Vasileios Liberis

Clinical evaluation of women with PMB. Is it always necessary an endometrial biopsy to be performed? A review of the literature

BackgroundEndometrial carcinoma is the most distressing cause of abnormal vaginal bleeding. The intention of clinical management in the case of postmenopausal bleeding is to achieve an accurate diagnosis without overinvestigation.MethodWe studied the available literature on the diagnostic evaluation of postmenopausal women with vaginal bleeding, accentuating the most important aspects on this topic: the accuracy of sonography and endometrial biopsy in predicting endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial carcinoma.ResultsThe accuracy of the above tests in predicting endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial carcinoma is a subject of continuing debate. Μοreover, in the last decades, there has been an explosion of publications indicating that ultrasound may be useful in predicting endometrial pathology.ConclusionSince advanced endometrial carcinoma has been known to occur in cases without noticeable endometrial thickness on ultrasound, the clinician should beware of the diagnostic evaluation of postmenopausal women with vaginal bleeding.

Uterine prolapse in pregnancy: risk factors, complications and management

Abstract Presentation of uterine prolapse is a rare event in a pregnant woman, which can be pre-existent or else manifest in the course of pregnancy. Complications resulting from prolapse of the uterus in pregnancy vary from minor cervical infection to spontaneous abortion, and include preterm labor and maternal and fetal mortality as well as acute urinary retention and urinary tract infection. Moreover, affected women may be at particular risk of dystocia during labor that could necessitate emergency intervention for delivery. Recommendations regarding the management of this infrequent but potentially harmful condition are scarce and outdated. This review will examine the causative factors of uterine prolapse and the antepartum, intrapartum and puerperal complications that may arise from this condition as well as therapeutic options available to the obstetrician. While early recognition and appropriate prenatal management of uterine prolapse during pregnancy is imperative, implementation of conservative treatment modalities throughout pregnancy, these applied in accordance with the severity of the uterus prolapse and the patient’s preference, may be sufficient to achieve uneventful pregnancy and normal, spontaneous delivery.

The role of lymphadenectomy in uterine leiomyosarcoma: review of the literature and recommendations for the standard surgical procedure

Uterine sarcomas are rare and aggressive gynaecologic malignancies with poor prognosis, arising from myometrial or endometrial tissue. These rare cancers can be aggressive, and account for a greatly disproportionate amount of deaths from uterine cancers. The histological uterine sarcomas classification includes carcinosarcomas (malignant mesodermal mixed tumors), accounting for 40% of cases, leiomyosarcomas (40%) and endometrial stromal sarcomas (10–15%). Each group of these tumors presents differences in diagnosis, prognostic factors, treatment, and outcome. Uterine leiomyosarcomas typically affects women in their sixth decade of life, presenting with atypical symptoms such as abnormal uterine bleeding and abdominal pain. The optimal treatment of uterine leiomyosarcomas is surgery, including total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingooophorectomy. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature regarding the standard surgical procedure of uterine leiomyosarcomas and investigate whether lymphadenectomy affects the 5-year DSS, as well as other relevant clinical outcomes, in women with uterine leiomyosarcomas. For this purpose, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases were reviewed, and a critical account of the management strategies of these tumors is presented.

Diagnosis and laparoscopic management of a rudimentary uterine horn in a teenage girl, presenting with haematometra and severe endometriosis: Our experience and review of literature

Summary A unicornuate uterus is a rare congenital malformation of the female genital tract, which appears in about 1/1000 women and is characterized by significant anatomic variability. In the most common type, a noncommunicating rudimentary horn coexists with the unicornuate uterus. The diagnosis of this anomaly is usually delayed, as it remains asymptomatic until adolescence and its initial symptoms are atypical. As a result, it is often diagnosed after the appearance of severe complications, such as haematometra, endometriosis, infertility and ectopic pregnancy. We report a case of a teenage girl presenting with dysmenorrhoea, endometriosis and haematometra secondary to a noncommunicating rudimentary horn. The diagnosis of the anomaly was based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and laparoscopy. The excision of the symptomatic rudimentary horn and the ipsilateral fallopian tube was also performed laparoscopically. A review of the literature follows, focusing mainly on the diagnosis and laparoscopic management of a unicornuate uterus and its complications in adolescence. Laparoscopy is an accurate diagnostic tool, which also carries significant advantages in effective surgical management of congenital uterine anomalies, especially in young women.

The contribution of hysteroscopy to the detection malignancy in symptomatic postmenopausal women

Abstract Hysteroscopic evaluation of endometrial cavity is widely used in cases of abnormal uterine bleeding. The aim of the present study is to compare the hysteroscopic and histological findings in women suffering from postmenopausal bleeding. Between 1990 and 2009, 425 women aged 47–83 years were included in the study. None of the women had received hormonal therapy or had any malignancy in the past. All women underwent diagnostic hysteroscopy and histologic sampling of the endometrial cavity. Hysteroscopy was successfully completed in 423 women and was suggestive of malignant lesions in 23 cases, which were confirmed histologically. The hysteroscopic findings in three cases were suggestive of atrophic endometrium, atypical hyperplasia and endometrial carcinoma, and the histologic diagnosis confirmed endometrial carcinoma (two cases) and one uterine sarcoma. Hysteroscopy proves to be a safe and effective technique in the diagnosis and management of abnormal uterine bleeding.

Should lymphadenectomy be performed in early stage I and II sarcomas of the corpus uteri

Aim:  The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of radical lymphadenectomy as a prognostic factor in the management of uterine sarcomas.

Assessment of the feasibility of bipolar coagulation use to reduce hemorrhage in myomectomy performed by minilaparotomy

Abstract The major problem with myomectomy is excessive bleeding from increased uterine blood supply, and this can be a life-threatening condition and prolong postoperative stay. The aim of our study was to evaluate our experience in symptomatic myoma excision with bipolar electrode by mini-laparotomy; we compared 67 procedures with bipolar electrode, in normal saline as distension fluid, to 42 cases performed with unipolar electrode. All participants were pre-menopausal women who had symptomatic myomas ≤ 10 cm and had similar demographic characteristics. According to our findings we observed a mean of 159.04 ml (SD 50.59) of blood loss during the unipolar method and a mean of 104.47 ml (SD 50.55) during the bipolar method. Postoperative complications were more frequent in the unipolar group. The group treated with bipolar coagulation was associated with less recurrence of myoma, independent of their location, and an increased postoperative pregnancy rate. In our experience the use of bipolar coagulation led to a satisfactory improvement of the surgical treatment of symptomatic myoma in women who wished to retain their uteri.

Low-Grade Uterine Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma Presented as a Submucosal Leiomyoma during Labor

With the exception of leiomyomas, soft tissue tumors of the uterine corpus are not common. This is particularly true for vascular neoplasms, with the epithelioid hemangioendothelioma being a curiosity; not more than twenty-two cases of malignant hemangioendotheliomas have been reported in the literature so far, all of which were high-grade hemangioendotheliomas (hemangiosarcomas). We present herewith a unique case of low-grade epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the uterus in a pregnant woman aged 29 years. The clinical, histological, and immunohistochemical characteristics of this entity, together with its differential diagnosis, are discussed.

The effect of the use of a new type of partogram on the cesarean section rates.

OBJECTIVE To assess the contribution of a new type of partogram, used in labor monitoring, in caesarean section rates. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included term singleton uncomplicated pregnancies divided into two groups. Two types of partogram were used in labor monitoring. In the first group, the classical WHO partogram (A) was used. In the second group, a new type of partogram, in which cervical dilatation and the position of descending head (B) (one line) were estimated and reported, was used. The labor duration and caesarean section rates were calculated and compared in the two groups. RESULTS A statistically significant decrease in labor duration (from the initiation of the active phase of labor to the delivery time) (dt1+dt2+dt3) (p<0.001, A: median: 318.4±10.4 min, B: 246.56±8.28 min) and in caesarean section rates was noted (p<0.001, A: 89 vs B: 49). CONCLUSION The new type of partogram seems to have potential benefits such as reducing the incidence of prolonged labor and decreasing the caesarean section rates.

Comparative study of the intravenous chemoprophylaxix versus local Sulmycin® Implant E Sponge use in vaginal hysterectomy

Abstract Objective: The aim of this comparative study was to ascertain the efficacy of the Sulmycin® Implant E, an antiseptic sponge, on the incidence of peri- and postoperative morbidity in patients subjected to vaginal hysterectomy. Material and methods: This eleven-year study included 228 patients undergoing vaginal hysterectomy. The patients were divided into two groups. Group A included 169 participants with benign diseases (fibroids, dysfunctional uterine bleeding and prolapse) and group B included 59 patients with early stage endometrial cancer or atypical hyperplasia. Women of both groups were further divided into three subgroups: (a) receiving a single dose of intravenous cefuroxime (2 gr) (group A: 55, group B: 19), (b) receiving three doses of intravenous cefuroxime (2 gr) (group A: 54, group B: 19), and (c) locally placed a collagen sponge containing gentamycin (Sulmycin® Implant E) (group A: 60, group B: 21). Results: The number of postoperative infections (mainly urinary tract infections) did not differ between women of the three subgroups of patients in both groups. There were no important differences affecting the postoperative hospitalization, healing procedure and adhesion of the cuff between women of the three subgroups in both groups. Conclusion: The local chemoprophylaxis with Sulmycin® Implant E, a collagen sponge containing gentamycin and placed on the vaginal cuff, is well tolerated and equally effective as intravenous antibiotics.