. The most effective means of relief of severe symptoms of TOS is to alter the mechanical irritation or compression of the brachial plexus by completely resecting the first throacic rib and all anomalous fibromuscular tissue around the plexus and subclavian vessels. If patients are are throughly evaluated with appropriate tests and highly selected for surgical treatment, gratifying relief will result in more than 90 per cent of patients, if the correct operation is performed with meticulous technic.

Aggressive treatment of early fistula failure

BACKGROUND

Fistula failure has been classified as early and late. Early failure refers to those cases in which the arteriovenous (AV) fistula never develops to the point that it can be used or fails within the first 3 months of usage. It has been common practice to abandon these early failures; however, aggressive evaluation and treatment of early fistula failures has been shown to result in the salvage of a large percentage. The two most common causes of the failure seen at this time are juxta-anastomotic stenosis (JAS) and the presence of accessory veins. Both of these can be easily diagnosed by physical examination. This study reports the results of early fistula failure managed aggressively in an attempt at salvage.

METHODS

These studies were conducted in six freestanding outpatient interventional facilities in different regions of the United States. Interventional nephrologists are employed at all of these facilities except one that is operated by an interventional radiologist. Each patient was first evaluated angiographically to identify the anatomy of their AV fistula and detect abnormalities that might be present. Stenotic lesions were then treated with angioplasty and accessory veins thought to be significant were obliterated. All patients were then followed to determine if the fistula was usable for dialysis.

RESULTS

One hundred patients were identified that met the definition of early failure. Venous stenosis was present in 78% of these cases. In 43% of the cases, the lesion was in the JAS location. In 15%, this was the only lesion present. In 24%, it was associated with an accessory vein, in 6% with a proximal stenosis, and in 4% with both. A proximal stenosis lesion was present in the fistula in 36%. In 6%, it was associated with an accessory vein, in 6% with a JAS, and in 4% with both. The definition of arterial anastomosis stenosis was met in 38% of the cases. This was always in association with JAS. In four cases, a stenotic lesion was present in the artery above the anastomosis. An accessory vein was present in 46% of the cases. In 12% of the cases, this was the only lesion present. In 24% of the cases, this anomaly was associated with JAS, in 6% with proximal stenosis, and in 4% with both. Angioplasty was performed to treat venous stenosis in 72% of the cases with a 98% success rate. Angioplasty of the arterial anastomosis was performed in 38 cases with a 100% success rate. Accessory vein obliteration was performed in 46% of the patients with a 100% success rate. The overall complication rate in this series was 4%, of these 3% were minor and 1% were major. It was possible to initiate dialysis using the fistula in 92% of the cases. Actuarial life-table analysis showed that 84% were functional at 3 months, 72% at 6 months, and 68% at 12 months.

CONCLUSION

If correctable pathology is detected in patients with early fistula failure, the incidence of correctable lesions is relatively high and an aggressive therapeutic approach can be expected to have a high yield.

Congenital absence of the vagina. The Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome

We describe 14 patients with congenital absence of the vagina associated with a variable abnormality of the uterus and review the literature. Associated developmental anomalies of the urinary tract and skeleton are common. As a result of the analysis of two affected families, we believe that the disorder may represent the variable manifestation of a single underlying genetic defect that can be expressed alone or in any combination of vertebral, renal, and genital abnormalities. Some affected persons may have lethal manifestations such as absence of both kidneys, and some cases may result from multifactoral causes rather than a single gene defect. Whatever the cause, the defect involves mesodermal development and the mesonephric kidney, the latter resulting in abnormalities in the paramesonephros (uterus and vagina) and in the metanephric kidney. Both nonoperative and surgical treatments are generally successful in repairing the vaginal abnormality.

Classification of venous malformations in children and implications for sclerotherapy

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this work is to present a simple and descriptive classification system for venous malformations (VMs) that may serve as a basis for interventional therapy, and to test its usefulness in a sample of consecutively referred paediatric patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The classification system we developed includes four types: type I, isolated malformation without peripheral drainage; type II, malformation that drains into normal veins; type III, malformation that drains into dilated veins; and type IV, malformation that represents dysplastic venous ectasia. The system was prospectively tested using phlebography in a sample of 43 children and adolescents with VMs who were referred for treatment during a 10-month period. Our hypothesis was that the type of VM would determine whether low-risk sclerotherapy was indicated.

RESULTS

Thirteen (30%) patients had a type-I VM, 16 (37%) had a type-II, 9 (21%) had a type-III, and 5 (12%) had a type-IV malformation. In more than 90% of patients with a type-I or type-II lesion, sclerotherapy could be performed without any problems. In one third of patients with a type-III VM, sclerotherapy had to be withheld and one of nine (11%) developed a severe complication after therapy. Of the five patients with type-IV lesions, three (60%) had to be excluded from sclerotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Our initial results indicate that sclerotherapeutic intervention in patients with type-III and type-IV VMs must be carefully considered, while it can be safely performed in low-risk patients with type-I and type-II lesions.

Inpatient Hospitalization Costs Associated with Birth Defects Among Persons of All Ages - United States, 2013

In the United States, major structural or genetic birth defects affect approximately 3% of live births (1) and are responsible for 20% of infant deaths (2). Birth defects can affect persons across their lifespan and are the cause of significant lifelong disabilities. CDC used the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) 2013 National Inpatient Sample (NIS), a 20% stratified sample of discharges from nonfederal community hospitals, to estimate the annual cost of birth defect-associated hospitalizations in the United States, both for persons of all ages and by age group. Birth defect-associated hospitalizations had disproportionately high costs, accounting for 3.0% of all hospitalizations and 5.2% of total hospital costs. The estimated annual cost of birth defect-associated hospitalizations in the United States in 2013 was $22.9 billion. Estimates of the cost of birth defect-associated hospitalizations offer important information about the impact of birth defects among persons of all ages on the overall health care system and can be used to prioritize prevention, early detection, and care.

Reprogramming cells and tissue patterning via bioelectrical pathways: molecular mechanisms and biomedical opportunities

Transformative impact in regenerative medicine requires more than the reprogramming of individual cells: advances in repair strategies for birth defects or injuries, tumor normalization, and the construction of bioengineered organs and tissues all require the ability to control large-scale anatomical shape. Much recent work has focused on the transcriptional and biochemical regulation of cell behavior and morphogenesis. However, exciting new data reveal that bioelectrical properties of cells and their microenvironment exert a profound influence on cell differentiation, proliferation, and migration. Ion channels and pumps expressed in all cells, not just excitable nerve and muscle, establish resting potentials that vary across tissues and change with significant developmental events. Most importantly, the spatiotemporal gradients of these endogenous transmembrane voltage potentials (Vmem ) serve as instructive patterning cues for large-scale anatomy, providing organ identity, positional information, and prepattern template cues for morphogenesis. New genetic and pharmacological techniques for molecular modulation of bioelectric gradients in vivo have revealed the ability to initiate complex organogenesis, change tissue identity, and trigger regeneration of whole vertebrate appendages. A large segment of the spatial information processing that orchestrates individual cells' programs toward the anatomical needs of the host organism is electrical; this blurs the line between memory and decision-making in neural networks and morphogenesis in nonneural tissues. Advances in cracking this bioelectric code will enable the rational reprogramming of shape in whole tissues and organs, revolutionizing regenerative medicine, developmental biology, and synthetic bioengineering.

Committee Opinion No. 355: Vaginal Agenesis: Diagnosis, Management, and Routine Care

Vaginal agenesis occurs in 1 of every 4,000-10,000 females. The most common cause of vaginal agenesis is congenital absence of the uterus and vagina, which also is referred to as müllerian aplasia, müllerian agenesis, or Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome. The condition usually can be successfully managed nonsurgically with the use of successive dilators if it is correctly diagnosed and the patient is sufficiently motivated. Besides correct diagnosis, effective management also includes evaluation for associated congenital renal or other anomalies and careful psychologic preparation of the patient before any treatment or intervention. If surgery is preferred, a number of approaches are available; the most common is the Abbe-McIndoe operation. Women who have a history of müllerian agenesis and have created a functional vagina require routine gynecologic care and can be considered in a similar category to that of women without a cervix and thus annual cytologic screening for cancer may be considered unnecessary in this population.

Prevention and management of positional skull deformities in infants

Positional skull deformities may be present at birth or may develop during the first few months of life. Since the early 1990s, US pediatricians have seen an increase in the number of children with cranial asymmetry, particularly unilateral flattening of the occiput, likely attributable to parents following the American Academy of Pediatrics "Back to Sleep" positioning recommendations aimed at decreasing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Positional skull deformities are generally benign, reversible head-shape anomalies that do not require surgical intervention, as opposed to craniosynostosis, which can result in neurologic damage and progressive craniofacial distortion. Although associated with some risk of positional skull deformity, healthy young infants should be placed down for sleep on their backs. The practice of putting infants to sleep on their backs has been associated with a drastic decrease in the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome. Pediatricians need to be able to properly differentiate infants with benign skull deformities from those with craniosynostosis, educate parents on methods of proactively decreasing the likelihood of the development of occipital flattening, initiate appropriate management, and make referrals when necessary. This report provides guidance for the prevention, diagnosis, and management of positional skull deformity in an otherwise normal infant without evidence of associated anomalies, syndromes, or spinal disease.

Congenital defects among liveborn infants with Down syndrome

BACKGROUND

Many infants with Down syndrome (DS) have co-occurring congenital malformations requiring intensive surgical and medical management. To anticipate the care needed by these infants, providers and parents require accurate information about birth defects that may be present. This article uses a unique national hospital discharge dataset to identify the rate at which structural birth defects are identified among liveborn infants with DS.

METHODS

ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes for data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project were used to identify infants with and without DS, and to classify birth defects. The study population consisted of liveborn infants discharged from the hospital from 1993 through 2002. ORs for the association between the occurrence of congenital malformations and the presence of DS were computed using logistic regression models for survey data.

RESULTS

Discharge data included 11,372 DS and 7,884,209 non-DS births, representing national estimates of 43,463 DS and 39,716,469 non-DS births respectively. In addition to congenital heart defects that co-occurred most often in DS infants compared to infants without DS, the risks for gastrointestinal malformations (OR 67.07), genitourinary malformations (OR 3.62), orofacial malformations (OR 5.63), and abdominal wall malformations (OR 3.25) were also elevated in infants with DS. There was no difference in the risk of spina bifida between infants with and without DS.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first nationally representative compilation of the co-occurrence of congenital malformations associated with DS. This information may assist providers and parents in their attempts to understand and prepare for the true burden of this condition.

Perinatal hospice

When the prenatal diagnosis of a lethal fetal anomaly has been established, some patients choose to continue their pregnancy. Currently, there is a paucity of medical literature addressing the specific management of families in this unique circumstance. We propose a model of care that incorporates the strengths of prenatal diagnosis, perinatal grief management, and hospice care to address the needs of these families. We discuss the identification of candidates for this form of care; the multidisciplinary team approach; and the aspects of antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum care. Finally, we discuss some barriers that might need to be overcome when attempting to implement perinatal hospice care.

Radiofrequency-assisted balloon dilatation in patients with pulmonary valve atresia and an intact ventricular septum

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the efficacy and safety of transcatheter radiofrequency-assisted valve dilatation for infants with pulmonary valve atresia and intact ventricular septum as an alternative to the use of laser heated wires.

DESIGN

Prospective clinical study.

SETTING

Three paediatric cardiology centres.

PATIENTS

Four children (aged 5-101 days, weight 2.8 kg) with pulmonary valve atresia and intact ventricular septum underwent percutaneous radiofrequency-assisted valve dilatation.

METHODS

After delineating the atretic valve by angiography, 0.020 inch or 0.018 inch radiofrequency wires were used to perforate the atretic valve. The valve was then dilated with conventional balloon dilatation catheters up to the valve annulus diameter.

RESULTS

In all four cases the radiofrequency wire perforated the atretic pulmonary valve and balloon dilatation was successful. In one patient the radiofrequency wire also passed through the anterior wall of the pulmonary artery causing tamponade which required surgical repair shortly afterwards. This patient died from sepsis six days later. One patient died three weeks after the procedure from septicaemia and a paradoxical coronary embolus. Two patients were discharged after 4 and 14 days respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Radiofrequency-assisted valve dilatation is a promising alternative to the recently developed laser wire technique. The major advantages are a reduction in cost and improved safety for the staff performing the procedure.

Congenital spinal malformations

When presented with an animal that has a congenital spinal malformation, the veterinarian needs to consider the clinical significance of the malformation, the possible presence of other anomalies--spinal and nonspinal, the heritability of the malformation, and potentially innovative treatment options. This article includes explanations of the conditions and information regarding diagnosis and treatment of hemivertebrae and block vertebrae, malformations at the cranial-vertebral junction, osteocartilaginous exostoses, spinal bifida, and spinal stenosis.

Evaluation and treatment of familial globozoospermia in five brothers

OBJECTIVE

To document the pathology of five siblings with complete globozoospermia and to report the effectiveness of repeated intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment as therapy.

DESIGN

Case report.

SETTING

A tertiary center for assisted reproduction.

PATIENTS(S)

Five siblings with globozoospermia.

INTERVENTION(S)

Twenty cycles of repeated ICSI treatment. Detailed light and electron microscopy studies were performed on three of the globozoospermic brothers.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Clinical pregnancy and live birth after ICSI treatment.

RESULT(S)

Light and electron microscopy showed that all spermatozoa had round heads and no acrosome. Of 129 metaphase-II oocytes injected, 49 fertilized normally, giving an overall fertilization rate of 38% (range, 0-100%). No pregnancies resulted from 13 cycles in brothers 1-3. Brothers 4 and 5 had three pregnancies after seven ICSI cycles, with one live birth and two first-trimester losses.

CONCLUSION(S)

Despite variable fertilization rates, pregnancies and a live birth can be achieved after repeated ICSI treatment cycles in globozoospermic siblings. No apparent pattern was manifest that reflected the true pathology or determined the outcome of ICSI treatment.

Embolization of Peripheral Vascular Malformations with Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer (Onyx)

PURPOSE

To demonstrate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of endovascular embolization of peripheral congenital vascular malformations (VMs) with use of a nonadhesive liquid embolic agent, Onyx.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Nine patients with a mean age of 20.8 years had local low-flow (n = 4), local high-flow (n = 3), or diffuse high-flow (n = 2) VMs located in the upper or lower extremities. In all patients, endovascular embolization was performed via the superselective catheterization of arterial feeders of VMs with use of microcatheters in a coaxial technique. A total of 15 embolization procedures were performed with Onyx, which was composed of 6%, 8%, or 20% ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide.

RESULTS

In two of four patients with local low-flow VMs, the lesions were embolized completely. In the other two patients with local low-flow VMs, embolizations were incomplete. The remaining five high-flow lesions of local (n = 3) or diffuse (n = 2) types were also embolized incompletely. In all patients with local low-flow VMs and in one patient with a local high-flow VM, clinical signs and symptoms were resolved significantly. Other patients did show clinical benefit from embolization to varying degrees.

CONCLUSION

In our experience in a limited number of cases, Onyx promises and provides important advantages over conventional embolic agents in the endovascular transcatheter embolization of congenital peripheral VMs. However, as with other embolic agents, it is far from perfect.

Care of the infant of the diabetic mother

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) from all causes of diabetes is the most common medical complication of pregnancy and is increasing in incidence, particularly as type 2 diabetes continues to increase worldwide. Despite advances in perinatal care, infants of diabetic mothers (IDMs) remain at risk for a multitude of physiologic, metabolic, and congenital complications such as preterm birth, macrosomia, asphyxia, respiratory distress, hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia, hyperbilirubinemia, polycythemia and hyperviscosity, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and congenital anomalies, particularly of the central nervous system. Overt type 1 diabetes around conception produces marked risk of embryopathy (neural tube defects, cardiac defects, caudal regression syndrome), whereas later in gestation, severe and unstable type 1 maternal diabetes carries a higher risk of intrauterine growth restriction, asphyxia, and fetal death. IDMs born to mothers with type 2 diabetes are more commonly obese (macrosomic) with milder conditions of the common problems found in IDMs. IDMs from all causes of GDM also are predisposed to later-life risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Care of the IDM neonate needs to focus on ensuring adequate cardiorespiratory adaptation at birth, possible birth injuries, maintenance of normal glucose metabolism, and close observation for polycythemia, hyperbilirubinemia, and feeding intolerance.

Warfarin therapy in children who require long-term total parenteral nutrition

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether warfarin can be safely administered to children who require long-term total parenteral nutrition (TPN), for the purpose of preventing central venous access device (CVAD)-related thrombosis.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study was conducted of 8 children with short-gut syndrome or small intestinal anomalies. All patients received oral anticoagulant therapy (warfarin) managed by the hematology department at a tertiary pediatric center. Data collected included demographic details, nutritional intake, age, weight, history of deep vein thrombosis, number and functional duration of CVADs, warfarin requirements, and adverse event rates.

RESULTS

A total of 15.2 warfarin years were studied prospectively. The target therapeutic range was achieved 51.1% of time. The mean dose of warfarin required to achieve the target therapeutic range (international normalized ratio) of 2.0 to 3.0 was 0.33 mg/kg/d. The mean duration between warfarin monitoring tests was 6.6 days. The median vitamin K intake per patient was 0.367 mg/kg/d (range: 0.018-2.85 mg/kg/d). Before commencing anticoagulant therapy, the mean CVAD duration was 160.9 days. Concomitant warfarin therapy was associated with a mean CVAD duration of 351.7 days. There were no major bleeding events, and no clinical extension of thrombosis was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first published study to report uniform warfarin prophylaxis for CVADs in children. Warfarin therapy can be administered safely in children who require long-term TPN. Warfarin prophylaxis seems to prolong CVAD survival.

Clinical impact of balloon angioplasty for branch pulmonary arterial stenosis

The clinical impact of percutaneous balloon angioplasty on the management of patients with native or postoperative pulmonary arterial stenosis was reviewed. Seventy-four patients underwent 110 angioplasty procedures. Mean age at dilation was 6.7 +/- 5.3 years (range 0.2 to 18.1), 17 patients were aged less than 1 year, mean follow-up was 37.7 +/- 22.8 months (range 16 to 96), and 34 patients (44%) had follow-up angiography. Pulmonary artery dilation was acutely successful in 53% of patients, 17% had recurrent stenosis, and 5% had complications. The impact on subsequent care was favorably influenced in 26 of 74 patients (35%) with either complete resolution of stenosis (n = 7), optimizing future surgical conditions (n = 14), reduction in right ventricular pressure by greater than 20% (n = 3), or improvement of ipsilateral lung perfusion (n = 2). No patient previously considered inoperable was subsequently considered suitable for surgical repair owing to the intervention. No correlation was found between success and cardiac diagnosis (p = 0.48), site of stenosis (p = 0.78), balloon-vessel ratio (p = 0.42), or whether the stenotic area consisted of native or synthetic material (p = 0.22). No predictive factors for success could be defined, and often there was only a transient clinical impact. Due to the low complication risk and potential for a beneficial result, it still appears prudent to offer angioplasty as an initial therapeutic modality in this setting.

Death as an option in neonatal intensive care

Many paediatricians believe that there are circumstances in which infants should be allowed to die without having their lives prolonged by intensive care or surgery. During a four-year period, in a regional neonatal intensive-care unit, 75 infants were so seriously ill that withdrawal of treatment was discussed. 26 infants had severe acquired neurological damage, 26 had been born after extremely short gestation (25 weeks or less), and 23 had severe congenital abnormalities. The decision to withdraw treatment from a particular infant had to be unanimous among all the medical and nursing staff caring for that child and was based on a virtual certainty, not just of handicap, but of total incapacity--eg, microcephaly, spastic quadriplegia, and blindness. Of the 75 infants, the decision of the medical team was to withdraw treatment from 51. The parents of 47 infants accepted the decision and all these infants died. The parents of 4 infants chose continued intensive care, and 2 infants survived with disabilities. In the other 24 cases, the medical decision was to continue treatment. Of these, 17 survived and 7 died. When a thorough medical assessment had led to unanimous agreement among staff and parents that treatment should be withdrawn, its continuation on purely legal grounds is not justifiable.

Prenatal diagnosis and management of congenital defects of the anterior abdominal wall

Between the years 1980 and 1985, 25 cases of anterior abdominal wall defects were identified within the University of Toronto Perinatal Complex. There were 17 cases of omphalocele and eight cases of gastroschisis. Associated anomalies were found in 71% of infants with omphalocele and 50% with gastroschisis. They were the major cause of neonatal death. Prematurity was the second most common cause of death. The neonatal death rate was 59% in omphalocele and 38% in gastroschisis; the prematurity rates were 53% and 50%, respectively. In omphalocele, there was a 47% cesarean section rate, with a 50% neonatal death rate. Vaginal delivery was associated with a 67% death rate. In gastroschisis, there was a 50% cesarean section rate, with a 50% neonatal death rate. Vaginal delivery was associated with a 25% death rate. There is no evidence that cesarean section offers improved neonatal survival.

Newborn screening expands: recommendations for pediatricians and medical homes--implications for the system

Advances in newborn screening technology, coupled with recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of rare but serious congenital conditions that affect newborn infants, provide increased opportunities for positively affecting the lives of children and their families. These advantages also pose new challenges to primary care pediatricians, both educationally and in response to the management of affected infants. Primary care pediatricians require immediate access to clinical and diagnostic information and guidance and have a proactive role to play in supporting the performance of the newborn screening system. Primary care pediatricians must develop office policies and procedures to ensure that newborn screening is conducted and that results are transmitted to them in a timely fashion; they must also develop strategies to use should these systems fail. In addition, collaboration with local, state, and national partners is essential for promoting actions and policies that will optimize the function of the newborn screening systems and ensure that families receive the full benefit of them.

Randomised controlled trial of breast shells and Hoffman's exercises for inverted and non-protractile nipples

OBJECTIVE

To determine the value of recommending breast shells or Hoffman's exercises, or both, to pregnant women with inverted or non-protractile nipples who intend to breast feed.

DESIGN

Randomised controlled trial with a two treatment by two level factorial design.

SETTING

Antenatal clinics in a district general hospital and the community.

SUBJECTS

96 nulliparous women recruited between 25 and 35 completed weeks in a singleton pregnancy with at least one inverted or non-protractile nipple.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Anatomical change of nipples, judged blindly before first breast feeding, and success of breast feeding reported by postal questionnaire six weeks postnatally.

RESULTS

Sustained improvement in nipple anatomy was more common in the untreated groups but the differences were not significant (52% (25/48) shells v 60% (29/48) no shells; difference -8% (95% confidence interval -28% to 11%) and 54% (26/48) exercises v 58% (28/48) no exercises; -4% (-24% to 16%)). 24 (50%) women not recommended shells and 14 (29%) recommended shells (21%; 40% to 2%) were breast feeding six weeks after delivery (p = 0.05), reflecting more women recommended shells both deciding to bottle feed before delivery and discontinuing breast feeding. The same number of women in exercise and no exercise groups were successfully breast feeding (0%; -20% to 20%). 13% of women approached about the trial (and planning to breast feed) did not attempt breast feeding.

CONCLUSIONS

Recommending nipple preparation with breast shells may reduce the chances of successful breast feeding. While there is no clear evidence that the treatments offered are effective antenatal nipple examination should be abandoned.

Nonoperative management of pectus carinatum

BACKGROUND

Although surgery has been the mainstay of treatment of chondrogladiolar pectus carinatum (PC), several authors have advocated the benefits of nonoperative approaches to induce chest wall remodeling. Based on our initial success with compression bracing, we have integrated this modality into our treatment algorithm.

METHOD

We reviewed the charts of all patients treated for PC at our pediatric hospital between 1997 and 2004. Patients were managed with observation, operative repair, and orthotic bracing that provides continuous anteroposterior sternal compression. The brace was worn for 14 to 16 hours per day until linear growth was complete or for a minimum of 2 years.

RESULTS

One hundred patients were diagnosed with PC. Fifty-seven patients had no treatment and were monitored. Twenty-nine patients were fitted with a brace. Of these 29 patients, 3 were noncompliant, resulting in a compliance rate of 90%. Of the remaining brace patients, all have had positive outcomes with no observed complications. Seventeen patients underwent surgical repair. Their outcomes were also positive with no major complications.

CONCLUSION

Our findings clearly demonstrate that compression bracing is a safe and effective treatment for children with chondrogladiolar PC. We currently offer this approach as a first-line treatment, reserving surgery for patients who are noncompliant and those who fail the nonoperative modality.

Medical management of congenital portosystemic shunts in 27 dogs--a retrospective study

Case records of 27 dogs with medically managed congenital portosystemic shunts were reviewed. Fourteen were followed up by telephone questionnaires to the owners. Age, breed, sex, clinical signs and blood results were similar to previous studies. Weight and quality of life were stable or improved on treatment in all cases. Total serum protein concentration and alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities fell significantly during treatment. Fourteen dogs were euthanased, four were lost to follow-up and nine remained alive. Mean survival time for the dogs euthanased was 9.9 months. Mean follow-up period for the dogs still alive was 56.9 months and all had survived more than 36 months from diagnosis. Surviving dogs with intrahepatic shunts had a significantly shorter follow-up period than dogs with extrahepatic shunts. Two prognostic indicators were identified, age at initial signs and blood urea concentration on presentation, both correlating with survival time. It was demonstrated that a significant proportion of dogs with portosystemic shunts managed medically have a good prognosis.