Mary L. Marnach

Management of asymptomatic ovarian and other adnexal cysts imaged at US: Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound Consensus Conference Statement.

The Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound convened a panel of specialists from gynecology, radiology, and pathology to arrive at a consensus regarding the management of ovarian and other adnexal cysts imaged sonographically in asymptomatic women. The panel met in Chicago, Ill, on October 27-28, 2009, and drafted this consensus statement. The recommendations in this statement are based on analysis of current literature and common practice strategies, and are thought to represent a reasonable approach to asymptomatic ovarian and other adnexal cysts imaged at ultrasonography.

Characterization of the relationship between joint laxity and maternal hormones in pregnancy

OBJECTIVE To evaluate peripheral joint laxity during pregnancy and to correlate changes with serum cortisol, estradiol, progesterone, and relaxin. METHODS Forty-six women with first-trimester singleton gestations consented to participate in this longitudinal observational study. Bilateral wrist laxity measurements (flexion-extension and medial-lateral deviation) were made using a clinical goniometer, and serum levels of cortisol, estradiol, progesterone, and relaxin were determined during each trimester of pregnancy and postpartum. Patients were also screened for subjective joint complaints. Statistical analysis included Student t test, analysis of variance, and linear regression analysis. RESULTS Eleven women (24%) were excluded from the study after spontaneous first-trimester pregnancy loss. Fifty-four percent (19 of 35) demonstrated increased laxity (10% or higher) in either wrist from the first to the third trimester. Although serum levels of cortisol, estradiol, progesterone, and relaxin were significantly elevated during pregnancy, no significant differences in these levels were noted between those who became lax during gestation and those who did not. Linear regression analysis of wrist joint laxity and level of serum estradiol, progesterone, and relaxin demonstrated no significant correlation. Wrist flexion-extension laxity, however, did significantly correlate with level of maternal cortisol (r = 0.18, P = .03). Fifty seven percent of women developed subjective joint pain during pregnancy, which was not associated with increased joint laxity, but was associated with significantly increased levels of estradiol and progesterone. CONCLUSION Peripheral joint laxity increases during pregnancy; however, these changes do not correlate well with maternal estradiol, progesterone, or relaxin levels.

Management of asymptomatic ovarian and other adnexal cysts imaged at US Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound consensus conference statement.

The Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound (SRU) convened a panel of specialists from gynecology, radiology, and pathology to arrive at a consensus regarding the management of ovarian and other adnexal cysts imaged sonographically in asymptomatic women. The panel met in Chicago, IL, on October 27-28, 2009, and drafted this consensus statement. The recommendations in this statement are based on analysis of current literature and common practice strategies, and are thought to represent a reasonable approach to asymptomatic ovarian and other adnexal cysts imaged at ultrasonography.

Bleeding related to etonogestrel subdermal implant in a US population

BACKGROUND The etonogestrel subdermal implant received US Food and Drug Administration approval in 2006. Menstrual changes represent a common reason why recipients of this implant request early implant removal. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective review of medical records of 155 patients with placement of this implant at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and medical literature review. RESULTS In 151 patients (97.4%), this implant was placed for contraception. Sixty-four patients (41.3%) contacted a health care provider about implant-related issues after insertion, including 39 (25.2%) for abnormal bleeding. Mean body mass index (BMI) was 28.5, higher than prior studies of implant-related bleeding. Implant removal rate was 25.2% (mean interval, 9.8 months), with 14.8% requesting removal for bleeding changes. No insertion or postinsertion complications or contraceptive failures were found. CONCLUSIONS Age, race, BMI, parity, prior contraception method, and postpartum and breastfeeding status did not predict bleeding or removal for bleeding risk. Removal rates were higher for amenorrhea, occasional spotting or bleeding, and regular menses than for prolonged or continuous bleeding.

Abnormal Cervical Appearance: What to Do, When to Worry?

Many clinicians encounter cervical lesions that may or may not be associated with cytologic abnormalities. Such abnormalities as ectropion, Nabothian cysts, and small cervical polyps are quite benign and need not generate concern for patient or clinician, whereas others, including those associated with a history of exposure to diethylstilbestrol, cervical inflammation, abnormal cervical cytology, and postcoital bleeding, should prompt additional evaluation. Further, in some patients, the cervix may be difficult to visualize. Several useful clinical suggestions for the optimal examination of the cervix are presented.

Patient understanding of the revised USPSTF screening mammogram guidelines: need for development of patient decision aids.

BackgroundThe purpose of the study was to examine patients’ understanding of the revised screening mammogram guidelines released by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) in 2009 addressing age at initiation and frequency of screening mammography.MethodsPatients from the Departments of Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Obstetrics and Gynecology (n = 150) at a tertiary care medical center in the United States completed a survey regarding their understanding of the revised USPSTF guidelines following their release, within four to six months of their scheduled mammogram (March 2010 to May 2010).ResultsOf the patients surveyed, 97/147 (67%) indicated increased confusion regarding the age and frequency of screening mammography, 61/148 (41%) reported increased anxiety about mammograms, and 58/146 (40%) reported anxiety about their own health status following the release of the revised screening guidelines. Most of the patients surveyed, 111/148 (75%), did not expect to change their timing or frequency of screening mammograms in the future.ConclusionResults from this survey suggested increased confusion and possibly an increase in patients’ anxiety related to screening mammography and their own health status following the release of the revised USPSTF screening mammogram guidelines to the public and subsequent media portrayal of the revised guidelines. Although the study did not specifically address causality for these findings, the results highlight the need for improvements in the communication of guidelines to patients and the public. Development of shared decision-making tools and outcomes should be considered to address the communication challenge.

Association of body mass index with removal of etonogestrel subdermal implant

BACKGROUND Bleeding irregularities represent the most common etonogestrel subdermal implant (ESI) removal indication. STUDY DESIGN ESI placements (n=304) from June 2007 to April 2011 were grouped by removal indications. Group characteristics were compared using one-way analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis and χ(2) test. RESULTS Of 304 insertions, 30.6% reported irregular bleeding. Removal indications included bleeding (Group 1, n=50), side effects (Group 2, n=17) and desired pregnancy/no need (Group 3, n=25). Group 4 kept (n=198) or reinserted (n=14) ESI. Median body mass index was lower for Group 1 compared to other groups (p=.012). Group 3 was older than Group 1 or 4 (p=.021), and more likely parous (p<.001) and postpartum (p=.001) than other groups. Lactational placement was more common in Group 3 than 4 (p<.001). Obese women were 2.6 times less likely to remove ESI for bleeding vs. normal-weight or overweight women (95% confidence interval, 1.2-5.7; p=.014). CONCLUSIONS After adjusting for age and parity, obese women were less likely to have ESI removal for bleeding.

Current issues in contraception

Contraceptive management in women should take into account patient lifestyle and coexisting medical issues as well as method safety, efficacy, and noncontraceptive benefits. This review focuses on common and timely issues related to contraception encountered in clinical practice, including migraine headaches and associated risk of ischemic stroke, the use of combined hormonal contraception along with citalopram and escitalopram, contraceptive efficacy and safety in the setting of obesity, contraceptives for treatment of menorrhagia, the association of intrauterine contraception and decreased risk of cervical cancer, and the association of venous thromboembolism and combined hormonal contraception. Recent trends supporting the use of long-acting reversible contraception are also reviewed.

Comparison of dysplastic and benign endocervical polyps

Objective This study aimed to estimate dysplasia rate in histologically evaluated endocervical polyps and to compare histological and clinical characteristics of dysplastic (D) polyps with those displaying representative benign changes. Materials and Methods Endocervical polyps removed at Mayo Clinic from January 1994 to December 2010 were categorized as polyp without other descriptors, benign polyp variants, adenomatous or reactive atypical (AR) polyps, and D polyps. Clinical characteristics, cervical cytological result, and polyp histological result of patients in the latter 2 categories were compared. Results Among the 4,328 patients with endocervical polyps, 3,656 were classified as polyp without other descriptors, 628 as benign polyp variants, 34 as AR polyps, and 9 as D polyps. Dysplasia was mild in 4 polyps, moderate in 1 polyp, and severe in 4 polyps. Overall risk of dysplasia was 0.2%. Patients with D polyps were younger (mean = 40.3 vs. 49.8 years, p = .009) and more likely to have abnormal cervical cytological result before polyp removal (67% vs. 21%, p = .014) as compared with those with AR. Patients with D polyps tended to have a polyp greater than 20 mm (44% vs. 15%, p = .074) compared with those with AR polyps. Associated endometrial pathological diagnosis was limited to a prolapsed endometrial polyp in 1 patient and submucosal endometriosis in 1 patient. Conclusions Patients with D polyps were younger and had a greater likelihood of abnormal cytological result before polyp removal. No polyp size threshold below which dysplasia could be excluded was identified. No primary cervical cancer, endometrial hyperplasia, or cancer was identified.

Understanding Women's Sexual Health: A Case-Based Approach

Female sexual dysfunction is complex and its management challenging. In this review, we discuss female sexual response and the definitions of female sexual disorders. Evidence-based strategies for the evaluation and multidisciplinary treatment of female sexual dysfunction are presented in a case-oriented manner applicable to everyday clinical practice.