[Bladder endometriosis. Apropos of 4 cases and review of the literature]. / Endométriose vésicale. A propos de quatre cas et revue de la littérature.

The aim of our study is to evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic attitude toward endometriosis of the bladder. We have analysed four observations treated in the gynecologic service of Hotel-Dieu in Paris between January 1989 and January 1998, which represents 1.3% of all endometriosis operated during this period. Every patient underwent echography, RMN, UIV and cystoscopy. In all for cases a surgical treatment by laparotomy was realised. The choice of this way is explained by the multiple localisations of endometriosis in three cases and the impossibility of a coelioscopic treatment in the forth. The anatomopathologic exam found endometriosis in all of the cases.

Evaluation of maternal plasma creatine kinase activity as a marker of abnormal early pregnancy.

We have tested the value of maternal plasma creatine kinase activity for diagnosing ectopic pregnancies obtained after in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. Plasma creatine kinase was assayed in 57 patients: 20 normal, 23 miscarriages and 14 ectopic pregnancies, for a total of 240 samples. All values were in the lower part of the normal range except only one in a miscarrying patient. A statistically significant difference was observed for a cut-off value of 45 IU/l between normal and ectopic pregnancies. However, for this cut-off point, the measurement of plasma creatine kinase activity had a sensitivity of 0.50 and a specificity of 0.76 for the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy. The positive predictive value was 0.69. Creatine kinase activity measurements are thus of no practical value in this particular population, in which an early and specific marker of ectopic implantation would be of paramount interest. The association of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) determinations and ultrasound scanning of the pelvis still remain the best paraclinical support for an early diagnosis of ectopic implantation.