Comparison of chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis: Current status of prenatal diagnosis in Japan

Data were tabulated and compared for cases involving prenatal diagnostic procedures performed in the 8 years between January 1985 and December 1992. Of a total of 2781 pregnancies, 2546 cases (91·5 per cent) were diagnosed by amniocentesis, and 235 (8·5 per cent) by chorionic villus sampling (CVS). These findings reflect the fact that amniocentesis has taken deep root as the prenatal diagnostic procedure widely acknowledged by society, whereas even the existence of CVS has yet to be generally recognized. Analysis of our clinical and laboratory results and complication rates, however, suggests that CVS is a safe and accurate alternative to amniocentesis which should and can be positively presented to all patients who are candidates for prenatal diagnosis.     

Malachite green in synthetic medium for the isolation ofFusarium spp. from plant tissues

The Science of Nature -     

Prenatal diagnosis of a fetus with partial monosomy 7(q34→qter) and partial trisomy 18(q21→qter)

Ultrasound examination of a 31-year-old woman at 27 weeks' gestation revealed fetal growth retardation, a bilateral cleft lip and palate, and the absence of median cerebral structures. Chromosome analysis after cordocentesis showed an abnormal karyotype with a structural abnormality of the long arm of chromosome 7: 46,XX,—7,+der(7), t(7;18) (q34;q21.3)mat. The pregnancy was terminated at week 29. The ultrasound findings were confirmed by post-mortem examination, which also revealed a semilobar holoprosencephaly.     

A prospective study of spontaneous miscarriage in ultrasonically normal pregnancies and relevance to chorion villus sampling

A total of 1068 patients were examined by ultrasound to ensure normality of pregnancy and followed prospectively from booking until 28 weeks. The spontaneous miscarriage rate was 2.7 per cent occuring within the first 16 weeks. Threatened miscarriage was associated with a 38 per cent fetal loss. Miscarriage was less likely as pregnancy advanced. The reduction in subsequent miscarriage rate before 11 weeks and from 11 weeks onwards is statistically significant (p<0.001). Gravidity, maternal age and a history of previous fetal loss did not contribute significantly to the miscarriage rate. Patients with a history of fetal loss were more likely to experience a threatened miscarriage. The relevance of these findings to chorion villus sampling is discussed.     

A normal 46,XX infant with a 46,XX/ 69.XXY placenta: A major contribution to the placenta is from a resorbed twin

A predominantly triploid 69,XXY placenta was found associated with a normal 46,XX infant. Therefore, a triploid placenta is apparently capable of supporting normal fetal development. The chromosome and pathological results support the conclusion that the triploid placenta originates from a ‘vanishing twin’ pregnancy. This case is unusual in that persistence of the placenta from the vanished twin has virtually replaced most of the normal placenta.     

Combined effects of two sulfonylurea herbicides on soil microbial biomass and N-mineralization

ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＡｇｒｏｃｈｅｍｉｃａｌｓｈａｖｅｂｅｅｎａｃｔｅｄａｖｅｒｙｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔｒｏｌｅｉｎａｇｒｉｃｕｌｔｕｒａｌｐｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎ .Ｆｏｒａｖｏｉｄｉｎｇｄａｍａｇｅｏｆｃｒｏｐｓ,ｍａｎｙｋｉｎｄｓｏｆｐｅｓｔｉｃｉｄｅｓａｒｅａｐｐｌｉｅｄｆｏｒｔｈｅｒｅａｓｏｎｏｆｉｎｓｅｃｔ,ｄｉｓｅａｓｅｓａｎｄｗｅｅｄｃｏｎｔｒｏｌｉｎＣｈｉｎａ .Ｓｃｉｅｎｔｉｓｔｓｈａｖｅｄｏｎｅａｌｏｔｏｆｗｏｒｋｏｎｔｈｅｆａｔｅａｎｄｍｅｔａｂｏｌｉｓｍｏｆｐｅｓｔｉｃｉｄｅｓ,…     

Ultrasound evaluation of pregnancies at risk for homozygous α-thalassaemia-1

Twenty-six pregnant Chinese women who were at risk of giving birth to a fetus affected with homozygous α-thalassaemia-1 were examined serially by ultrasound. Six of these 26 pregnancies were affected. In one third of the affected pregnancies progressive fetal ascites appeared before 24 weeks gestation and these pregnancies were terminated. In the remaining two thirds abnormal estimated fetal weight-placental volume (EFW-PV) ratio and fetal growth retardation as evidenced by a falling biparietal diameter (BPD), femur length (FL) but a normal abdominal circumference (AC) was apparent by 28 weeks gestation. Increased transverse cardiac (TC) diameter was another consistent finding but appeared late. All these features appeared before the onset of fetal ascites. A normal EFW-PV ratio and fetal growth until 28 weeks gestation was a reassuring sign of normality. Abnormal EFW-PV ratio was the earliest sign to appear in affected pregnancies and a normal ratio until 28 weeks gestation had a 100 per cent predictive value.     

Mesoscale meteorological modelling for Hong Kong-application of the MC2 model

ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＴｈｉｓｐａｐｅｒｃｏｎｃｅｒｎｓｔｈｅａｄａｐｔａｔｉｏｎａｎｄａｐｐｌｉｃａｔｉｏｎｏｆａｍｅｓｏｓｃａｌｅｍｅｔｅｏｒｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌｍｏｄｅｌｆｏｒｇｅｎｅｒａｔｉｎｇｔｈｅｗｉｎｄｆｉｅｌｄｓａｎｄｏｔｈｅｒｍｅｔｅｏｒｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌｐａｒａｍｅｔｅｒｓｆｏｒｆｕｔｕｒｅｓｔｕｄｉｅｓｏｆａｉｒｐｏｌｌｕｔｉｏｎｉｎｔｈｅｃｏｍｐｌｅｘｔｅｒｒａｉｎｏｆＨｏｎｇＫｏｎｇＳｐｅｃｉａｌＡｄｍｉｎｉｓｔｒａｔｉｖｅＲｅｇｉｏｎ (ＨＫＳＡＲ) .Ｔｈｅｍａｉｎａｒｅａ…