Short-term outcomes of COVID-19 in pregnant women unvaccinated for SARS-CoV-2 in the first, second, and third trimesters: a retrospective study

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be asymptomatic or symptomatic in pregnant women. Compared to non-pregnant reproductive-aged women, symptomatic individuals appear to have a higher risk of acquiring severe illness sequelae. OBJECTIVES: We assessed the clinical and laboratory characteristics and outcomes of pregnant COVID-19 patients unvaccinated for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 according to the trimester of pregnancy. DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a retrospective observational study conducted in a tertiary-level hospital in Turkey. METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed the clinical and laboratory characteristics and outcomes of 445 pregnant COVID-19 patients hospitalized during the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy and 149 other pregnant women as controls in a tertiary center from April 2020 to December 2021. All participants were unvaccinated. RESULTS: Overall, the study groups were comparable in terms of baseline clinical pregnancy characteristics. There was no clear difference among the study participants with COVID-19 in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy. However, a considerably high number of clinical and laboratory findings revealed differences that were consistent with the inflammatory nature of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: The study results reveal the importance of careful follow-up of hospitalized cases as a necessary step by means of regular clinical and laboratory examinations in pregnant COVID-19 patients. With further studies, after implementing vaccination programs for COVID-19 in pregnant women, these data may help determine the impact of vaccination on the outcomes of pregnant COVID-19 patients.

Short-term outcomes of COVID-19 in pregnant women unvaccinated for SARS-CoV-2 in the first, second, and third trimesters: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be asymptomatic or symptomatic in pregnant women. Compared to non-pregnant reproductive-aged women, symptomatic individuals appear to have a higher risk of acquiring severe illness sequelae. OBJECTIVES: We assessed the clinical and laboratory characteristics and outcomes of pregnant COVID-19 patients unvaccinated for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 according to the trimester of pregnancy. DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a retrospective observational study conducted in a tertiary-level hospital in Turkey. METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed the clinical and laboratory characteristics and outcomes of 445 pregnant COVID-19 patients hospitalized during the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy and 149 other pregnant women as controls in a tertiary center from April 2020 to December 2021. All participants were unvaccinated. RESULTS: Overall, the study groups were comparable in terms of baseline clinical pregnancy characteristics. There was no clear difference among the study participants with COVID-19 in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy. However, a considerably high number of clinical and laboratory findings revealed differences that were consistent with the inflammatory nature of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: The study results reveal the importance of careful follow-up of hospitalized cases as a necessary step by means of regular clinical and laboratory examinations in pregnant COVID-19 patients. With further studies, after implementing vaccination programs for COVID-19 in pregnant women, these data may help determine the impact of vaccination on the outcomes of pregnant COVID-19 patients.

Is Surgical Treatment an Option for Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer in the Presence of Central Residual Tumor after Chemoradiotherapy?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcomes of surgical treatment in patients with chemoradiotherapy (CRT)-resistant and locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). METHODS: Patients with LACC who underwent surgery due to resistance to CRT between 2005 and 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) related factors were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 23 patients were included in the study and the median age was 51 years old. A total of 14 patients (60.8%) experienced recurrence; among these recurrences, 8 of them were local, 5 were distant, 1 was both distant and local. A total of 9 patients (39%) died. The Median DFS and OS durations were 15 and 32 months, respectively. A total of 17 patients (74%) had undergone simple hysterectomy, 4 (17%) radical hysterectomy, and 2 (9%) total pelvic exenteration. Postoperative grade 3 and 4 complications were seen in 12 patients (52%). Macroscopic tumor presence in the pathology specimen was associated with distant recurrence and positive surgical margins with local recurrence (Log-Rank test p = 0.029 and p = 0.048, respectively). The only factor associated with OS was surgical margin positivity (Log-Rank test p = 0.008). The type of surgery, grades 3 and 4 postoperative complications, brachytherapy, and tumor histology were not associated with recurrence. CONCLUSION: In patients with LACC, hysterectomy is an option in the presence of a central residual tumor after CRT. However, the risk of grades 3 and 4 complications of performed surgery is high. The presence of macroscopic tumor in the pathology specimen and positive surgical margins are poor prognostic factors. The goal of the surgeon should be to achieve a negative surgical margin. It does not seem important if the surgery is simple or radical.

Is surgical treatment an option for locally advanced cervical cancer in the presence of central residual tumor after chemoradiotherapy?

Abstract Objective To evaluate the outcomes of surgical treatment in patients with chemoradiotherapy (CRT)-resistant and locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). Methods Patients with LACC who underwent surgery due to resistance to CRT between 2005 and 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) related factors were analyzed. Results A total of 23 patients were included in the study and the median age was 51 years old. A total of 14 patients (60.8%) experienced recurrence; among these recurrences, 8 of them were local, 5 were distant, 1 was both distant and local. A total of 9 patients (39%) died. The Median DFS and OS durations were 15 and 32 months, respectively. A total of 17 patients (74%) had undergone simple hysterectomy, 4 (17%) radical hysterectomy, and 2 (9%) total pelvic exenteration. Postoperative grade 3 and 4 complications were seen in 12 patients (52%). Macroscopic tumor presence in the pathology specimen was associated with distant recurrence and positive surgical margins with local recurrence (Log-Rank test p = 0.029 and p = 0.048, respectively). The only factor associated with OS was surgical margin positivity (Log-Rank test p = 0.008). The type of surgery, grades 3 and 4 postoperative complications, brachytherapy, and tumor histology were not associated with recurrence. Conclusion In patients with LACC, hysterectomy is an option in the presence of a central residual tumor after CRT. However, the risk of grades 3 and 4 complications of performed surgery is high. The presence of macroscopic tumor in the pathology specimen and positive surgical margins are poor prognostic factors. The goal of the surgeon should be to achieve a negative surgical margin. It does not seem important if the surgery is simple or radical.

In patients with advanced ovarian cancer, primary suboptimal surgery has better survival outcome than interval suboptimal surgery

Objective: It is known that optimal or complete cytoreduction is the most important factor in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. The aim of this study was to examine the results of patients who did not undergo optimal cytoreduction and to examine subgroup analysis based on neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Material and Methods: Patients with advanced ovarian cancer and suboptimal surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Results: A total of 99 patients with a median age of 59.0 years (range, 22-87 years) were studied. The median follow-up time was 39±32.7 months, 81 patients (81.8%) died and 18 patients (18.2%) were alive. The five-year survival rate was 27.6%. Of the patients, 37 (37.4%) were underwent surgery after NAC, 62 (62.3%) were primary. More patients with NAC died within 3 years compared with those without NAC (83.9% vs 56.0%) (p=0.015). Patients with NAC had less tumor spread (presence of visible tumor in the upper abdomen during surgery) (29.7% vs 72.6%; p<0.001) and had less overall survival times when compared with patients who underwent primary surgery [median 22.3±1.2; 95% CI: (19.9-24.7) vs (37.5±11.2); 95% CI: (15.4-59.5) months; log rank test p=0.055]. The relationship between overall survival and factors such as age, NAC, presence of metastasis in the upper abdomen, and tumor histology (serous vs. non-serous) were analyzed using univariate cox regression analysis. Of these factors, only NAC was close to significant, but it did not reach significance (p=0.055). Conclusion: NAC reduces tumor burden before surgery in advanced ovarian cancer. The prognosis of patients who are not eligible for optimal surgery despite NAC is worse than in patients who do not receive NAC.

Investigation of Extra-Uterine Tumor Dissemination of Endometrial Cancers with Myometrial Invasion Less Than 50% According to Histologic Subtypes.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the rates of extra-uterine metastases of non-endometrioid endometrial tumors limited to the half of the myometrium. METHODS: Patients operated for endometrial cancer between 2005-2015 in two gynecologic oncology centers were screened from clinical archives. The inclusion criteria were serous, clear cell, undifferentiated or carcinosarcoma histologies and less than half myometrial invasion. Each histological type was analyzed for adnexal metastasis, lymph node metastasis (pelvic/paraaortic) and omental metastasis. RESULTS: A total of 116 patients with the median age of 64 (34-72) were examined. Of the patients, 57 were serous (49.1%), 29 were clear cell (25.0%), 27 were carcinosarcoma (23.3%) and 3 (2.6%) were undifferentiated histologic type. Adnexal metastasis (over/tuba) was detected in 15 patients (12.9 %), nodal metastasis in 10 patients (8.6%), and omental metastasis in 15 patients (12.9%). The rates of adnexal metastases were calculated as 14% for serous type, 10% for clear cell type and 11% for carcinosarcoma. Omental metastasis rates were 11% for serous type, 17% for clear cell type and 15% for carcinosarcoma. The rates of extra-peritoneal nodal metastases were calculated as 12% for serous type, 7% for clear cell type and 4% for carcinosarcoma. CONCLUSION: According to the findings obtained in this study, the rates of extra-uterine metastasis are high for serous, clear cell or carcinosarcoma types even in the early period. However, the lymph node metastasis in the carcinosarcoma seems to be lower. A comprehensive staging surgery should be planned for these patients, regardless of the depth of myometrial invasion.

Does the Increased Rate of Serous Component (≤25% vs. >25%) Increase Recurrence in Endometrial Cancer With Serous Plus Endometrioid Histology?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of increasing serous component ratio on survival in endometrium cancer patients with serous plus endometrioid histology. METHODS: The study cases included 33 patients who underwent surgery for endometrial cancer and had serous plus endometrioid carcinoma based on the pathology report between 2005 and 2014. Univariate Cox regression analysis was used for evaluation of the effects of age, stage, lymphadenectomy, serous component ratio, lymphovascular space invasion, depth of myometrial invasion, and tumour size criteria on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Median age was 63.0 years (range 45-81), and median follow-up duration was 54 months (range 13-144). Serous component ratio was less than 25% in 18 patients (55%) and more than 25% in 15 patients (45%). The rate of recurrence, DFS and OS were similar in the two groups (P = 0.695, P = 0.238, P = 0.134, respectively). Twenty-five patients (76%) were stage 1-2; 8 patients were (24%) stage 3-4. We evaluated the relationships of age, stage, lymphadenectomy, serous component ratio, lymphovascular invasion, myometrial invasion depth, and tumour size criteria with DFS and OS by univariate Cox regression analysis. Among these criteria, only the stage was detected to be in a significant relationship with DFS and OS (log rank test P < 0.001 and P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: This study supported that the most important prognostic factor in patient with serous plus endometrioid histology is the stage of the cancer. Patients with a serous component ratio of less than 25% had similar recurrence and mortality rates to those with more than 25%.

Does Home Birth Reduce the Risk of Pelvic Organ Prolapse?

OBJECTIVES: To determine the relationship between vaginal birth and the development of POP among women who deliv-ered in non-hospital settings (home birth). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data were collected retrospectively from the files of patients who presented to a hospital outpatient clinic between April 1, 2011 and April 1, 2012 with complaints of urinary incontinence, uterine sagging, vaginal mass, or vaginal pain. The patients' age, height, weight, body mass index, menopause age, number of deliveries, and presence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus were noted. Patients whose urogynecologic evaluation included POP Quantification (POP-Q) scoring were included in the study. The patients were separated into a group of women who had never given birth and another group of women with one or more deliveries. RESULTS: Of the 179 patients in the study, 28 had never given birth and 151 had given birth at least once. The nulliparous patients had no cystocele, rectocele, or uterine prolapse. The prevalence rates of cystocele, rectocele, and uterine prolapse were significantly higher in the multiparous group. Cystocele, rectocele, and uterine prolapse development were significantly correlated with number of deliveries, but there was no statistical association with age, body mass index, menopausal age, diabetes mellitus, or hypertension. univariate analysis reveals that the only factor effective in the development of cytocele, rectocele and prolapse is the number of births. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that only number of deliveries is associated with development of cystocele, rectocele, and uterine prolapse in women who gave birth by vaginal route in residential settings.

Effect of pomegranate extract on vagina, skeleton, metabolic and endocrine profiles in an ovariectomized rat model.

AIM: Many women need estrogen therapy because of menopausal complaints. It is suggested that pomegranate plant has estrogenic effect. Aim of the study was to examine the effects of pomegranate seed extract on menopausal changes. METHODS: This study was conducted in an experimental environment with 23 Wistar Albino genus female rats. Sixteen rats were divided into two groups after ovariectomy. One group (SG) was fed with standard food and the pomegranate extract was added to drinking water of the other group (PG). Seven rats were identified as the sham group for the detection of basal values. At the end of 90 days, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL)-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL)-cholesterol, triglyceride, tibial bone cortex thickness and vaginal epithelium thickness of the groups were compared. RESULTS: FSH, total-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol levels were similar among the three groups (P > 0.05), while others were different (P < 0.05). In binary comparisons (PG vs SG), estradiol level (average ± standard deviation [SD]: 252 ± 43 vs 154 ± 26 pg/mL), tibial bone cortex thickness (58 ± 7 vs 40 ± 2 µm) and vaginal epithelium thickness (21 ± 7 vs 10 ± 4 µm) were significantly higher in PG. In PG, triglyceride levels (103 ± 26 vs 87 ± 41 mg/dL) were higher and LDL-cholesterol levels were lower (20 ± 8 vs 27 ± 8 mg/dL), but these differences were not significant. CONCLUSION: In rats fed with pomegranate extract, estradiol levels increased and tibial bone cortex thickness and vaginal epithelium thickness also increased. Pomegranate itself or its formulation extracts may be a support or an alternative to the main treatment modalities in the preservation of bone density and the treatment of vaginal epithelial atrophy.

Is Omentectomy Necessary for Non-Endometrioid Endometrial Cancer.

BACKGROUND: In subtypes of non-endometrioid endometrium cancers (non-ECC), it is not clear whether the omentectomy is a part of debulking if visual assessment is normal. Recently, the ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO Endometrial Consensus Conference Working Group in their report titled "Endometrial Cancer: diagnosis, treatment and follow-up" recommended that omentectomy be performed in the serous subtype, but not in carcinosarcoma, undifferentiated endometrial carcinoma or clear cell. In this study, the question is whether omentectomy should be a part of a staging procedure in patients with non-ECC. Besides, the sensitivity and specificity of the visual assessment of omentum were analyzed. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with non-ECC in 2 gynecological oncology clinics between 2005 and 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Occult (absence of visible lesions) and gross (presence of visible lesions) omental metastasis rates of histological subtypes were analyzed. RESULTS: We identified 218 patients with non-ECC. Thirty-four of them (15.1%) had omental metastases and 44.1% of these metastases (n = 15) were occult metastases. The sensitivity of the surgeon's visual assessment of an omentum (positive or negative) was 0.55. The highest rate of omental metastasis was found in carcinosarcoma followed by serous, mixed subtypes, and clear-cell (20.4, 17.3, 16.6, 10.0%, respectively). Adnexal metastasis was the only factor associated with occult omental metastasis (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Omental metastases occur too often to omit omentectomy during surgical procedures for non-ECC regardless of histological subtypes, and visual assessment is insufficient in recognizing the often occult metastases. Omentectomy should be a part of the staging surgery in patients with non-ECC.

Clinicopathologic and survival results in serous endometrium carcinoma and subgroup analysis for mixed serous and pure serous histology.

OBJECTIVE: To review the clinicopathologic and survival outcomes of patients with serous endometrial cancer (EC) and to investigate subgroup analysis based on pure serous and mixed serous EC subtypes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients who underwent EC surgery between 2002 and 2014 and who were reported as serous EC were enrolled in the study. All patients were diagnosed as having serous EC or mixed serous EC with serous component higher than 10% based on the postoperative pathology report. RESULTS: A total of 93 patients were analyzed. The median disease-free and overall survival (OS) durations were 49.6 and 32.2 months, respectively. Forty-three patients (46.2%) relapsed and 35 patients (37.6%) died. The histologic type was pure serous EC in 52 (55.9%) and mixed EC in 41 (44.9%) patients. There was no statistical difference between the pure serous and mixed serous groups in terms of age, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage, lymphadenectomy, lymph node metastasis or adjuvant therapy combinations. Twenty-nine (55.8%) patients in the pure serous group and 14 (34.1%) in the mixed serous group hade recurrence (p=0.038). Twenty-five (48.1%) patients in the pure serous group and 10 (24.4%) in the mixed serous group died (p=0.034). In the pure serous group, the mean disease-free and OS durations were shorter than in the mixed serous group (59 vs. 81 months and 73 vs. 95 months, log-rank p=0.055 and 0.041, respectively). Histologic type was a significant prognostic factor on recurrence and OS in the univariate analysis (Hazard ratio: 2.404, 95% Confidence interval: 1.01-5.71; 2.027, respectively), but not in the multivariate analysis, which included disease stage and age of the patients. CONCLUSION: Compared with pure serous and mixed serous endometrium cancer groups, primary surgical treatments, clinicopathologic features and adjuvant treatments were similar, but there was a survival difference. Patients with pure serous cancer had a worse prognosis. However histology was not an independent factor for survival.

Prognostic Factors in Patients Undergoing Primary Cytoreductive Surgery for FIGO Stage IIIC Ovarian, Tubal or Peritoneal Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to investigate factors related to overall survival in advanced stage ovarian, tubal, or peritoneal cancer and to identify strong and weak prognostic factors. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 190 patients who underwent primary cytoreductive surgery between 2003 and 2013. RESULTS: Median overall survival duration was founded 58 months (95% CI 49-67). Five-year overall survival ratio was 48.5%. Presence of tumour at upper abdomen, suboptimal cytoreduction (residual >1 cm), surgery without lymphadenectomy, and presence of peritoneal ascites more than 1 L had a significantly negative effect on overall survival, but not histological grade and CA-125 level, by univariate Cox analysis. Age and presence of tumour in the upper abdomen were independent poor prognostic factors according to multivariate Cox model (HR 1.025; 95% CI 1.009-1.040 and HR 1.533; 95% CI 1.039-2.263, respectively). CONCLUSION: This study supports that the presence of tumour in the upper abdomen is the most important independent poor prognostic factor in patients with performed primary surgery for advanced stage ovarian, tubal, and peritoneal cancer. Upper abdominal metastasis is the most important predictive factor for optimal cytoreduction (P <0.001, HR 6.567; 95% CI 3.059-14.096).

Poor Prognostic Factors in Patients Undergoing Surgery After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Ovarian, Tubal, or Peritoneal Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the survival-related factors of patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer who underwent debulking surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). METHODS: Two hundred three patients with stage IIIC to IV ovarian cancer who underwent debulking surgery after NAC between 2002 and 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Overall survival-associated factors, including the performance of optimal surgery, the timing of NAC cycles, the presence of tumour regression according to the pathology report, and lymphadenectomy, were explored using logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Of the 203 patients, 82% (n = 165) underwent optimal surgery. The median follow-up time was 34 months (range 1-124), and the median overall survival was 37.5 months (95% CI 32.6-42.3). The 5-year overall survival rate was 31.3%. Performance of optimal surgery; <4 NAC cycles; presence of tumour regression (either macroscopically, microscopically, or no tumour present) in the omentum according to the pathology report; and lymphadenectomy were found to be statistically significant based on a univariate Cox analysis. Of these factors, >1 cm residual tumour, no tumour regression in the omentum according to the pathology report, and >4 NAC cycles were significant predictors of a poor prognosis based on a multivariate Cox model (hazard ratio [HR] 1.62, 95% CI 1.02-2.59; HR 2.07, 95% CI 1.36-3.17; HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.07-2.34, respectively). CONCLUSION: Results of the study support that >1 cm residual tumour at the end of the surgery, the presence of a macroscopic tumour in the omentum, and >4 NAC cycles were independent poor prognostic factors in patients with advanced stage ovarian, tubal, or peritoneal cancer who underwent surgery after NAC.

Surgical management of squamous cell vulvar cancer without clitoris, urethra or anus involvement.

Vulvar cancers, which constitute 5% of all gynecologic cancers, are the fourth most common female genital cancers, preceded by uterine, ovarian and cervical cancers. The treatment methods employed for vulvar cancers have changed over the years, with previously applied radical surgical approaches, such as en bloc resection, being gradually suspended in favor of treatment approaches that require dissection of less tissue. While the removal of less tissue, which today's approaches have focused on, prevents morbidity, this method seems to result in higher risks of recurrence. It is therefore important that the balance between preventing the recurrence of the disease and forefending against postoperative complications and vulvar deformity be properly understood. As a working assumption, if patients with vulvar cancer are diagnosed at an early stage, properly evaluated and administered appropriate treatment, the most positive results can be obtained. This paper aims to highlight this assumption and demonstrate, through the provision of actual data, how to plan the treatment approach for patients who are diagnosed early. Statements extracted from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines Version 1.2016 Sub-Committees on vulvar squamous cell carcinoma and articles by the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) regarding Vulvar Cancer Recommendations were used to obtain updated information.

Agreement between colposcopy results using the Reid Colposcopic Index and histopathology.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of colposcopy and to determine the strength of correlation between colposcopic impression using the Reid Colposcopic Index (RCI) and histopathology MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a prospective cross-sectional study carried out at the colposcopy clinic of Bakirköy Dr Sadi Konuk Education and Research Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, between June 2011 and September 2011. A total of 105 women who met the selection criteria were included in the study. All women underwent colposcopy and the final diagnosis was made using RCI. Colposcopy-guided biopsy was obtained from the abnormal areas. In cases when colposcopy did not reveal any lesion, a four-quadrant biopsy from the squamocolumnar junction was taken, which served as the gold standard. RESULTS: According to the Reid scoring system, there were 60% of benign cases, whereas 27.6%, 5.7%, and 6.7% of the women were diagnosed with CIN 1, CIN 2, CIN 3, respectively As far as histologic results were concerned, 62.9% of the subjects were benign, whereas 25.7%, 3.8%, and 7.6% of the patients were diagnosed with CIN 1, CIN 2, CIN 3, respectively. The correlation between the Reid scoring system and histologic results was statistically significant (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The correlation between colposcopic lesions graded with RCI and histology was strong, particularly in women who had HGSIL on a Pap smear. Good correlation between colposcopic imaging using RCI and histopathology makes it a reproducible technique, easy to implement in colposcopy clinics.