FAS

Fetal alcohol syndrome.

clinical features- facial dysmorphology,growth retardation,mental deficiency/emotional instability.

anatomic findings-microcephaly,epicanthal folds,short palpebral fissure,maxillary hypoplasia,thin upper lips,micrognathia,poorly developed philtrum,septal defects of heart.

IQ below 85

short memory spans,impulsiveness,emotional instability.







(pic from wikipedia.)

Folic Acid

Folic acid have been shown to reduce the incidence of neural tube defects by lowering plasma levels of homocysteine.
Homocysteine is a teratogen for CNS and heart.
women with reduced activity of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase exhibit elevated levels of homocystein and are at risk for bearing children with neural tube and other birth defects.

false positive syphilis in SLE

why do patients with SLE have positive VDRL and RPR tests for syphilis?

40-50% SLE patients have anti-phospholipid antibodies,which often reach with cardiolipin antigen used as reagent in serologic test for syphilis. the cross-reactivity cause false positive syphilis test in SLE patients.