No abstract

Spontaneous hemoperitoneum in pregnancy is a rare but potentially fatal complication for the pregnant woman and her unborn child. In vitro fertilization in women with severe endometriosis may be a risk factor for SHiP.

October 26, 2009.

Background For surgical endometriosis, treatment key is to properly identify the peritoneal lesions. The aim of this clinical study was to investigate if advanced imaging improves the detection rate by comparing narrow-band imaging (NBI), near-infrared imaging with indocyanine green (NIR-ICG), or three-dimensional white-light imaging (3D), to conventional two-dimensional white-light imaging (2D) for the detection of peritoneal endometriotic lesions. Methods This study was a prospective, single-center, randomized within-subject, clinical trial. The trial was conducted at Amsterdam UMC-Location VUmc, a tertiary referral hospital for endometriosis. 20 patients with ASRM stage III-IV endometriosis, scheduled for elective laparoscopic treatment of their endometriosis, were included. During laparoscopy, the pelvic region was systematically inspected with conventional 2D white-light imaging followed by inspection with NBI, NIR-ICG, and 3D imaging in a randomized order. Suspected endometriotic lesions and control biopsies of presumably healthy peritoneum were taken for histological examination. The pathologist was blinded for the method of laparoscopic detection. Sensitivity and specificity rates of the enhanced imaging techniques were analyzed. McNemar's test was used to compare sensitivity to 2D white-light imaging and Method of Tango to assess non-inferiority of specificity. Results In total, 180 biopsies were taken (117 biopsies from lesions suspected for endometriosis; 63 control biopsies). 3D showed a significantly improved sensitivity rate (83.5% vs. 75.8%, p = 0.016) and a non-inferior specificity rate (82.4% vs. 84.7%, p = 0.009) when compared to 2D white-light imaging. The single use of NBI or NIR-ICG showed no improvement in the detection of endometriosis. Combining the results of 3D and NBI resulted in a sensitivity rate of 91.2% (p < 0.001). Conclusion Enhanced laparoscopic imaging with 3D white light, combined with NBI, improves the detection rate of peritoneal endometriosis when compared to conventional 2D white-light imaging. The use of these imaging techniques enables a more complete laparoscopic resection of endometriosis.

BackgroundTubal pathology is a causative factor in 20% of subfertile couples. Traditionally, tubal testing during fertility work-up is performed by hysterosalpingography (HSG). Hysterosalpingo-foam sonography (HyFoSy) is a new technique that is thought to have comparable accuracy as HSG, while it is less expensive and more patient friendly. HyFoSy would be an acceptable alternative for HSG, provided it has similar effectiveness in terms of patient outcomes.Methods/designWe aim to compare the effectiveness and costs of management guided by HyFoSy or by HSG. Consenting women will undergo tubal testing by both HyFoSy and HSG in a randomized order during fertility work-up. The study group will consist of 1163 subfertile women between 18 and 41 years old who are scheduled for tubal patency testing during their fertility work-up. Women with anovulatory cycles not responding to ovulation induction, endometriosis, severe male subfertility or a known contrast (iodine) allergy will be excluded. We anticipate that 7 % (N = 82) of the participants will have discordant test results for HyFoSy and HSG. These participants will be randomly allocated to either a management strategy based on HyFoSy or a management strategy based on HSG, resulting in either a diagnostic laparoscopy with chromopertubation or a strategy that assumes tubal patency (intrauterine insemination or expectant management). The primary outcome is ongoing pregnancy leading to live birth within 12 months after randomization. Secondary outcomes are patient pain scores, time to pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, miscarriage rate, multiple pregnancy rate, preterm birth rate and number of additional treatments. Costs will be estimated by counting resource use and calculating unit prices.DiscussionThis trial will compare the effectiveness and costs of HyFoSy versus HSG in assessing tubal patency in subfertile women.Trial registrationDutch Trial Register (NTR 4746, http://www.trialregister.nl). Date of registration: 19 August 2014.