Tehran University Medical Journal

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Infections are significant causes of mortality and long term morbidity in neonates especially in developing countries. Temporal and geographic differences in the relative frequencies of various neonatal pathogenes are well recognized. The outcome of neonatal infections can be improved if appropriate antimicrobial agents are promptly administered. In this report microorganisms of neonatal sepsis and susceptibility to various antimicrobials is determined.

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In this study, chromosome analyses were performed on 70 infertile Azoospermic and Oligospermic (<20 million/ml) men, and also cultures of peripheral blood lymphocytes by high resolution banding method were analysed as well. It is revealed 8 (11.43 percent) men with chromosomal abnormality. There were 31.4 percent patients with azoospermia and 68.6 percent with oligospermia from several thousands to 20×10^6 million/ml and their duration of infertility was at least 2 years. All patients with numerical chromosome anomalies had azoospermia and the most frequent anomaly was 47, XXY chromosomal constitution (klinfelter's syndrome), found in 8.57 percent of patients. We found that chromosomal anomalies found in this study were sex chromosome anomalies and an increased rate of numerical chromosomal abnormalities was among men with azoospermia. As a conclusion, we suggest that all men with azoospermia be considered for cytogenetical evaluation.

 

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Introduction: Thyroid diseases are one of the most common endocrine diseases. Incidence of thyroid diseases in women is ten times more than men. Menstrual irregularities and fertility is occasionally the first sign of thyroid diseases.

Materials and methods: In a prospective study, 325 thyroid patients were evaluated in Emam hospital. Incidence and type of menstrual irregularities were evaluated in these patients.

Results: 55.8 percent of hypothyroid patients had normal pattern ob bleeding. 44.2 hyper thyroid patients had menstrual irregularities which were in the form of oligomenorrhea and 41.7 percents of hypo-thyroid patients were irregular in the form of polymenorrhea, oligomenorrhea and menorrhagia.

Conclusion: In these patients, menstrual irregularities cured by treatment of thyroid diseases and reduced surgical interventions.

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Background: Kernicterus, also known as bilirubin encephalopathy, is a neurologic syndrome resulting from the deposition of unconjugated bilirubin in the basal ganglia and brainstem nuclei. Indirect bilirubin is toxic for brain. Neurologic dysfunction (BIND) that include acute phase (hyperbilirubin encephalopathy) and chronic phase (Kernicterus) resulting from hyperbilirubinemia and disruption of blood brain barrier. In this study, the association between bilirubin encephalopathy and risk factors was evaluated.
Methods: In this retrospective study, 312 icteric neonates were admitted in the neonatal ward of Children's Hospital, Medical Center, Tehran, and 305 of these cases were evaluated. Patient histories were taken and physical examinations were performed. For each patient, the age, sex, birth weight, time of discharge from the hospital and risk factors were recorded, and a questionnaire was completed.
Results: In this study, of the 305 icteric neonates evaluated, 25 cases had kernicterus. Risk factors included acidosis, prematurity, hemolysis, hypoglycemia, sepsis, respiratory distress, low birth weight, ABO incompatibility and G6PD deficiency. The mean level of bilirubin in cases of kernicterus was 32 mg/dl and in the others was 20 mg/dl (p=0.001). Kernicterus was most common among high risk neonates (p<0.001). Birth weight less than 2,500 gm was also an important factor (p=0.04).
Conclusion: High-risk neonates need prompt treatment for hyperbilirubinemia compared to low risk neonates.

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Background: ABO incompatibility hemolytic disease of the newborn is a common cause of clinical jaundice and causes two-thirds of the hemolytic disease in newborns. This study was undertaken to determine the frequency of ABO incompatibility hemolytic disease and its complications in newborns undergoing exchange transfusion.

Methods: This prospective and descriptive study was performed in jaundiced newborn infants during a three-year period. Inclusion criteria were: maternal blood type O, newborn blood type A or B, rising indirect hyperbilirubinemia in the first two days of life, positive immunohematologic test for newborns and exchange transfusion. Exclusion criteria were: incomplete information, other accompanying diseases that induce hyperbilirubinemia. All newborn infants received phototherapy before and after exchange transfusion. We did not use intravenous immunoglobulin, hemoxygenase inhibitor drugs and blood products before exchange transfusion.

Results: Double-volume exchange transfusion via umbilical cord catheter was performed in 96 patients, 19 (20%) of whom suffered from ABO incompatibility. Of these 19 newborns, two-thirds (13) were preterm infants. The minimum level of serum bilirubin was 10 mg/dl and the maximum serum bilirubin level was 35 mg/dl. In six patients (32%) serum bilirubin levels were >25mg/dl. The most common blood group was type A for newborns. Immunohematologic tests were positive in 84% of the mothers. ABO incompatibility hemolytic disease was the fourth and second most common reasons for blood exchange transfusion in preterm and term infants, respectively. Laboratory complications were more common than clinical complications. The etiology of 48% of the alloimmunization and 42% of the hemolytic disease in these newborns was ABO incompatibility.

Conclusions: Mothers with blood group O and newborns with blood group A or B with positive immunohematologic tests in first hours of life are at high risk for hemolytic disease. Therefore, in this high-risk group, further therapy including prophylactic phototherapy, intravenous immunoglobulin and intramuscular protoporphyrins are necessary to prevent severe jaundice and decrease the need for exchange transfusion.

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Background: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence, severity, and risk factors for diabetic retinopathy in diabetic cases admitted for non-ocular diabetic complications and to investigate the association between retinopathy and these complications.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 84 diabetic patients admitted to our university-affiliated hospital for non-ocular diabetic complications were fully evaluated for proliferative and nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy. Cases of nonproliferative retinopathy (NPDR) were graded as microaneurysm, mild, moderate or severe. To determine the association of retinopathy with the complications that caused hospitalization, statistical analysis was performed using SPSS ver. 11.5.

Results: The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among our cases was 77.4% (65 patients), with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) present in 23 patients (35.4% of the retinopathy cases). Diabetic retinopathy was higher in patients who had been hospitalized for nephropathy than in patients with diabetic foot and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA, p=0.001), and higher in those hospitalized for diabetic foot than for DKA (p=0.008). Among the 35 patients who had nephropathy and retinopathy, 16 subjects (45.7%) had PDR, and the other 19 subjects had NPDR. Twenty-seven patients had diabetic foot and retinopathy, six (22.7%) of whom had PDR, and 21 (77.8%) had NPDR. Factors significantly related to the occurrence of diabetic retinopathy were type 2 diabetes, presence of hypertension, elevated serum levels of creatinine, duration of diabetes and coexisting nephropathy or diabetic foot (all with p values <0.05). In the logistic regression model, diabetic duration had a slight association with PDR (p=0.06).

Conclusion: Our data suggest that diabetic retinopathy in our patients is common, especially in patients with nephropathy. In addition to glycemic control, lowering of serum cholesterol and triglycerides as well as blood pressure may be effective in lowering the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy.