Rachischisis can develop in conjunction with anencephaly, increasing the amount of area that is exposed. Although these conditions closely resemble one another, cases of rachischisis are morphologically different from cases of anencephaly, so they are indeed two separate conditions. Rachischisis is also a contributing factor to the onset of iniencephaly – a condition in which the spine is malformed. Further abnormalities such as rib malformations can occur with rachischisis. Stomach deformities can also develop with rachischisis. Risk factors
If a sibling of the fetus has been affected by rachischisis, there is increased risk that another child will develop the condition. There is also a slightly higher chance that females will develop the condition over males.Folate deficiency is also a well-accepted risk factor of all neural tube defects, including rachischisis. It is this reason that has caused many health policies regarding folic acid during pregnancy to be developed. Diagnosis
Initial diagnosis is typically by ultrasonography to reveal any congenital abnormalities. Fetuses affected typically show cranial abnormalities and deformities in brain tissue as well as spinal abnormalities. Following ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is commonly used to confirm the diagnosis. The presence of rachischisis is indicated in imaging by the absence of an arch-cranial line.Other neural tube defect diagnostic tools such as assays of α-fetoprotein or acetylcholinesterase may also be helpful in determining any other conditions that can lead to development of rachischisis. Classification
Rachischisis occurs most commonly in utero during the development of the child.
The treatment was considered successful if the participant maintained low-levels (less than 50 copies/mL) of HIV RNA in their blood for at least 48 weeks. In these studies, 91% of subjects with HIV-1 who took the dolutegravir/lamivudine combination no longer had detectable levels of HIV (i.e. they had fewer than 50 copies per ml) after 48 weeks compared with 93% of those who were taking the triple combination. In neither study was there a case of resistance to treatment after 48 weeks. References
External links
"Dolutegravir". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine. "Lamivudine". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine.