Cem Celik

Postpartum sexual function of women and the effects of early pelvic floor muscle exercises

Objective. To evaluate the effects of early pelvic floor muscle training after vaginal delivery on sexual function. Design. Prospective randomized study. Settings. Urogynecology clinic of a tertiary medical center in Istanbul, Turkey. Population. Total of 75 primiparous women. Methods. Pelvic floor‐muscle strength was assessed during rest and straining in primiparous women in their 4th postpartum month, after which the women were randomized into training (n = 37) and control (n = 38) groups. Patients were re‐evaluated in the 7th postpartum month. Main outcome measures. Female sexual function and pelvic muscle strength scores. Results. Desire, pain and total female sexual index scores were significantly higher in the 7th month compared to 4th month in both groups (p < 0.05). However, sexual arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction scores were improved in the 7th month in the training group (paired t‐test, p < 0.001), but not significantly in the control group (p > 0.05). All domains except satisfaction were significantly higher in the training group compared with the controls. Pelvic floor‐muscle strength was found to be increased in the 7th month in the training group (Wilcoxon rank test, Z = 4.123, p < 0.001), whereas there was no significant difference between the 4th and 7th month measurements in the controls (p > 0.05). Conclusion. Pelvic floor‐muscle training improves pelvic floor‐muscle function, and starting after the puerperal period, exercise appears to have positive effects on female sexual function.

Progression to impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes mellitus in polycystic ovary syndrome: a controlled follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether retesting with the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is useful and necessary for all women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). DESIGN Follow-up study. SETTING Tertiary medical center. PATIENT(S) Eighty-four women with PCOS and 45 healthy controls. INTERVENTION(S) Peripheral venous blood sampling. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) We performed a 75-g 2-hour OGTT in women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) at the time of the first test with and without PCOS. RESULT(S) The average follow-up period for women with PCOS was 2.6 years (range, 2-4.17 years). Seventy-eight of these women had NGT at baseline, 11.5% converted to IGT, with an annualized incidence rate of 4.5%. Of those women with IGT at baseline (n = 6), 33.3% converted to type 2 diabetes mellitus, with an annualized incidence rate of 10.4%. In the healthy subjects, the average follow-up period was 2.6 years (range, 2-4.08 years). Forty-two of these women had NGT at baseline, 2.3% converted to IGT, giving a progression of 0.9% per year. Among the three women with IGT at baseline, 33.3% reverted to NGT, and 66.6% had persistent IGT. CONCLUSION(S) Conversion rates from NGT to IGT or type 2 diabetes mellitus were accelerated in women with PCOS compared with healthy subjects. Women with PCOS should be tested regularly for early detection of abnormal glucose tolerance. In addition, the interval for periodic rescreening should be determined by further studies involving more women with PCOS.

Validation of the short form of the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ-12) in a Turkish population

OBJECTIVE To validate the Turkish translated version of short form of the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ-12). STUDY DESIGN After the test-retest reliability and internal consistency were established in a pilot study, 270 patients were enrolled and general and subscale scores of the questionnaire were calculated. All participants underwent the International Continence Society (ICS) prolapse score (POP-Q) and urodynamic assessment. Main scores and scores of Prolapse Quality of Life questionnaire (PQoL) and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7) were compared between patients with incontinence+/-prolapse and asymptomatic women. RESULTS 62.24% of the participants showed urodynamic abnormality and/or leakage with or without prolapse. 28.91% had prolapse stage 3 or higher diagnosed by the POP-Q system. PISQ-12 showed a high internal consistency (Cronbachs alpha was 0.89). For test-retest reliability Spearmans rho was 0.72-0.79 for all domains. The mean scores of PISQ-12 were significantly better in asymptomatic women compared with the incontinence+/-prolapse group. Sexual function was negatively affected by prolapse and/or incontinence as assessed with PQoL and IIQ-7 questionnaires. CONCLUSION The Turkish translated version of the PISQ-12 is a reliable, consistent and valid instrument to evaluate sexual functioning in women with urinary incontinence and/or pelvic organ prolapse. It is easy to understand that it may be easily administered and self-completed by the women.

Is subclinical hypothyroidism contributing dyslipidemia and insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

We aimed to analyze lipid parameters and determine the need for a 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for the identification of IR and impaired glucose tolerance test (IGT) in subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). 20 patients with PCOS and SCH consisted of Group I and 39 patients with PCOS and normal thyroid function consisted of Group II and 53 healthy women with normal thyroid function consisted of Group III. Triglyceride levels were 143.26 ± 99.86 mg/dL in group 1 and 88.56 ± 37.56 mg/dL in group 2 and 83.71 ± 31.94 mg/dL in group 3 which were statistically significant. Total cholesterol, HDL- cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol were found similar between the groups. Fasting insulin levels were 12.45 ± 8.62 µU/mL in group 1 and 8.60 ± 5.35 µU/mL in group 2 and 7.04 ± 3.55 µU/mL in group 3 which were statistically significant (P = 0.027). HOMA-IR were 2.92 ± 2.34 in group 1 and 1.95 ± 1.52 in group 2 and 1.60 ± 0.86 in group 3 which were statistically significant (P = 0.046). This study showed that women with PCOS and subclinical hypothyroidism should be evaluated for dyslipidemia and Insulin resistance.

Assessment of impaired glucose tolerance prevalence with hemoglobin A1c and oral glucose tolerance test in 252 Turkish women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a prospective, controlled study

STUDY QUESTION What is the prevalence of abnormalities in glucose metabolism in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and controls in a Turkish population? SUMMARY ANSWER The total prevalence of glucose abnormalities in PCOS patients was 16.3% [impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) 14.3%; type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) 2%] and was higher than in healthy subjects (IGT 8.5%; T2DM 0%, respectively). WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY One of the most common markers of chronic glycemia is hemoglobin Alc (HbA1c). However, little is known about whether the use of HbA1c results in diagnosis of more cases of glucose intolerance in the PCOS population than the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) alone. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This was a prospective study, including 252 women with PCOS and 117 control women without PCOS. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The study was carried out in the gynecological outpatient department of Namik Kemal University Hospital, Turkey, between 2010 and 2012. Women with PCOS (n = 252) were diagnosed according to Rotterdam criteria. The control group included 117 women (aged 17-45 years) who were selected randomly. BMI of participants ranged between 15.6 and 47.9 kg/m(2). MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Patients with PCOS were comparable to controls in terms of age (24.8 versus 25.9 years, respectively) and had higher BMI (26.1 versus 24.9 kg/m(2), respectively). Of 252 patients with PCOS, 41 had glucose intolerance (IGT 14.3%; T2DM 2%) when compared with 10 of the 117 control patients (IGT 8.5%; T2DM 0%; odds ratios = 2.08; P = 0.045) during the OGTT. When an HbA1c value ≥ 5.6% was used to divide the total population, the prevalence of abnormal glucose metabolism was 7.9% in the patients with PCOS, below the value detected in the control patients (8.5%), which showed that 20 of 41 patients with abnormal glucose tolerance would not have been diagnosed, if the HbA1c alone had been used. When compared with the OGTT results, HbA1c provided 52.4% sensitivity, 74.4% specificity, 67.1% positive and 60.9% negative predictive values with a threshold value of 5.6% in abnormal glucose tolerance. The receiver operating characteristic analysis suggested a threshold value of 5.35% in HbA1c (75.6% sensitivity and 52.6% specificity) for the prediction of abnormal glucose tolerance. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION This study did not involve weight-matched healthy subjects, which may cause a difference in prevalence of abnormal glucose metabolism between the groups, and the results are limited to an unselected population of patients who have the full PCOS phenotype. In addition, the incidence of T2DM among the first-degree relatives and 2-h insulin levels could not be reported in full. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Further investigation of the efficacy of HbA1c for the prediction of abnormal glucose tolerance should be undertaken in long-term prospective studies and in different geographic populations. At present, the only way to reliably detect abnormal glucose metabolism in Turkish women with PCOS appears to be using the OGTT. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) No financial support. The authors have no competing interests to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER Not applicable.

Omentin and chemerin and their association with obesity in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract We aimed to investigate whether overweight/obesity is associated with omentin and chemerin. The study group consisted of 81 women with Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) (41 lean, BMI < 25 kg/m2 and 40 overweight or obese, BMI > 25 kg/m2) and 61 healthy subjects (31 lean, BMI < 25 kg/m2 and 30 overweight or obese, BMI > 25 kg/m2; control group). The clinical, endocrine, metabolic parameters, plasma omentin and chemerin levels were measured in patients and compared to control. In all subjects with PCOS (n = 80), serum chemerin levels were higher compared with those of the controls (n = 58) (7.71 ± 1.78 ng/mL versus 6.94 ± 0.82 ng/mL, p = 0.003). However, serum omentin levels were not significantly different between the PCOS subjects and the controls (1.55 ± 0.43 ng/mL versus 1.69 ± 0.37 ng/mL, p = 0.056). The mean chemerin concentrations were significantly elevated in the obese PCOS group compared with the obese control subjects (8.98 ± 1.45 ng/mL versus 7.02 ± 0.67 ng/mL, p = 0.000) and the nonobese PCOS group compared with the obese control subjects (6.57 ± 1.17 ng/mL versus 7.02 ± 0.67 ng/mL, p = 0.000). In conclusion, fat mass seems to be the main determinant factor of increased chemerin and decreased omentin in women with PCOS.

Inguinal herniorrhaphy in childhood may result in tubal damage and future infertility.

IntroductionInguinal hernias commonly occur during infancy. They are approximately six times more common in males than in females. They are one of the most common surgical conditions in childhood. About 5–20% of inguinal hernias have the ovary or fallopian tube in the hernia sac. Surgical interventions during childhood may cause damage. Unawareness of this damage can cause infertility in future.Case reportPresentation of a case diagnosed as having tubal damage during laparoscopic operation because of primary infertility with a history of inguinal hernia during her childhood. Inguinal hernia repair caused tubal damage and bilateral tubal occlusion as a cause of primary infertility.ConclusionMedical history is of great importance during infertility investigation and may reveal some unexpected conditions.

Iniencephaly: Prenatal diagnosis with postmortem findings

Iniencephaly is a rare but almost always lethal neural tube defect with the following cardinal features: occipital bone defect, partial or total absence of cervicothoracal vertebrae and fetal retroflexion. Iniencephaly is associated with malformations of the central nervous system, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular system. Prenatally diagnosed cases of iniencephaly are rare because careful and early ultrasonographic evaluation is necessary. The present cases of iniencephaly were found to carry associated malformations such as atrioventricular septal defect and club foot. We present an iniencephaly prenatally diagnosed by sonography, in which therapeutic abortion was induced, with a review of the published literature.

Fistula campaigns--are they of any benefit?

OBJECTIVE Evaluation of the problems encountered during a voluntarily fistula campaign in a regional hospital of Niger (Africa). MATERIALS AND METHODS Women underwent basic gynecological examination, methylene blue testing, and/or direct cystoscopy as necessary. According to their clinical condition, women were informed and surgical options offered as appropriate. Operations were performed under spinal or epidural anesthesia. Immediate postoperative outcomes were followed during the stay of the surgical team in the country. RESULTS A total of 62 women were examined and 11 had causes of incontinence other than obstetric fistula. In 9.8% of the women, severe local infection precluding any surgical intervention was evident. In 58.8% of patients, the trigonal region and/or urethra were irreversibly damaged. A proportion of patients (9.8%) with large lesions and intact urethra that were offered vaginal layered closure refused the intervention. Of the women that were operated on (21.6%), six underwent vaginal layered closure with Martius fat flap and five women underwent a combined abdomino-vaginal approach. CONCLUSION It is extremely difficult to meet the needs of this global problem with short term programs and volunteers. Directing these efforts to specialist fistula centers and creating reliable scientific evidence should be the main goal.

Cervical Priming Before Diagnostic Operative Hysteroscopy in Infertile Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Comparison of 2 Vaginal Misoprostol Doses

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of vaginal misoprostol for cervical priming at doses of 200 mcg and 400 mcg, 12 to 15 hours before diagnostic office hysteroscopy (OH) without anesthesia in patients with infertility. Sixty infertile patients requiring a diagnostic office hysteroscopy for investigation of infertility were included in the study. The patients were randomly allocated into 3 vaginally administered misoprostol groups: (1) control group, (2) 200-mcg dose group, and (3) 400-mcg dose group. Misoprostol significantly facilitated the procedure of OH: cervical entry was easier; procedural time was shorter; baseline cervical width was larger; and pain scoring was lower in the misoprostol groups compared with the control group. Increasing the dose of misoprostol from 200 mcg to 400 mcg did not improve the effect on cervical dilation. Misoprostol is a promising analog to use for cervical priming before OH. Since doses of 200 mcg and 400 mcg vaginal misoprostol 12 hours before the OH both have proven to be effective regimens, 200 mcg may be preferred. However, before routine clinical usage, further research is needed through large, randomized, controlled trials powered to detect a difference in complications to determine whether misoprostol reduces complications in OH.