Bruno Piras

Detection of benign intracavitary lesions in postmenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding: a prospective comparative study on outpatient hysteroscopy and blind biopsy.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To evaluate the specificity of blind biopsy in detecting benign intracavitary lesions as causes of postmenopausal bleeding in comparison with directed biopsy via hysteroscopy. DESIGN Prospective trial without randomization (Canadian Task Force classification II-1). SETTING University hospital. PATIENTS Three hundred nineteen postmenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding. INTERVENTIONS All patients underwent both blind biopsy (Novaks curette) and directed biopsy via hysteroscopy (after at least a week). All patients with benign intracavitary lesions underwent operative hysteroscopy to enable the removal of polyps and intracavitary myomas or endometrial resection if required. All patients with pathologic reports of complex hyperplasia and atypical hyperplasia (20 patients) underwent vaginal hysterectomy with bilateral adnexectomy. All patients with histology reports of endometrial carcinoma (15 patients) underwent abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral adnexectomy, and pelvic lymphadenectomy. Histopathologic findings from endometrial specimens obtained after operative hysteroscopy or uterine specimens obtained after hysterectomy were used as a reference test to establish the prevalence of disease. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values of blind biopsy and hysteroscopy were assessed to distinguish benign intracavitary formations such as polyps, submucous myomas, and endometrial hyperplasia in postmenopausal patients with abnormal uterine bleeding. The level of agreement was evaluated by use of the coefficient of concordance kappa. Blind biopsy showed a sensitivity of 11% and a specificity of 93%, with an accuracy of 59% in detecting endometrial polyps, a sensitivity and specificity of 13% and 100%, respectively, with an accuracy of 98% for submucous myomas, and values of 25%, 92%, and 80%, respectively, in diagnosing hyperplasia. On the other hand, hysteroscopy demonstrated a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 97%, with an accuracy of 91% in diagnosing endometrial polyps, a sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 98%, respectively, with an accuracy of 99% for submucous myomas. The coefficient of concordance kappa (95% CI) was 0.12 for blind biopsy and 0.82 for hysteroscopy, corresponding, respectively, to slight concordance and almost perfect agreement with final pathologic diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS Blind biopsy (Novaks curette) demonstrates very low sensitivity and accuracy in the diagnosis of benign focal intracavitary lesions. Hysteroscopy is confirmed as the gold standard in the assessment of abnormal uterine bleeding in menopause, permitting the elimination of the false-negative results of blind biopsy through direct visualization of the uterine cavity and the performance of targeted biopsy in case of doubt.

Epidemiology and Diagnosis of Endometriosis

Endometriosis is defined as the presence of ectopic endometrium with evidence of both cellular activity and progression, with formation of adhesions, or interference with normal reproductive processes.] Endometriosis is often associated with infertility, chronic pelvic pain and/or presence of adnexal masses, but typical lesions have also been found in asymptomatic women.* The diagnosis of endometriosis requires direct visualization of the lesions by laparoscopy or laparotomy. For this reason, data on the prevalence of endometriosis in the general population published so far are not conclusive. In fact, only few prospective have been undertaken, which report a prevalence range of 20-40% in infertile women, 4-65% in patients with chronic pelvic pain, and 1-22% in women submitted to gynecological surgery for other indications.2 Considering the high prevalence of the disease Friedman et ~ l . ~ have evaluated the reliability of a less invasive diagnostic method, ultrasonography, in all forms of pelvic endometriosis, and demonstrated a possible role only when endometriotic cysts are present. Other authors6.’ have also analyzed the spectrum of ultrasonographic transabdominal or transvaginal findings of surgically proved endometriomas, but they did not analyze the specificity of these techniques. Both medical and surgical treatment of endometriosis has greatly improved over the last 20 years,

Abnormal Uterine Bleeding: Medical Treatment with Vaginal Danazol and Five-Year Follow-up

and operative laparoscopy, alone or in combination with medical treatment, has emerged as an indispensable component of modern management of the disease.’ Therefore, the present study was performed to evaluate the prevalence of pelvic endornetriosis in premenopausal women submitted to laparoscopy and/or laparotomy for benign gynecological disease. In addition, the same subjects were submitted to transvaginal ultrasonography within one week before surgery to evaluate the accuracy of this less invasive technique in differentiating endometriomas from other ovarian cysts. Finally, the role of operative laparoscopy in the management of endometriosis was evaluated in those patients who underwent laparoscopy for benign ovarian cysts or chronic pelvic pain.

Overview of elagolix for the treatment of endometriosis.

STUDY OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical efficacy and patient satisfaction of long-term danazol delivered vaginally as treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding. DESIGN Prospective study (Canadian Task Force classification II-3). SETTING University hospital. PATIENTS Twenty premenopausal women with endometrial hyperplasia or endometrial polyps. INTERVENTION After curettage or hysteroscopic-directed biopsies, women used one 200-mg tablet of danazol vaginally every day, continuing the therapy as long as they were totally satisfied with it. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Women were instructed to keep a diary of menstrual bleeding and to rate blood loss on a visual analog scale from zero (no blood loss) to 10 (gushing-type bleeding). They were seen every month for 3 months, then every 3 months for 9 months, and then every 6 months for 4 years for Papanicolau smear, pelvic examination, and transvaginal ultrasonography. They were asked to bring their diary of menstrual bleeding. They were asked about side effects and their satisfaction with the therapy. Peripheral blood was drawn for blood count and serum chemistries. Hysteroscopic-directed biopsies were repeated after 3 months of therapy in women with endometrial hyperplasia. The severity of blood loss was significantly reduced in all women after 3 months of treatment. All women with endometrial hyperplasia had regression of hyperplastic endometrium. None of the women with endometrial polyps had sonographic signs of recurrence during therapy. Only 10 women (50%) completed 1-year follow-up, and only 5 women (25%) completed 5-year follow-up. CONCLUSION These results suggest that long-term administration of vaginal danazol after curettage or hysteroscopic-directed biopsy is both efficacious and safe in women with heavy menstrual bleeding, but the rate of discontinuance is high.

Extragenital Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma Arising in Endometriosis

ABSTRACT Introduction: Suppression of sex-steroid secretion is required in a variety of gynecological conditions. This can be achieved using gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists that bind pituitary gonadotropin receptors and antagonize the link-receptor of endogenous GnRH, inhibiting the mechanism of GnRH pulsatility. On the other hand, GnRH antagonists immediately reduce gonadal steroid levels, avoiding the initial stimulatory phase of the agonists. Potential benefits of GnRH antagonists over GnRH agonists include a rapid onset and reversibility of action. Older GnRH antagonists are synthetic peptides, obtained by modifications of certain amino acids in the native GnRH sequence. They require subcutaneous injections, implantation of long-acting depots. The peptide structure is responsible for histamine-related adverse events and the tendency to elicit hypersensitivity reactions. Areas covered: Research has worked towards the development of non-peptidic molecules exerting antagonist action on GnRH. They are available for oral administration and may have a more beneficial safety profile in comparison with peptide GnRH antagonists. This article focuses on the data of the literature about elagolix, a novel non-peptidic GnRHantagonist, in the treatment of endometriosis. Expert opinion: Elagolix demonstrated efficacy in the management of endometriosis-associated pain and had an acceptable safety and tolerability profile. However, further studies are necessary to evaluate its non-inferiority in comparison with other endometriosis’s treatments.

Observational study on the efficacy of the supplementation with a preparation with several minerals and vitamins in improving mood and behaviour of healthy puerperal women

The diagnosis rate of deep pelvic endometriosis is increasing. Endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) is a rare neoplasm. Extragenital ESS is an extremely uncommon event. Very few cases of extragenital ESS have been reported to date. The diagnosis of this entity is very difficult in some instances. Knowledge about its management is also limited. In this paper, we review the current literature on the clinical management, histology, immunohistochemistry, treatment and outcome of ESS arising in pelvic endometriosis.

The role of caesarean section in modern Obstetrics

Abstract We investigated whether a formulation containing vitamins and minerals (vit&min) could improve the worsening of mood changes occurring after delivery (“a.d.”). The study was performed in 552 healthy non-anaemic puerperal women (“p.w”) without risk factors for puerperal depression (“p.d”). They were at their first full-term pregnancy, and spontaneously delivered healthy newborns. The Edinburgh Depression Postnatal scale (EPDS) evaluates the psychological status of “p.w”. EPDS was administered the 3rd (visit 1), 15th (visit 2) and 30th (visit 3) day “a.d.”. An EPDS >12 indicates a major susceptibility to “p.d”. At the same time intervals, haemoglobin, iron and ferritin (haematological parameters) levels were evaluated. After visit 1, the subjects were randomized to vit&min treatment (group A; N.274) or to calcium/vitamin D3 treatment (group B; N.278). In both groups haematological parameters significantly increased without differences between the groups. EPDS score improved in both groups, but in the group A, the EPDS decrease was significantly larger (p < 0.05) in comparison to the group B. This effect is mainly evident in subjects with a basal EPDS ≥12. An early examination of psychological condition could select “p.w.” with a high susceptibility to neuronal changes occurring postpartum. Vit&min favourably modulates brain functions antagonizing the evolution to “p.d”.

Intraoperative lymphatic mapping techniques for endometrial cancer

Caesarean section (CS) is a safe obstetric surgical procedure that contributes to reducing maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. Nevertheless, its advantages do not justify its continuous increase. During the last few years an average of 35% of deliveries have occurred by CS in Italy whereas an average of 20-25% is very common in other western countries. Although these percentages are very different, an important issue of modern obstetric Medicine is to ascertain whether the threshold of 15% proposed by the WHO in 1985 is actually adequate. Different medical, cultural, social, economic and medico-legal issues are of concern in the different countries and in contemporary society compared with the past. If we wish to discuss whether a new threshold should be proposed to reach the best balance between risks and benefits of CS in modern Obstetrics, it is mandatory to evaluate the reasons why these high percentages of CS occur in western countries and, in particular, in Italy. To reach this goal an optimal management of the delivery room should be pursued by implementing an organizational program, considering the objective delivery trend (Robson’s ten group classification) and organizing continuous audit processes. The potential concern for the medico-legal issue, women’s choice and the use of analgesia in childbirth must be taken into account.

Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) with the intrauterine system with levonorgestrel (6 mcg/d): observational study on the acceptability, quality of life, and sexuality in Italian women

Endometrial cancer is the most common malignancy of the female genital tract in developed countries. The primary treatment for women with endometrial cancer is surgical, as well as the staging of the pathological spread pattern of this carcinoma outside of the uterus. A complete surgical staging should include both pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy. The vast majority of endometrial cancers are diagnosed at a very early stage owing to the early presentation as abnormal uterine bleeding. In women with early-stage endometrial cancer the systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy may produce additional morbidity without the benefit of appropriate surgical staging. The procedure of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy after lymphatic mapping has been introduced for patients with cancers of various organs in an effort to avoid complete systematic lymphadenectomy whenever possible. In the case of gynecological malignancies, the reliability of the SLN detection procedure has been extensively investigated in vulvar and cervical cancer. This article focuses on the peculiar aspects of intraoperative lymphatic mapping techniques and SLN procedures in endometrial cancer.

S100B protein expression in the heart of deceased individuals by overdose: a new forensic marker?

Abstract This observational study was conducted in healthy premenopausal women, who presented themselves for contraception with an intrauterine system (IUS) releasing LNG (6 mcg/d) (Jaydess®, Bayer, Germany) at the outpatient Family Planning Clinics of the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the Universities of Cagliari and Sassari (CA/SS), University-Hospitals of CA/SS (Italy). After a screening visit, 31 women without contraindications to Jaydess® were included in the study. No difficulty in Jaydess® insertion (Ji) was found in 87% of subjects, with pelvic pain (PP) (visual analogic scale, VAS:5.33 ± 2.54) reported by 27/31 subjects at the Ji. Pelvic pain was reported by 17/31 subjects on the first day (VAS: 3.07 ± 3.1), 16/31 subjects on the second day (VAS:2.37 ± 2.71), and 11/31 subjects on the third day (VAS:1.18 ± 2.02) from Ji, with a significant (p < .001) decrease in the intensity. The primary purposes of the study were to evaluate whether a 12-month-treatment (12-M-T) with Jaydess® interferes on either the quality of life (QoL) or sexuality. Jaydess® did not modify either QoL or sexuality in the 25 subjects who completed the 12-M-T. Throughout the 12-M-T, PP, or pregnancies were not found; the menstrual blood loss was significantly (p < .0001) reduced, and the intensity VAS of dysmenorrhea (#14 subjects) significantly (p < .001) improved.