title: Cryosurgery of the fetal ductus arteriosus.
abstract: The effects of cryosurgical treatment of the fetal ductus arteriosus (DA) on the structure and function of the neonatal DA are assessed for the first time. A cryosurgical probe, cooled with nitrous oxide, was used to freeze the wall of the DA in 5 fetal lambs. Six fetal lambs were used as control animals. After birth, all the cryosurgically treated lambs had a patent DA whereas all the control lambs had a closed DA. Only the cryosurgically treated group had these histologic findings: calcific deposits, necrosis, and focal ganglion cell necrosis in the outer one third to two thirds of the media with a decrease or loss of muscle cells and elastic fibers. This study suggests the feasibility of developing a cryosurgical approach for maintaining patency of the DA.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004373:Ductus Arteriosus / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004374:Ductus Arteriosus, Patent / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D012756:Sheep