David Chitayat

Prenatal diagnosis of asplenia/polysplenia syndrome

Complex congenital heart disease with atrioventricular block was detected prenatally in two fetuses at 34 and 28 weeks gestation. The spleen was not seen on ultrasonographic examination in either fetus, suggesting polysplenia/asplenia syndrome. Both infants died shortly after delivery and the autopsies confirmed this diagnosis. Recommendations for sonographic screening of the fetal spleen in cases of prenatal detection of complex heart disease or cardiac dysrhythmia are discussed.

Perinatal and first year follow‐up of patients with Prader‐Willi syndrome: normal size of hands and feet

Four patients with Prader‐Willi syndrome, diagnosed in the neonatal period and followed during the first year of life, are reported. There were three males and one female. All four patients presented with hypotonia and distinct craniofacial dysmorphism. Prometaphase chromosome analysis showed interstitial deletion of 15q in all of them. The placentae and umbilical cords were examined in three of the patients and found normal. Electromyography done in the neonatal period suggested primary myopathy. Height, weight and head circumference were normal at birth in all patients. Hand and foot measurements showed normal size at birth and during the first year of life.

Cold-induced abortion in paramyotonia congenita

Paramyotonia congenita is a rare autosomal dominant disorder with complete penetrance. Its most typical clinical feature is the precipitation of active myotonia by exposure to cold. We report a case of cold-induced abortion in a woman with paramyotonia congenita.