Objective To compare clinical evaluation, transvaginal sonography (TVS), saline contrast sonovaginography (SCSV) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis of posterior deep pelvic endometriosis (DPE). Methods

Myomas size and type represent the best predictors of surgical difficulties and possible intrapostoperative complications. Intramural myomas >8 cm and subserosal ones >12 cm should be considered as a challenging procedure. LM remains the gold standard approach because of very low perioperative complication rate and faster return to normal activity.

ObjectiveCaesarean section (CS) rates have increased worldwide in recent decades. In 2015, the WHO proposed the use of the 10-group Robson classification as a global standard for assessing, monitoring and comparing CS rates both within healthcare facilities over time and between them. The aim of this study was to assess the pattern of CS rates according to the Robson classification and describe maternal and perinatal outcomes by group at the Tosamaganga Hospital in rural Tanzania.DesignObservational retrospective study.SettingSt. John of the Cross Tosamaganga Hospital, a referral centre in rural Tanzania.Participants3012 women who gave birth in Tosamaganga Hospital from 1 January to 30 June 2014 and from 1 March to 30 November 2015.ResultsThe overall CS rate was 35.2%, and about 90% of women admitted for labour were in Robson groups 1 through 5. More than 40% of the CS carried out in the hospital were performed on nulliparous women at term with a single fetus in cephalic presentation (groups 1 and 3), and the most frequent indication for the procedure was previous uterine scar (39.2%). The majority of severe neonatal outcomes were observed in groups 1 (27.7%), 10 (24.5%) and 3 (19.1%).ConclusionWe recorded a high CS rate in Tosamaganga Hospital, particularly in low-risk patients groups (Robson groups 1 and 3). Our analysis of Robson classification and neonatal outcomes suggests the need to improve labour management at the hospital and to provide timely referrals in order to prevent women from arriving there in critical conditions.

No abstract

RET/PTC rearrangement and BRAF V600E mutation are the two prevalent molecular alterations associated with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), and their identification is increasingly being used as an adjunct to cytology in diagnosing PTC. However, there are caveats associated with the use of the molecular approach in fine-needle aspiration (FNA), particularly for RET/PTC, that should be taken into consideration. It has been claimed that a clonal or sporadic presence of this abnormality in follicular cells can distinguish between malignant and benign nodules. Nevertheless, the most commonly used PCR-based techniques lack the capacity to quantify the number of abnormal cells. Because fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is the most sensitive method for detecting gene rearrangement in a single cell, we compared results from FISH and conventional RT-PCR obtained in FNA of a large cohort of consecutive patients with suspicious nodules and investigated the feasibility of setting a FISH-FNA threshold capable of distinguishing non-clonal from clonal molecular events. For this purpose, a home brew break-apart probe, able to recognize the physical breakage of RET, was designed. While a R3% FISH signal for broken RET was sufficient to distinguish nodules with abnormal follicular cells, only samples with a R6.8% break-apart FISH signal also exhibited positive RT-PCR results. On histological analysis, all nodules meeting the R6.8% threshold proved to be malignant. These data corroborate the power of FISH when compared with RT-PCR in quantifying the presence of RET/PTC in FNA and validate the RT-PCR efficiency in detecting clonal RET/PTC alterations.

Purpose to determine the efficacy of laparoscopic excision of deep pelvic endometriosis (DPE). Methods One hundred and two highly symptomatic women with DPE underwent clinical examination, transvaginal ultrasound, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and sonovaginography. Among the 102 women, 50 patients, with severe symptoms, underwent laparoscopic excision of DPE. Endoscopic surgery was performed with complete separation of the rectovaginal space and resection of the node. In the case of vaginal involvement vaginal exeresis was performed, in the case of rectal wall involvement of more than 50%, segmental bowel resection was performed. Operative data as well as dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain and dyschezia before and 6 and 12 months after surgical treatment were recorded. Results Mean operative time was 126.4 ± 34.7 min, mean blood loss was 76.2 ± 22 ml. In 17 (34%) cases we performed excision of the posterior vaginal fornix due to vaginal wall involvement. In six (12%) cases we performed excision of the rectal wall. At 12-month follow-up 39 (78%) women revealed absent or mild dysmenorrhea, 45 (90%) women revealed absent or mild dyspareunia, 46 (92%) women revealed absent or mild chronic pelvic pain, 48 (96%) women revealed absent or mild dyschezia. Conclusions Surgical management of DPE could be a radical approach for this disease but conservative for the patients, ensuring good improvement in symptoms and good patient satisfaction, and only performing vaginal or rectal exeresis when strictly necessary.

Purpose To verify if different endometrial lesions determine the diagnostic symptom panel for a specific symptom. Methods We recruited 537 women with endometriosis who underwent laparoscopic surgery. Data on patient characteristics, severity of pelvic pain symptoms, disease stage and anatomical characteristics of endometriotic lesions were collected and analyzed by univariate analysis, followed by multiple logistic regression. Results We observed a strong inverse relationship between pain symptoms and, respectively, the age of women at surgery (OR 0.885; p<0.05) and nulliparity (OR 5.6; p<0.05). A significant association between dysmenorrhea and nulliparity (OR 10.1; p< 0.01) and dysmenorrhea and rAFS stage (OR 4.7; p<0.05) was also confirmed. Finally a strong relationship was found between the presence of a rectovaginal endometriotic nodule and pain symptoms: dyspareunia (OR 13.8, p<0.001) and dysmenorrhea (OR 2.3, p<0.05). Significant relationships were found between the presence of peri-annexial adherences and, respectively, bilateral endometrioma (p<0.01) and size of endometrioma (p<0.05); between the presence of pelvic adherential syndrome and, respectively, bilateral ovarian cyst (p<0.01), size of ovarian cyst (p<0.01) and rectovaginal nodule (p<0.01). A strong relationship was found also between a rectovaginal nodule and the presence of entero-uterine adherences (p<0.01) and Douglas obliteration (p<0.01). Conclusions: It was not possible determine a precise relationship between a specific pain symptom and the anatomic-surgical characteristics of endometriotic lesions, even though a strong association was seen between a rectovaginal endometriotic nodule and deep dyspareunia. Typical clinical features of endometriosis are probably determined by the association of different characteristics of lesions and different pathogenic mechanisms.

No abstract