Neural tube defects Health Dictionary

When a viral infection such as a cold causes blockage of the eustachian tube, equalization cannot occur, resulting in severe pain and temporary impairment of hearing. A person with a blocked eustachian tube who is subjected to rapid pressure changes may suffer from barotrauma. Glue ear or chronic otitis media may occur if the tube is blocked, preventing adequate drainage from the middle ear. These conditions, which often result in partial hearing loss are more common in children. This is partly because their adenoids are larger and more likely to cause a blockage if they become infected and partly because children’s eustachhian tubes are shorter than those of adults.... eustachian tube

The tube opens into the uterus at one end, and the other end, which is divided into fimbriae (finger-like projections), lies close to the ovary. The tube has muscular walls lined by cells with cilia (hair-like projections). The fimbriae take up the egg after it is expelled from the ovary. The beating cilia and muscular contractions propel the egg towards the uterus. After intercourse, sperm swim up the fallopian tube from the uterus. The lining of the tube and its secretions sustain the egg and sperm, encouraging fertilization, and nourish the egg until it reaches the uterus.

Salpingitis is inflammation of the fallopian tube, usually the result of a sexually transmitted bacterial infection, that can lead to infertility.

An ectopic pregnancy (development of an embryo outside the uterus) most commonly occurs in the fallopian tube.... fallopian tube

Limb defects are rare and may be inherited or form part of a syndrome.

In a condition called phocomelia, hands, feet, or tiny finger- or toe-buds are attached to limb stumps or grow directly from the trunk.

The sedative drug thalidomide, when taken by pregnant women, is known to have caused phocomelia in fetuses.... limb defects

A T-shaped rubber tube is inserted into the bile duct during the surgery.

A week or so later, contrast medium is inserted into the tube and X-rays are taken.... t-tube cholangiography

There are different forms of spina bifida. In spina bifida occulta, the only defect is a failure of the fusion of the bony arches behind the spinal cord, which may not cause any problems. When the bone defect is more extensive, there may be a meningocele, a protrusion of the meninges, or a myelomeningocele, a malformation of the spinal cord. Myelomeningocele is likely to cause severe handicap, with paralysis of the legs, loss of sensation in the lower body, hydrocephalus, and paralysis of the anus and bladder, causing incontinence. Associated problems include cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and mental handicap.

Surgery is usually performed a few days after birth. In mild cases, the defect can usually be corrected, but in myelomeningocele, some handicap will remain.

Genetic factors play a part in neural tube defects, which show multifactorial inheritance. Couples who have had an affected child or who have a family history of neural tube defects should seek genetic counselling. The risk of a neural tube defect occurring can be substantially reduced if the mother takes folic acid supplements for a month before conception and during the early part of the pregnancy.

Ultrasound scanning and amniocentesis allow accurate antenatal testing for neural tube defects.... neural tube defect

s... ryle’s tube