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Both, an analysis of the variation of the electromyographic signal with respect to the acceleration endured by flying personnel and an ergonomic evaluation of pilot activity, have been achieved. The authors show then the inadequacy of the muscular response to the high Gz with rapid on set and its functional incompatibility to provide simultaneously a correct bearning contraction and a good mobility of neck. Consequently, the authors propose an instruction of flying personnel about these risks and they determine a specific muscular training.

Proteus syndrome is difficult to diagnose owing to its low incidence and to the late recognition of its identity, due to polymorphous border diseases and to the polymorphous lesions which characterize. The authors report a prenatal diagnosis of abdominal and pelvic cystic lymphangioma as part of proteus syndrome.

The authors report their experience with fine needle chorionic villus sampling carried out transabdominally. Six hundred antenatal karyotype diagnoses were made using this method. The indications were: maternal age: 509 (85%), previous chromosomal abnormalities: 57 (9.5%), parental chromosomal abnormalities: 19 (3%), X chromosome linked diseases: 9 (1.5%), others: 6 (1%). The patients were divided into two groups according as to whether the test was carried out before or after 12 weeks of amenorrhea (Group 1 and Group 2). Each group was divided into two sub-groups according to whether the amniotic membranes were broken or not. The test was carried out using a 20 gauge needle under ultrasound control with a to-and-fro movement using continuous aspiration. The success rate was 98.4%. Minor complications were rare. Contractions 9 (1.5%), spotting 4 (0.6%), small haematomas 13 (2.1%), loss of amniotic fluid 4 (0.6%). The level of unintentional abortions depended on the duration of the pregnancy and whether the amniotic cavity or not was entered. In group 1 (before or at 12 weak amenorrhea) there were 2 abortions out of 124 cases (1.6%) and if the needle entered the amniotic cavity 10 out of 57 cases (17.5%). In group 2 (after 12 weeks of amenorrhea) there was no ill effect from going into the amniotic cavity to the rest of the pregnancy. The abortion rates was 6 out of 419 (1.43%). There were no false positive or negative results.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The pathological features in a case of craniorachischisis with incomplete twinning (diprosopus) are reported. The female fetus was born to a 27-year-old gravida 6, para 3 healthy woman who underwent a medical abortion at 13 week's gestation because of an anencephaly revealed by ultrasound examination. The head showed two fused faces with two mouths, two noses, two lateral completely formed eyes and two medially fused eyes covered by cutaneous tissue. X-ray examination demonstrated the symmetrically doubled spinal column. The brain and the spinal cord were absent (craniorachischisis). The larynx and the oesophagus, the other viscera and the limbs were normal in number, location and morphology as for a female singleton. This case with others from the literature, illustrates the relationship between conjoined twinning, neural tube defects (more particularly anencephaly) and female zygote and constitutes a real entity.

A turkish family with three sibs (including twins) affected by the lethal multiple syndrome is reported.

In 42 cases, fetal abnormalities were diagnosed by obstetric ultrasonography and the pregnancy was terminated. The malformations included: anencephaly (22), severe hydrocephaly (4, one with a spina bifida), encephalocele and meningocele (2) amniotic band syndrome (4; a correct prenatal diagnosis was performed during the second trimester in two cases), major anterior abdominal wall defects (2), Pena-Shokeir syndrome type I? (I), severe renal abnormalities (2), conjoined twins, dicephalus type (2), cystic hygroma and hydrops fetalis (2), osteogenesis imperfecta, type II (I). Thus, there were 23 fetuses with a polygenetically determined status; five fetuses could be affected by an autosomal recessive disorder.

Fetal cardiac biometry was conducted in the TM mode, after real time anatomical outlining of the plane of the four cardiac cavities, on 48 recordings of supposedly normal pregnancies of 23 to 39 weeks of amenorrhoea. Ten measurements were made for each patient, in an immediately subvalvular plane perpendicular to the septum (dimensions of the two ventricular cavities, of the wall of the two ventricles, and of the septum, in diastole and systole respectively). Functional results derived from this data showed that the difference between diastolic and systolic values for ventricular diameters increased with term, the ratio of the diastolic diameter of the right ventricle (RV) to that of the left ventricle (LV) was a constant: 1.23 +/- 0.12, and the size of the RV was always superior to that of the LV (+ + +). Alson noted was that percentage shortening of the LV was superior to that of the RV, and mean percentage thickenings of the RV and septum were inferior to that of the LV. A further observation was that interpretation of the kinetic of the septum requires precise knowledge of the plane of the section in relation to "the pivot point".

A multicentric investigation concerning intestinal atresia diagnosed in french university hospitals from 1979 to 1983, has been done. Out of 96 exploitable cases coming from 8 centers, 28 correspond to intestinal atresias which had subject to prenatal echographic diagnosis: that is 29%. 15 of the 96 atresias were affected with trisomy. 21 which had not been recognised in utero. Concerning the isolated duodenal atresia, not accompanied by any other malformation, the post surgical evolution has been appreciated during the 12 months following the surgical operation. There was no statistically significant difference, in favour of the group of children whose malformation has been recognised in utero, concerning the number of post surgical complications. This result, apparently deceitful, can be explained by the early management of these malformations in specialised centers which have participated in this study.