BACKGROUND: The process of vascular development is essential for shaping complex craniofacial structures. Investigating the interplay between vascular development and orofacial morphogenesis holds critical importance in clinical practice and contributes to advancing our comprehension of (vascular) developmental biology. New insights into specific vascular developmental pathways will have far-reaching implications across various medical disciplines, enhancing clinical understanding, refining surgical techniques, and elucidating the origins of congenital abnormalities. Embryonic development of the craniofacial vasculature remains, however, under-exposed in the current literature. We imaged and created 3-dimensional (D) reconstructed images of the craniofacial arterial system from two early-stage human embryonic samples.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the vascular development of the craniofacial region in early-stage human embryos, with a focus on understanding the interplay between vascular development and orofacial morphogenesis.
METHODS: Reconstructions (3-D) were generated from high-resolution diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT) images, enabling visualization of the orofacial arterial system in human embryonic samples of Carnegie stages (CS) 14 and 18 from the Dutch Fetal Biobank, corresponding to weeks 7 and 8.5 of gestation.
RESULTS: From two human embryonic samples (ages CS 14 and 18), the vascular development of the orofacial region at two different stages of development was successfully stained with B-Lugol and imaged using a micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scanner with resolutions of 2.5-μm and 9-μm voxel sizes, respectively. Additionally, educational 3-D reconstructions of the orofacial vascular system were generated using AMIRA 2021.2 software.
CONCLUSIONS: Micro-CT imaging is an effective strategy for high-resolution visualization of vascular development of the orofacial region in human embryonic samples. The generated interactive 3-D educational models facilitate better understanding of the development of orofacial structures.

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The flow path of vertebrate hearts has a looped configuration characterized by curved (sigmoid) and twisted (chiral) components. The looped heart design is phylogenetically conserved among vertebrates and is thought to represent a significant determinant of cardiac pumping function. It evolves during the embryonic period of development by a process called \"cardiac looping\". During the past decades, remarkable progress has been made in the uncovering of genetic, molecular, and biophysical factors contributing to cardiac looping. Our present knowledge of the functional consequences of cardiac looping lags behind this impressive progress. This article provides an overview and discussion of the currently available information on looped heart design and its implications for the pumping function. It is emphasized that: (1) looping seems to improve the pumping efficiency of the valveless embryonic heart. (2) bilaterally asymmetric (chiral) looping plays a central role in determining the alignment and separation of the pulmonary and systemic flow paths in the multi-chambered heart of tetrapods. (3) chiral looping is not needed for efficient pumping of the two-chambered hearts of fish. (4) it is the sigmoid curving of the flow path that may improve the pumping efficiency of lower as well as higher vertebrate hearts.

The purpose of this review is to present a comprehensive overview of the literature published up to February 2024 on the PubMed database regarding the development of mitral valve disease, with detailed reference to mitral valve prolapse, from embryology to a genetic profile. Out of the 3291 publications that deal with mitral valve embryology, 215 refer to mitral valve genetics and 83 were selected for further analysis. After reviewing these data, we advocate for the importance of a gene-based therapy that should be available soon, to prevent or treat non-invasively the valvular degeneration.

Embryology is an essential component to understanding human anatomy. It requires an in-depth understanding of 3D knowledge but is primarily taught with 2-dimensional resources. In particular, the development of the human heart is a complex process and difficult to understand using traditional teaching methods. We present here a series of heart embryology models created to supplement embryology education and aid students in understanding this complex process. Using Polydoh moldable plastic, models representing six different critical steps in heart formation are described, including: the fusing of the heart tubes (days 21-23), beginning of the cardiac loop (early day 23), fully formed cardiac loop (late day 23), four-week heart, formation of the endocardial cushions and septi (late fourth week), and heart with fully formed septi with functioning foramen ovale (sixth week). These models not only improve embryology education but also the understanding of heart pathologies. This method provides an affordable option for embryology education and provides students with learning tools that assist with the comprehension of the development of a complex organ.

The effect of lengthened incubation periods on embryonic development, especially vestigial structures, is poorly understood. An example of which is the avesuchian vomeronasal organ (VNO), a nasal chemosensory organ found in many tetrapods but absent in adult avesuchians (crocodilians and birds) in whom it is presumed to be a transitory fetal structure. The Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) has an incubation period of their eggs of about 65 days. This incubation period is twice that of domestic fowl, wherein a putative VNO has been documented as an epithelial thickening. The purpose of this study is to document the development of a putative VNO in the albatross. Serial histological sections of nine albatross embryonic heads, across 6 stages (representing days 19 to 32: stages 31-39), were examined. A paired putative VNO was present as a short, tubular structure in the anterodorsal aspect on either side of the nasal septum from stage 32 onwards, getting steadily longer in later specimens. At the earliest stages, the epithelial walls of the tube resemble a neuroepithelium, but then becomes thinner and simpler in morphology. Based on our available age range, it is unclear whether it persists as a rudimentary structure (like that of the human) or if it is a transitory structure (like in chickens) in these mid embryonic stages. Though future studies must determine the fate of the Laysan albatross VNO (e.g., is it retained postnatally?), the role of incubation period length on embryonic development is a bigger question to be explored.

UNASSIGNED: Prior literature has described an association between preeclampsia and offspring congenital heart disease (CHD), while suggesting there may be a stronger relationship in individuals with early preeclampsia.
UNASSIGNED: The authors sought to explore the relationship between offspring CHD and preeclampsia among pregnancies in a population-based study.
UNASSIGNED: Retrospective cohort study all singleton pregnancies delivered in the state of California 2000 to 2012. We included singleton births with gestational ages of 23 to 42 weeks and excluded pregnancies complicated by pre-existing diabetes or identified fetal chromosomal anomalies. We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate ORs for associations between offspring CHD and preeclampsia. Further subanalyses examined the relationships in deliveries <34 weeks and >34 weeks to analyze if there was a difference according to timing of preeclampsia development.
UNASSIGNED: Preeclampsia was strongly associated with offspring CHD (aOR: 1.38; 99% CI: 1.29-1.49) in the same pregnancy. Among patients with preeclampsia in the index pregnancy, there was an increased risk of fetal CHD in the subsequent pregnancy (aOR: 1.39; 99% CI: 1.20-1.61). Among patients with offspring CHD in the index pregnancy, there was an increased risk of preeclampsia in the subsequent pregnancy (aOR: 1.39; 99% CI: 1.15-1.68). In all 3 analyses, results remained significant when stratified by <34 weeks and ≥34 weeks.
UNASSIGNED: Our findings suggest a need for further investigation into the etiology of preeclampsia and its relationship to embryologic development of cardiovascular structures.

The Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) is a sort of unique tumour due to its combined peculiar histological features and clinical behaviour, such as the constant binary involvement of the epithelium and the stroma, the virtual absence of metastases and the predilection of specific anatomical sites for both onset and spread. A potential correlation between the onset of BCC and a dysembryogenetic process has long been hypothesised. A selective investigation of PubMed-indexed publications supporting this theory retrieved 64 selected articles published between 1901 and 2024. From our analysis of the literature review, five main research domains on the dysembryogenetic pathogenesis of BCC were identified: (1) The correlation between the topographic distribution of BCC and the macroscopic embryology, (2) the correlation between BCC and the microscopic embryology, (3) the genetic BCC, (4) the correlation between BCC and the hair follicle and (5) the correlation between BCC and the molecular embryology with a specific focus on the Hedgehog signalling pathway. A large amount of data from microscopic and molecular research consistently supports the hypothesis of a dysembryogenetic pathogenesis of BCC. Such evidence is promoting advances in the clinical management of this disease, with innovative targeted molecular therapies on an immune modulating basis being developed.

BACKGROUND: John M. Opitz, a towering figure in both stature and scientific achievement, left an indelible mark on the fields of genetics, pediatrics, and embryology. Born in 1935 in Hamburg to a Jewish family, Opitz\'s early life was marked by adversities. Despite these challenges, he pursued a remarkable career, immigrating to the United States at 15 years and becoming a renowned scientist in institutions like Iowa State University and the University of Wisconsin, where he made groundbreaking contributions to clinical genetics.
METHODS: A testament to his compassionate nature, Opitz dedicated himself to understanding and treating rare genetic disorders, earning him eponymous recognition in several medical conditions. His impact extended beyond academia, as evidenced by his collaborative efforts with Sicilian universities to advance clinical genetics in Italy. Opitz\'s teaching style emphasized simplicity, empathy, and meticulous clinical examination, leaving an indelible mark on students and colleagues.
CONCLUSIONS: John M. Opitz\'s towering intellect, compassionate demeanor, and profound impact on medicine and genetics made him a figure of enduring significance. His legacy lives on through the countless lives he touched, the knowledge he transmitted, and the enduring friendships he forged. In remembering John Opitz, we honor not only a man, but also a myth-a symbol of resilience, humanity, and scientific excellence.

In modern medical curricula, embryology is typically taught through lectures, with a few institutions providing tutorials. The use of 3-D videos or animations enables students to study these embryological structures and how they change with time. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of cardiac embryology videos available on YouTube. A systematic literature review regarding the use of YouTube in teaching or learning cardiac embryology identified no papers that examined this specific question, and next, a systematic search of YouTube was performed. A total of 1200 cardiac embryology videos were retrieved using 12 specific search terms, with 370 videos retrieved under two or more search terms and excluded. A further 511 videos were excluded under additional, specific criteria. The remaining 319 videos were evaluated with the YouTube Video Assessment Criteria (UTvAC), with 121 rated as \"useful.\" Videos on YouTube are uploaded with a wide audience in mind, from children to cardiologists, and content control is imperfect. Multiple videos were identified as duplicates of videos from original channels, typically without attribution. While 49 videos showed operations or human material, none contained an ethical statement regarding consent, and only 10 of these included an age restriction or graphical advisory. While there are useful videos for medical students studying cardiac embryology on YouTube, intuitive search strategies will also identify many with irrelevant content and of variable quality. Digital competence and search strategies are not innate skills, so educators should teach students to assess information so as to avoid overload or \"filter failure.\"