Infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), showed impaired body growth when compared to control infants. In terms of changes in the biochemical composition of the lung, BPD infants had higher DNA, soluble protein, collagen and desmosine contents as well as increased concentrations of DNA, collagen and desmosine in their lungs when compared to the growth patterns obtained for the lungs of control infants. Pathologically BPD was classified into 4 grades. Grade I BPD, was a phase of acute lung injury, grades II and III were proliferative phases. In grade IV BPD, lung structure returned towards normal. Evidence of fibrosis was seen by a significant increase in collagen concentration in grades II and III while desmosine concentration was seen to increase in grades III and IV suggesting that the increase in collagen and desmosine contents in the lungs of BPD infants may be controlled by two different mechanisms. Collagen type I/III ratio was seen to decrease progressively from grade II to grade IV BPD in comparison to age matched controls, indicating a higher proportion of type III collagen in the lungs of infants with BPD. From the clinical analysis and the results obtained from discriminant analysis procedure, it was seen that there was a high degree of correlation between the continuation of the disease and collagen accumulation in the lungs suggesting that pulmonary fibrosis with excessive collagen accumulation is an integral part of BPD. This fibrotic process seemed to correlate significantly with assisted ventilation and high oxygen supplementation received by the infants, but it was difficult to assess the individual contribution of the two treatments in the pathogenesis of BPD. Other variables such as severity of the initial disease and the length of survival of the infants, made the assessment of individual contribution much more difficult. / Medicine, Faculty of / Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Department of / Graduate

This study was designed to examine the hypothesis that the amount of amniotic fluid present during gestation is critical to normal lung growth and maturation. On day 16 of gestation the amniotic sacs of the right or left uterine horns of timed pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were punctured with a 20 gauge needle. The fetuses of the opposite horn served as controls. On day 21 of gestation (one day prior to natural delivery) the fetuses were delivered by Cesarean section. An unbalanced, mixed model analysis of variance was performed on the data collected from each fetus. Probability values of less than 0.05 between control and experimental animals were considered significant. Amniotic sac puncture resulted in a significant loss of amniotic fluid as indicated by reduced amniotic fluid volume on day 21. Experimental body weight was significantly reduced indicating fetal growth retardation. Lung growth was also retarded as indicated by significantly reduced lung weight to body weight ratios and lung volume to body weight ratios following amniotic sac puncture. There was a reduction in the amount of fluid present within the experimental lungs. There appeared to be no significant effect on the structural units of the lung as indicated by no significant difference between control and experimental fetal lungs in terms of cell number, cell size, total protein to body weight ratio, maturation of type II cells, volume fraction of saccular air, saccular wall, conducting air and nonparenchyma, airspace size, saccular surface area to body weight ratio and surface to volume ratio. Thus, loss of amniotic fluid significantly affected lung growth, more than it affected overall body growth, without having an effect on lung maturation. / Medicine, Faculty of / Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Department of / Graduate

OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo foi predizer o prognóstico perinatal em fetos com derrame pleural isolado por meio da medida do volume pulmonar estimado pela ultrassonografia tridimensional. MÉTODO: Estudo retrospectivo, entre julho de 2005 e julho de 2010, com 19 fetos com derrame pleural isolado (ausência de causas infecciosas, imunes, anomalias cromossômicas ou estruturais associadas) acompanhados no Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. Os volumes pulmonares foram obtidos pela ultrassonografia tridimensional (Voluson 730 Expert, GE Medical System, Kretzechnick, Áustria) em dois períodos, no momento do diagnóstico (20 26 semanas) e próximo ao parto (duas semanas antecedentes ao parto ou até 36 semanas), e mensurados pela técnica VOCAL (Virtual Organ Computer Aided Analysis) com rotação de 30º. Os volumes obtidos (observados) foram comparados com valores esperados para idade gestacional, e a razão entre o volume total fetal observado/esperado (VPTo/e) foi avaliada de acordo com a mortalidade perinatal e morbidade neonatal (necessidade de ventilação mecânica por mais que 48 horas). RESULTADOS: Dezenove fetos com derrame pleural isolado foram analisados no período do estudo. Doze (63,2%) crianças sobreviveram. Dos sobreviventes, sete (58,3%) apresentaram morbidade respiratória. O VPTo/e no primeiro exame ultrassonográfico não se associou significativamente com mortalidade (VPTo/e: 0,42±0,19 nos sobreviventes contra 0,30±0,08 nos não sobreviventes, p=0,11). No segundo exame, por outro lado, VPTo/e foi significativamente menor nos casos que faleceram (0,24±0,08) em relação aos sobrevivente (0,58±0,21; p<0,01) e nos que necessitaram de ventilação mecânica prolongada (0,35±0,08) comparados aos que não necessitaram (0,68±0,10; p<0.01). CONCLUSÃO: O volume pulmonar fetal medido pela ultrassonografia tridimensional pode ser utilizado para predizer o prognóstico de fetos com derrame pleural isolado. / OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to predict the perinatal outcome in isolated pleural effusion using fetal lung volumes assessed by three-dimensional ultrasonography. METHODS: A retrospective study conducted between July 2005 and July 2010, in which 19 fetuses with isolated pleural effusion (absence of infection, immunological causes, chromosomal anomalies and associated structural anomalies) at Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. Fetal lung volumes were assessed by three-dimensional ultrasonography (Voluson 730 Expert, GE Medical System, Kretzechnick, Áustria) in two periods: at diagnosis (20-26 weeks) and nears the delivery (2 weeks before delivery or at 36 weeks), by VOCAL technique (Virtual Organ Computer Aided Analysis) with rotation of 30o. The observed volumes were compared to expected values for determine gestational age, and the observed/expected total fetal lung volume ratio (o/e-TFLV) was evaluated according to perinatal death and neonatal morbidity (need for mechanical ventilation longer than 48 hours). RESULTS: A total of 19 fetuses with isolated pleural effusion were evaluated during the study period. Twelve (63.2%) infants survived. Among the survivors, seven (58.3%) had severe respiratory distress at birth. The o/e-TFLV at the first ultrasound examination was not associated statistically with mortality (o/e-TLFV: 0.42±0.19 in survivors x 0.30±0.08 among those that died, p=0.11). On the second ultrasound examination, on the other hand, the o/e-TFLV was significantly reduced in those cases that died (0.24±0.08) whilst in survivors (0.58±0.21; p<0.01) and in those that needed mechanical ventilation (0.35±0.08) when compared to those that did not need it (0.68±0.10; p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Fetal lung volumes measured by three-dimensional ultrasonography may be useful to predict perinatal outcome in fetuses with primary pleural effusion

OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo foi predizer o prognóstico perinatal em fetos com derrame pleural isolado por meio da medida do volume pulmonar estimado pela ultrassonografia tridimensional. MÉTODO: Estudo retrospectivo, entre julho de 2005 e julho de 2010, com 19 fetos com derrame pleural isolado (ausência de causas infecciosas, imunes, anomalias cromossômicas ou estruturais associadas) acompanhados no Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. Os volumes pulmonares foram obtidos pela ultrassonografia tridimensional (Voluson 730 Expert, GE Medical System, Kretzechnick, Áustria) em dois períodos, no momento do diagnóstico (20 26 semanas) e próximo ao parto (duas semanas antecedentes ao parto ou até 36 semanas), e mensurados pela técnica VOCAL (Virtual Organ Computer Aided Analysis) com rotação de 30º. Os volumes obtidos (observados) foram comparados com valores esperados para idade gestacional, e a razão entre o volume total fetal observado/esperado (VPTo/e) foi avaliada de acordo com a mortalidade perinatal e morbidade neonatal (necessidade de ventilação mecânica por mais que 48 horas). RESULTADOS: Dezenove fetos com derrame pleural isolado foram analisados no período do estudo. Doze (63,2%) crianças sobreviveram. Dos sobreviventes, sete (58,3%) apresentaram morbidade respiratória. O VPTo/e no primeiro exame ultrassonográfico não se associou significativamente com mortalidade (VPTo/e: 0,42±0,19 nos sobreviventes contra 0,30±0,08 nos não sobreviventes, p=0,11). No segundo exame, por outro lado, VPTo/e foi significativamente menor nos casos que faleceram (0,24±0,08) em relação aos sobrevivente (0,58±0,21; p<0,01) e nos que necessitaram de ventilação mecânica prolongada (0,35±0,08) comparados aos que não necessitaram (0,68±0,10; p<0.01). CONCLUSÃO: O volume pulmonar fetal medido pela ultrassonografia tridimensional pode ser utilizado para predizer o prognóstico de fetos com derrame pleural isolado. / OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to predict the perinatal outcome in isolated pleural effusion using fetal lung volumes assessed by three-dimensional ultrasonography. METHODS: A retrospective study conducted between July 2005 and July 2010, in which 19 fetuses with isolated pleural effusion (absence of infection, immunological causes, chromosomal anomalies and associated structural anomalies) at Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. Fetal lung volumes were assessed by three-dimensional ultrasonography (Voluson 730 Expert, GE Medical System, Kretzechnick, Áustria) in two periods: at diagnosis (20-26 weeks) and nears the delivery (2 weeks before delivery or at 36 weeks), by VOCAL technique (Virtual Organ Computer Aided Analysis) with rotation of 30o. The observed volumes were compared to expected values for determine gestational age, and the observed/expected total fetal lung volume ratio (o/e-TFLV) was evaluated according to perinatal death and neonatal morbidity (need for mechanical ventilation longer than 48 hours). RESULTS: A total of 19 fetuses with isolated pleural effusion were evaluated during the study period. Twelve (63.2%) infants survived. Among the survivors, seven (58.3%) had severe respiratory distress at birth. The o/e-TFLV at the first ultrasound examination was not associated statistically with mortality (o/e-TLFV: 0.42±0.19 in survivors x 0.30±0.08 among those that died, p=0.11). On the second ultrasound examination, on the other hand, the o/e-TFLV was significantly reduced in those cases that died (0.24±0.08) whilst in survivors (0.58±0.21; p<0.01) and in those that needed mechanical ventilation (0.35±0.08) when compared to those that did not need it (0.68±0.10; p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Fetal lung volumes measured by three-dimensional ultrasonography may be useful to predict perinatal outcome in fetuses with primary pleural effusion