Giusi Natalia Milazzo

Evaluation of serum anti-Mullerian hormone levels to assess the ovarian reserve in women with severe endometriosis

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to measure anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) serum levels in women with severe endometriosis, in order to demonstrate the effect of the disease on ovarian reserve. STUDY DESIGN Prospective case-control study. One hundred and ninety-five patients were enrolled: 130 fertile patients (group A) and 65 patients with stage III and IV endometriosis, diagnosed by laparoscopy and histological examination (group B). AMH serum levels were measured in both groups and were compared using Students t-test. RESULTS The two groups were homogenous for main demographic data. Group B had statistically significantly lower mean AMH serum levels (0.97±0.59ng/ml) than group A (1.72±0.63ng/ml) (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS This study is a demonstration of the damage of endometriosis on ovarian reserve, leading to a form of incipient ovarian failure, which is considered as an early sign of advanced ovarian depletion in young women. These findings suggest that AMH could be used in the follow-up of patients with endometriosis, in order to assess promptly the decrease of ovarian reserve.

Pain in the upper anterior-lateral part of the thigh in women affected by endometriosis: study of sensitive neuropathy

OBJECTIVE To assess whether pain in the anterior-lateral part of the thigh in women affected by endometriosis is due to femoral nerve invasion by endometriotic implants. DESIGN Case-control study. SETTING Hospital. PATIENT(S) We enrolled 30 patients with endometriosis and leg pain in the anterior-lateral part of the thigh and 30 healthy women. INTERVENTION(S) Skin biopsy and neurologic examination for detection of neuropathy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Intraepidermal small fiber density reduction and positive neurologic examination agree with sensitive neuropathy. RESULT(S) Biopsy results showed no statistically significant difference between the case group and the control group. At neurologic examination nine patients in the study group (30%) showed positive results, none in the control group showed signs. These nine patients had reduced intraepidermal small fiber density, compared to the lower cutoff values of the control group, suggesting a sensitive neuropathy. CONCLUSION(S) When there is leg pain in women with endometriosis it is important to distinguish neuropathic from referred pain. Skin biopsy and neurologic examination should be introduced in the management of leg pain in endometriosis, due to their low invasiveness to diagnose a sensitive neuropathy. As a result early detection of nerve injury and planning for a prompt specific treatment would be possible.

Obstetric and neonatal outcomes of women with FGM I and II in San Camillo Hospital, Burkina Faso

PurposeFemale genital mutilation (FGM) is still performed in the world. Women who underwent FGM have marked psychological, gynecological and obstetric consequences. This article contributes to the spread of knowledge about obstetric and neonatal outcomes in women with FGM I and II.MethodsOur observational study compared the obstetric outcomes of 85 women with FGM I and II (case group) and 95 women without it (control group). We evaluated age, need of oxytocin during labor, duration of the expulsion phase, need of episiotomy, weight of the newborn, Apgar score at birth, resuscitation of the newborn, stillbirth. We observed the rate of cesarean sections and their main indications. We compared the rate of cesarean sections among the cases and the controls.ResultsControls were younger than women who underwent FGM. Intravenous oxytocin injection was higher in cases. The expulsion phase was longer in women with FGM than in the controls. FGM is related to a higher risk of episiotomy. Apgar score 9/10 was more frequently assigned to babies from mothers without FGM. There were more resuscitated babies and more stillbirth in the group of cases. Ten percent of all women underwent cesarean section. FGM is related to a higher incidence of cesarean section.ConclusionFGM is associated with a higher risk of gynecological and obstetrical consequences, acting on women’s health and also on the economy of resource limited countries. Because of migration, health professionals could interface with women who underwent FGM and have to know their related complications.

Assessment of HPV-mRNA test to predict recurrent disease in patients previously treated for CIN 2/3

BACKGROUND The use of HPV-mRNA test in the follow-up after LEEP is still matter of debate, with regard to its capacity of prediction relapse. OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study is to evaluate the reliability of HPV-mRNA test to predict the residual and recurrent disease, and its accuracy in the follow-up of patients treated for CIN 2/3. STUDY DESIGN Multicenter prospective cohort study. Patients who underwent LEEP after a biopsy diagnosing CIN 2/3 were followed at 3, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months. Each check up included cytology, colposcopy, HPV-DNA test (LiPA) and HPV-mRNA test (PreTect HPV Proofer Kit NorChip). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), of HPV-DNA test and HPV-mRNA test to predict relapse, recurrent and residual disease. Using multiple logistic regression, the statistical significant variables as assessed in univariate analysis were entered and investigated as predictors of relapse disease. RESULTS The mRNA-test in predicting a residual disease had a sensitivity of 52% and a NPV of 91%, whereas DNA-test had 100% and 100%, respectively. On the contrary in the prediction of recurrent disease mRNA-test had a sensitivity and a NPV of 73.5% and 97%, whereas DNA-test had 44% and 93%. On the multivariate analysis, age, cytology, HPV DNA and mRNA test achieved the role of independent predictors of relapse. CONCLUSION HPV-mRNA test has a higher sensitivity and a higher NPV in predicting recurrent disease, for this reason it should be used in the follow-up of patients treated with LEEP for CIN 2/3 in order to individualize the timing of check up.

Effect of multivitamins on plasma homocysteine in patients with the 5,10 methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T homozygous state

The role of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) as a cardiovascular risk factor remains a matter of debate, while it correlates with folates, it demonstrates inverse correlation with plasma homocysteine (Hcy) levels and vitamin B12 levels and reduces plasma Hcy levels following supplementation with multivitamins. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that administering multivitamins at specific doses for 90 days restores normal plasma Hcy levels in women who are homozygous for the thermolabile variant of 5,10 methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR C677T). We enrolled 106 healthy females aged between 30 and 42 years, who were non-smokers, non-vegetarian, normotensive and who had no history of food abuse in the previous months. Only females were enrolled in order to rule out any bias due to the variation in Hcy plasma concentrations between males and females. Patient blood sampling was performed in order to determine plasma Hcy, serum folic acid and vitamin B12 levels. Furthermore, molecular characterization of the C677T polymorphism present in the MTHFR gene, was also performed. The results of this study demonstrated that supplementation with specific multivitamins restores normal plasma Hcy levels, regardless of the MTHFR genotype. Furthermore, it is unnecessary to adminster high doses of folate to reduce plasma Hcy levels, and administering high doses of folate may cause pro-inflammatory and pro-proliferative effects.

Myoma and myomectomy: Poor evidence concern in pregnancy

Summarize the results of the many, but often underpowered, studies on pregnancy complicated by myoma or myomectomy.

Multiple intraepithelial neoplasias of the lower female genital tract: The reliability of HPV mRNA test

Objective Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most important pathogenetic factor of intraepithelial neoplasias of the lower genital tract. HPV-DNA and mRNA tests are applied for the management of epithelial dysplasias. The aims of this multicentric retrospective study were to compare the 2 molecular tests before the onset of metachronous intraepithelial lesions and to analyze the different characteristics between synchronous and metachronous lesions and their relationship to the pathologic mechanisms. Materials and Methods The study concerns 55 cases of multiple intraepithelial neoplasias of the lower genital tract. Clinical features of patients with synchronous and metachronous lesions were analyzed. During a 3-year follow-up, HPV-DNA and mRNA tests were performed every 6 months after treatment of the initial lesion. HPV-DNA and mRNA results were analyzed 12 and 6 months before, at time of the onset of the metachronous lesion, and 6 months after its treatment. Results We observed 31 synchronous lesions and 24 metachronous lesions. Immunodeficiency and multiple genotypes were associated with the synchronous lesions (p = .04 and p = .02, respectively). During the follow-up, positive DNA and mRNA tests increased before the appearance of the metachronous lesion and decreased 6 months after; mRNA test was significantly better than the DNA test 6 months before the appearance of the lesion (p = .04) and at the time of its appearance (p = .02). Conclusions Our results support the hypothesis that a positive HPV-mRNA test could be a marker of persistent infection and a risk factor for the onset of metachronous lesions.

Clinical correlation between premature ovarian failure and a chromosomal anomaly in a 22-year-old Caucasian woman: a case report

IntroductionPremature ovarian failure is defined as the cessation of ovarian activity before the age of 40 years. It is biochemically characterized by low levels of gonadal hormones (estrogens and inhibins) and high levels of gonadotropins (luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone).Case presentationOur patient, a 22-year-old Caucasian woman under evaluation for infertility, had experienced secondary amenorrhea from the age of 18. No positive family history was noted regarding premature menopause. An examination of our patient’s karyotype showed the presence of a reciprocal translocation, apparently balanced, which had the X chromosome long arm (q13) and the 14 chromosome short arm (p12) with consequent karyotype: 46, X, t(X; 14)(q13;p12).ConclusionsOur study has underlined that karyotyping is one of the fundamental investigations in the evaluation of amenorrhea. It highlighted a genetic etiology, in the form of a chromosomal abnormality, as the causal factor in amenorrhea.

Concurrent Spontaneous Umbilical and Abdominal Wall Endometriosis Retracting the Surrounding Cutis

Endometriosis consists of extra-uterine functional endometrial tissue. It is usually located in the pelvis, but it can also be found in other sites. Cutaneous endometriosis is a rare condition and it develops in the most of cases above gynecological or obstetric scars, although it may also appear spontaneously. We present a 39-year-old woman with umbilical and abdominal dermal nodules retracting the surrounding cutis as a clinically characteristic form of spontaneous cutaneous endometriosis. The patient had no signs and symptoms of pelvic endometriosis. The histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations confirmed the clinical diagnosis.