Perfil metabólico de vacas Holandês e mestiças Holandês x Jersey no periparto

RESUMO O objetivo do presente trabalho foi determinar e comparar o perfil metabólico de vacas Holandês (H) e mestiças Holandês x Jersey (HxJ) no periparto. Avaliaram-se 24 vacas, sendo 11 vacas Holandês e 13 mestiças Holandês x Jersey. Semanalmente, coletou-se sangue para a determinação das concentrações séricas de glicose, beta-hidroxibutirato (BHB), proteína total, albumina, aspartato aminotransferase (AST), creatinoquinase (CK), cálcio total, cálcio iônico, magnésio, fósforo inorgânico e colesterol. Avaliou-se também o peso vivo e o escore de condição corporal (ECC). Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância com medidas repetidas no tempo. As vacas Holandês apresentaram maior peso vivo. Não houve diferença entre os grupamentos genéticos para ECC. Foi observada tendência de maiores concentrações séricas de BHB, AST e maior concentração de cálcio iônico em vacas mestiças Holandês x Jersey. Vacas mestiças Holandês x Jersey e Holandês apresentaram perfil energético similar durante o período de transição pré e pós-parto na maioria dos indicadores, com exceção do cálcio, que foi maior nas vacas mestiças, e do fósforo, que foi superior nas vacas Holandês.

Rendimento industrial, eficiência de fabricação e características físico-químicas de queijo colonial produzido de leite com dois níveis de células somáticas

RESUMO Com base em dois níveis de contagem de células somáticas (CCS) do leite utilizado como matéria-prima, determinou-se influência no rendimento e na eficiência de fabricação do queijo colonial, em escala industrial. Os dois níveis de CCS foram formados do leite captado pela indústria, baixa CCS (<500.000 células/mL) e alta CCS (≥500.000 células/mL), sendo produzidos sete lotes de queijo para cada nível. O rendimento foi avaliado com rendimento simples (litros de leite/kg de queijo produzido) e rendimento seco (litros de leite/kg de sólidos totais de queijo produzido). A eficiência de fabricação do queijo foi avaliada por meio das perdas de sólidos no soro de queijo. Mediante análises multivariadas, demonstrou-se a relação entre altas CCS e a diminuição no rendimento simples e seco de queijo colonial, que apresentou também menor eficiência de fabricação, sem alterar a composição do queijo. Além disso, determinaram-se dados relativos às características físico-químicas de queijo colonial, o qual ainda não possui um regulamento técnico de identidade e qualidade. Conclui-se que a qualidade do leite tem influência direta na produção dos queijos e que, ao utilizar matéria-prima com alta CCS, a indústria assume os prejuízos do menor rendimento e da menor eficiência de fabricação dos queijos coloniais.

[Diagnostic imaging of acute leukemia in childhood. Description of 5 cases with unusual onset]

The authors, after reviewing the main features of the so called "leukemic osteopathy", remark how the natural history of leukoses has changed thanks to progress in both diagnosis and treatment. Indeed, the condition is now diagnosed early and its remission is quick. Thus, the cases with X-ray-evident bone involvement are quite uncommon: hence the need to use, at AL onset, imaging techniques which are more sensitive to bone marrow changes. To this purpose, MR imaging has proved a valuable technique which can demonstrate even the early stages of pathologic conditions affecting bone marrow.

[Blocked transcolostomy colonography in the identification of anorectal malformations]

The study of anorectal malformations has considerably improved over the last years also thanks to the use of such diagnostic techniques as CT and MR imaging, which allow a better knowledge of perineal region anatomy and the demonstration of the development of sphincteric structures. The most important diagnostic phase for the identification of anorectal malformations consists in the detection of rectal fistulas. The authors report on their experience with barred water-soluble contrast enema in the study of anorectal anomalies. Over 2 years, 23 patients with anorectal malformations (10 males and 13 females) previously submitted to colostomy, were studied with this method. Fistulas were detected in 21 cases; in the extant 2 patients (both females affected with Down syndrome), no fistulas were detected, not even at surgery, which was posterior sagittal anorectoplasty according to Peña-De Vries. In our experience, the most frequent anomalies were recto-bulbo-urethral fistula in males and low recto-vaginal fistula in females. The authors suggest the use of this method as a routine diagnostic examination, because of its proven reliability.

Rare primary cranial vault and base of the skull tumors in children. Report of 30 cases with a short literature review

Twenty-six cases of rare primary cranial vault tumors are reported, together with 4 cases of primary tumors of the base of the skull and 3 cases of monostotic cranial neuroblastoma. Whereas some rare primary cranial vault tumors may present with characteristic radiographic patterns (e.g. hemangioma, aneurysmal bone cyst, osteoma, progonoma), most of them can be recognised only after histology. The most frequent tumor in the region of previous irradiation is osteosarcoma. The only "common" primary bone tumor of the base of the skull is chordoma. The radiological differential diagnosis of primary tumors of the skull vault and base is discussed.

Primary sacral bone tumours in children (report of 16 cases with a short literature review)

16 cases of primary sacral bone tumours in children are reported. These include 13 patients with Ewing's sarcoma and 3 with very rare primary sacral bone tumours in childhood--chordoma, haemangiopericytoma and osteoblastoma. All sacral bone tumours, with the exception of Ewing's sarcoma are very rare in childhood. The possibility of a sacral tumour should be considered in a child with radiculopathy. CT and MR make the diagnosis of primary sacral bone tumours much easier with the added possibility of recognition of the true nature of the lesion in many instances. Reports of primary sacral bone tumours in children are scarce. Most of the patients are incorporated in adult series which do not specify the age of the child and the site of the tumour. The purpose of this paper is to describe 16 children with primary sacral bone tumours.

A new syndrome with cerebro-oculo-skeletal-renal involvement

We report on an infant male who presented with microcephaly of prenatal onset, schizencephaly, decorticated disturbance of the neurological function, congenital optic atrophy, abnormal eye movements and nystagmus. In addition, he had a skeletal dysplasia with predominant acromelic involvement and a renal disease characterized by both nephritic and nephrotic changes. The natural history of his condition included severe postnatal failure to thrive, lack of development of psychomotor milestones, intractable seizures, terminal renal insufficiency with early death. Such spectrum of phenotypic abnormalities has never been reported before and we suggest that it may represent a new syndromic entity. The differential diagnosis with the oculo-skeletal-renal syndromes, with the osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism of the Taybi-Linder type and with the Hutterite cerebro-osteo-nephrodysplasia, is discussed.

[Current role of CT in pediatric ophthalmology]

In spite of the recent and substantial improvements in MR technique, some problems still exist relative to its applications in routine clinical exams in pediatric ophthalmology. The main problems are: inadequate MR equipment, long examination time, and MR inability to demonstrate intraocular calcifications. Ocular and orbital ultrasound (US) studies are highly operator-dependent, and US utility has been especially described in evaluating ocular, but not orbital, lesions. In order to verify the actual role of CT in pediatric ophthalmology, the CT scans of 58 children with ophthalmologic pathologies, performed over a 2-year period, were reviewed and compared with definitive diagnoses. Seven separate CT findings for each pathologic condition were independently analyzed and correlated with histology. In agreement with other CT series, optic nerve gliomas were invariably intraconal, whereas histiocytosis-X, Ewing's sarcoma, olfactory neuroblastoma (esthesioneuroblastoma), metastatic neuroblastoma and nephroblastoma were extra-conal. Rhabdomyosarcoma, principally extraconal, frequently involved the intraconal and preseptal spaces, with permeative destruction of the osseous orbit and frequent intra/extracranial spread. Orbital spread was mainly observed in vascular tumors. CT showed great accuracy in evaluating punctuate calcifications in retinoblastomas and in metastatic neuroblastomas, and bone fragments within a zone of destruction in histiocytosis-X. Various characteristics of CT attenuation values were observed in pathologic tissues, and high attenuation and marked contrast enhancement were particularly observed in metastatic neuroblastomas and rhabdomyosarcomas. In congenital orbital abnormalities and inflammatory diseases, CT readily detected ocular malformations (microphthalmos and colobomata).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Rare, primary iliac, pubic and ischial tumours in children (report of 14 cases)--Part II

14 cases of rare, primary iliac, pubic and ischial bone tumours or tumorous conditions are reported. These include aneurysmal bone cyst, eosinophilic granuloma, cavernous haemangioma, osteoid osteoma, fibrous dysplasia, fibrous dysplasia with sarcomatous degeneration, chondrosarcoma, lymphoma and atypical malignant histiocytosis. The possibilities to be considered in the accurate radiographic recognition of primary tumours of iliac, pelvic and ischial bones are discussed.

Primary bone tumours of the pelvis in childhood--Ewing's sarcoma of the ilium, pubis and ischium (report of 30 cases). (Part I)

30 children with Ewing's sarcoma, the most common malignant pelvic tumour in childhood, were analysed. The diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma is relatively easy and can be established in most of the cases on plain radiography. The diagnostic radiographic features of the tumour are discussed. The two most important conditions in differential diagnosis are eosinophilic granuloma and the rare primary bone lymphoma. Osteomyelitis should rarely cause confusion unless the clinico-radiographic findings are not properly evaluated.

[Importance of computerized tomography in the early diagnosis of Bourneville's tuberous sclerosis]

CT findings in a series of 23 cases of tuberous sclerosis are presented. The great importance of CT screening for the early diagnosis of this disease and the opportunity of CT follow-up of subependymal nodules, for their high malignant potential are underlined.

[The use of 3-dimensional CT reconstruction in childhood. Technics and dosimetry]

A new computer method has been developed that allows the reprocessing of standard CT scans to produce 3D surface images. We employed the 3D reconstruction program developed by Hitachi Medical System using an Ansaldo A-TOM XR 1200 scanner. The process requires only standard CT scanner hardware, and reconstruction time is comparable to that of sagittal and coronal reconstructions. The applications of this technique and methodology to pediatric patients are discussed. In order to assess the relationship between image quality and radiation dose, we performed many CT scans with different protocols. A skull was employed for phantom, and plunged into a physiological solution, which helped us to determine the radiation exposure dose from every single CT scan. The measurements were taken with film and thermoluminescent crystal dosimeters (TLD). The results confirm that low-dose techniques allow a significant reduction in the total exposure. The authors discuss the clinical indications and the eventual applications of these techniques.

Vascular rings and slings. Diagnosis and surgical treatment of 49 patients

Forty-nine infants with symptomatic vascular rings and slings, ranging in age from 20 days to 12 months, required surgical intervention between 1973 and 1984. The following anomalies were present in our patients: double aortic arch with left descending aorta (14), double aortic arch with right descending aorta (6), anomalous innominate artery (13), right aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian artery (4), left aortic arch with aberrant right subclavian artery (10), aberrant left pulmonary artery (pulmonary sling) (2). All the babies had symptoms related to compression of the trachea and/or esophagus. Four patients required temporary tracheostomy in the early postoperative period; 1 patient, affected by a pulmonary sling, required tracheal resection and anastomosis, for severe tracheomalacia. There was one hospital death in a patient with severe tracheal compression from an anomalous innominate artery and brain damage as a result of metabolic problems. Forty-eight patients survived and follow-up ranged from 3 months to 11 years. For each type of vascular anomaly encountered, and based on personal experience, we have outlined a diagnostic scheme allowing an accurate morphological definition and a subsequent surgical procedure.

[Laryngeal plasmacytoma. Observations on a clinical case]

Extramedullary solitary plasmocytoma (E.S.P.) is an undoubtedly rare neoplasm for the head and neck areas and even more for the larynx. The Authors take a case observed by them as a starting point for remarking its symptomatology and unforeseable development as well as various and unsteady histopathology. Afterwards they dwell upon the differential diagnosis with the multiple myeloma and the plasmacell granuloma. Such diagnosis is mainly suggested by the histopathological investigation with the support of clinical, blood and radiologic tests. The preferential treatment and the need of a long-term and careful follow-up are the suggested.

[Cockayne syndrome. 3 cases]

Three cases of Cockayne's syndrome, observed in patients aged 10, 5 and 1 years are reported and discussed; skeletal X-ray findings are illustrated and analysed.