Chorionic villus sampling is frequently utilised in the Nottingham region as a means of early prenatal diagnosis of genetic problems. Its relative safety in the early antenatal period is well established but there has been some concern that perinatal mortality may be greater in the chorionic villus sampling group as compared to amniocentesis. We have in response studied our own data and report the obstetric outcome in 144 cases where the pregnancy has progressed beyond 28 weeks gestation. We have selected a procedure free control group matched for parity. We have found no significant difference in the perinatal outcome and obstetric performance and conclude that at this juncture we should continue to offer our services as chorionic villus sampling offers significant advantages in the first trimester over amniocentesis.

Asia-Oceania Journal of Obstetrics and GynaecologyVolume 18, Issue 1 p. i-i CONGRESSES/MEETINGS OF OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY First published: March 1992 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-0756.1992.tb00290.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume18, Issue1March 1992Pages i-i RelatedInformation

We assayed thymidylate synthase (TS) activity in normal and malignant gynecologic tissues. TS activity in the normal cervix, secretory endometrium, and ovaries from a total of 61 patients was 1.00 +/- 0.52 pmol/g tissue (mean +/- SD). Thus the upper limit (mean + 2SD) of TS activity in normal gynecologic tissue was 2.00 pmol/g tissue. TS activity was generally higher in malignant tissue than in normal tissue, and particularly high activity was detected in cervical cancer. TS activity in endometrial cancer was relatively low, but activity in poorly and moderately differentiated tumors was significantly elevated compared to well differentiated tumors. These findings suggest that cervical cancer is a highly proliferative tumor and that in endometrial cancer, cell proliferation is more rapid in poorly differentiated tumors than in well differentiated ones.

Heat stable and heat labile alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes were estimated in 162 healthy pregnant Nigerians between 10–26 weeks gestation. No significant association was found between the levels of these isoenzymes and maternal ABO blood groups. Eleven percent (11%) of these patients with apparently uncomplicated pregnancies had no detectable heat stable alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme even as late as 18 weeks gestational age. No association was identified between this non-secretor status and maternal ABO blood groups.

A retrospective case controlled study was carried out to study the neonatal characteristics, outcome and narcotic withdrawal syndrome in 51 neonates exposed to narcotic antenatally. The birth weight, head circumference and body length were significantly smaller in the study group while the incidence of prematurity (41%) and small-for-gestational age babies was increased (27.5%). Narcotic withdrawal occurred in 83% of narcotic exposed neonates. About half of them had onset of withdrawal symptoms within the first 24 hours. All of these newborns were treated by either phenobarbitone (45%), chlorpromazine (9.5%) or both (40.5%). The average duration of treatment was 15.7 days. There was one neonatal death due to in utero withdrawal and hypoxia, and another post-neonatal death due to sudden infant death. Neonatal jaundice, necrotising enterocolitis, clinical sepsis and congenital syphilis were more common in the drug-addicted group.

Various immune parameters, i.e., peripheral T and B cell distribution, T cell subpopulation, interleukin 2 (IL-2) activity and in vitro lymphocyte responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (Con A), were investigated in 24 pretreated patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and in 35 normal controls. Of the measured parameters, lymphocyte response to PHA was significantly lower in the CIN than control group (P less than 0.05). The values of all other measured parameters were similar in both groups.

The effects of the different parameters of the seminal plasma on the motility and viability of spermatozoa are investigated. The semen samples were taken from 40 patients, 20 of whom proved to be suffering from prostatic and 20 from seminal vesicles dysfunction. Another 20 seminal plasmas were obtained from known healthy men and were used as controls. A decrease in motility, (quantitative as well as qualitative), and viability of spermatozoa was observed in those patients with prostatic dysfunction. On the contrary, in those patients with dysfunction of the seminal vesicles, the quantitative motility as well as the viability were not affected.

The distribution of HLA A and B antigens was studied in 28 Chinese patients with gestational trophoblastic tumours in Hong Kong University Gynaecology Unit. There was an increased frequency of HLA B15 in patients with gestational trophoblastic tumours compared to the control population. There was no difference in HLA distribution between the high and low risk groups.

The number of ovarian cystadenoma of low potential malignancy (abbreviation: LPM) was 31 (5.7%) among common epithelial tumors [benign cystadenoma = 400 (74.0%), carcinoma = 110 (20.3%)]. Their mean ages, bilaterlity, frequency of ascites and nulligravidity were situated intermediately between those of benign cystadenoma and carcinoma. Abdominal tumor, distention, pain and metromenorrhagia were the main symptoms, although gastrointestinal complaints were rare in LPM cystadenoma. With LPM cystadenoma, 19 (61.3%) patients were at stage I, 7 (22.6%) at stage II and 5 (16.1%) at stage III, but with carcinoma, 44 (40.0%) were at stage III-IV [33 (30.0%) at stage I, and 31 (28.2%) at stage II]. The 5-year actuarial survival rate was 90% for LPM cystadenoma, but 43% for carcinoma. These results suggest that the clinical and biological features as well as the histological definition of LPM cystadenoma are situated intermediately between those of benign cystadenoma and carcinoma.

A study of the case fatality rate (CFR) for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) was conducted on 174 admissions to the Neonatal Special Care Unit at Yale Medical School in the United States. In most reports, mortality rate (MR) has been employed as a measure to predict the prognosis of RDS or/and evaluate the involving risk factors of the disease. For this purpose CFR seems a more practical index. The different implications between MR and CFR will be discussed. The risk factors such as sex, race and gestational age were reviewed. It was found that boys were not more vulnerable than girls, which differs with the traditional concept that boys are more susceptible to RDS. More importantly, RDS was apparently no longer a fatal disease when patients were born later than at 32 gestational weeks. Nine major complications relating to death in RDS patients were ranked according to the prognosis of the disease. Additionally, our study suggested that the recent advance of medical technology was likely to delay the death of RDS patients.