Analysis of preoperative and postoperative quality of life, sexual function, and sleep in patients with endometriosis: a prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: Endometriosis affects the quality of life, sleep, and sexual life of patients due to pain. This study compared the scores of endometriosis patients in these three areas before and after surgery. METHODS: Patients between the ages of 18 and 60 with a prediagnosis of endometriosis were enrolled. Postoperative histopathological diagnosis of endometriosis was confirmed in all patients. This study included 56 patients who completed pre- and postoperative (three months) evaluation of quality scale questionnaires: a visual analog scale for pelvic pain, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, Endometriosis Health Profile-30 Questionnaire, and Female Sexual Function Index were administered prior to and 3 months after each patient's surgery. RESULTS: Among the 56 female patients included in this study, statistically significant improvement was observed in pain scores, quality of life, sexual function, and sleep of all patients regardless of endometriosis stage. CONCLUSION: Endometriosis is a disease that progresses, with increasing pain scores; it has negative effects on the quality of life, sexual function, and sleep of patients. Surgical or medical treatment can be performed considering the complaints and fertility status of the patients.

The Effect of Upper Abdominal Surgery on Complication Profile in Ovarian Cancer.

Introduction: Due to the superficial peritoneal spread of ovarian cancer, upper abdominal surgical procedures are often required to achieve optimal surgical cytoreduction. This study compares the mortality and morbidity rates of patients undergoing upper and lower abdominal cytoreductive surgery in our institution. Material and Methods: Patients who underwent cytoreductive surgery for ovarian malignancies from 2014 to 2020 were retrospectively identified from an institutional database. Upper abdominal cytoreduction was defined anatomically as debulking of disease proximal to the ligament of Treitz. Perioperative and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. Results: A total of 148 operations were performed. A single gynecologic oncologist performed all procedures. When all cytoreductive procedures were evaluated, diaphragm injury, blood transfusion, hospital stay, atelectasis, pneumonia, effusion, wound infection and need for intensive care were found to be statistically significantly higher in patients who underwent upper abdominal surgery compared to patients in the lower abdominal surgery group (p=0.001, p=0.017, p=0.002, p=0.045, p=0.006, p=0.005, respectively). Conclusion: In patients scheduled for cytoreductive surgery with the diagnosis of ovarian cancer, upper abdominal surgery is a viable procedure, although it carries a higher risk of complications compared to lower abdominal surgery alone. Upper abdominal surgery in advanced ovarian cancer can be applied to patients with an acceptable complication profile when the possible survival advantage is considered.

Major Surgical Resections in Abdominopelvic Sarcomas: Clinical Features and Results of 38 patients: A Tertiary-Center Experience.

Introduction: Sarcomas with mesenchymal origin located in the abdominal cavity or retroperitoneal space are rare. They might reach large dimensions due to the non-specific and late onset of clinical symptoms. In this study we aim to provide the outcomes of 38 cases. Methods: Thirty-eight patients, whose data had been registered and analyzed completely in a prospective manner, were enrolled in the study. Demographic Findings, Primary-Recurrent Status of the disease, surgical method applied (R0-1-2), additional organ resections, Morbidity and Mortality rates, HIPEC application, Histopathological results and overall survival outcomes during follow-up were evaluated in the enrolled cases. Results: Thirty-eight (38) patients were operated on due to soft tissue sarcomas located in the abdominal and retroperitoneal area. The mean age of patients was 57.63 +- 15.38. The localization rates of retroperitoneal, abdominal and visceral tumors were 28%, 58%, and 12%, respectively. The mean tumor size was 12.96 cm +- 9.62. Twenty-seven patients (71%) underwent R0 resection, 7 patients (18%) underwent R1 resection, 4 patients (10%) underwent R2 resection. Additionally, sarcomatosis was detected in 6 patients and these patients underwent Cytoreductive Surgery+HIPEC. The first 30-day mortality and morbidity rates were 10.5% (4 patients) and 44% (17 patients), respectively. Conclusion: Surgery is the gold standard treatment of this condition. The most important stage in the management of the condition is the discussion of these cases in multidisciplinary teams in centers experienced in this disease in terms of prognosis and local recurrence and deciding on the treatment strategy based on these discussions.

The role of anti-Müllerian hormone in predicting clomiphene citrate resistance in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Clomiphene citrate (CC) is the agent of first choice in polycystic ovarian syndrome; however, anovulation problem does not resolve in a quarter of them. Thus, we investigated the value of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) in the prediction of ovarian response to CC in women with the polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). This prospective cohort study included 90 anovulatory women with PCOS who were given 50 mg/d CC. The patients who ovulated occupied the group of responders and the patients who did not ovulate in three cycles included in the CC-resistant group. AMH levels of both groups were compared. p < .05 was considered statistically significant. Patients who ovulated had significantly lower serum AMH concentrations compared with the resistant group (p = .001). After analyzing the ROC curve, serum AMH concentration was found to be a useful predictor of CC resistance with the sensitivity of 66% and the specificity of 89%, when the threshold AMH concentration was >12.38 ng/ml in PCOS patients. In the present study, we revealed that the higher the AMH level the poorer the CC response would be in PCOS patients, therefore we recommend measuring the AMH levels of all PCOS patients before planning any ovulation induction treatment to achieve the desired success.

Re:Urethral bulking for recurrent stress urinary incontinence after midurethral sling failure.

The Integral Theory consists of nine specific sites three main compartments which are supporting the female pelvis. Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is caused due to laxity in the vaginal supporting ligaments in especially anterior pelvic compartment which consists of pubourethral ligament, external urethral ligament, and hammock. The diagnose of each failure should be distinguished for the choose of the most effective treatment. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:1218-1218, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Use of cervicovaginal PAMG-1 protein as a predictor of delivery within seven days in pregnancies at risk of premature birth.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the utility of vaginal placental alpha microglobulin-1 (PAMG-1) protein as a predictor of preterm delivery within 7 days in pregnancies at risk of premature birth. METHODS: This prospective study was performed in women at risk of premature birth. The levels of vaginal PAMG-1 and foetal fibronectin (fFN) and the transvaginal cervical length measurement (CLM) were investigated and compared. RESULTS: Seventy-two pregnant women were included in this study. The sensitivities of PAMG-1, fFN and CLM were 73.3, 73.6%, and 52.9%, respectively, while the specificities of PAMG-1, fFN and CLM were 92.9%, 94.3%, and 90.9%, respectively. The positive predictive values of PAMG-1, fFN and CLM were 73.3%, 82.3%, and 64.2%, respectively, and the negative predictive values of PAMG-1, fFN and CLM were 92.9%, 90.9%, and 86.2%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic accuracy of PAMG-1 is similar to that of fFN in terms of preterm labour detection within 7 days.

The utility of maternal mean platelet volume levels for early onset neonatal sepsis prediction of term infants.

OBJECTIVES: This study is aimed to evaluate the role of maternal mean platelet volume (MPV) levels for antenatal prediction marker of early onset neonatal sepsis in term infants born to mothers who have low infection risk. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 62 pregnant women who gave birth in our hospital and whose neonates were admitted to a third level Neonatal Intensive Care Unit due to confirmed neonatal sepsis between January 2010 and May 2016 were selected as a study group. Within the same period, 68 women who gave birth to healthy neonates were enrolled as a control group. We compared maternal MPV values which were evaluated before delivery. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to evaluate the values maternal MPV in the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. RESULTS: MPV levels were detected statistically higher in the study group than the control group (8.27 ± 1.85 vs. 8.98 ± 1.16) (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The maternal serum MPV level is a clinically useful, non-invasive and reliable marker in antenatal prediction of EOS.

Changes in Copper, Zinc, and Malondialdehyde Levels and Superoxide Dismutase Activities in Pre-Eclamptic Pregnancies.

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disorder that occurs in 2% to 8% of pregnancies. Although numerous studies have investigated the etiology and pathophysiology of preeclampsia, the precise pathological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Hence, in the present study malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and SOD expression, and Cu and Zn concentrations and ratios were correlated with birth weights in pregnant women with and without PE, and in non-pregnant females of reproductive age. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were determined spectrophotometrically, and Cu and Zn levels were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry in serum from 42 non-pregnant women (NP), 40 healthy pregnant women (HP), and 38 pre-eclamptic pregnant (PE) women. Subsequently, Cu/Zn ratios were calculated and associations with birth weights were analyzed using Spearman correlations. RESULTS: Cu, Zn, and MDA levels and Cu/Zn ratios were significantly higher in the PE group than in the HP and NP groups, and were significantly higher in the HP than in the NP group (p<0.001 and p<0.001; respectively). In contrast, serum Zn and SOD levels were significantly lower in the PE group than in HP and NP groups, and were significantly lower in the HP group than in the NP group (p<0.001 and p<0.001; respectively). However, only Cu and Zn levels were significantly associated with fetal birth weights (r=-0.433, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Serum Cu/Zn ratios may reflect vascular complications of PE, and the ensuing increases in lipid peroxidation may play important pathogenic roles.

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein as a novel marker in early diagnosis of ovarian torsion: an experimental study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of ovarian torsion on plasma high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels and to determine whether hs-CRP levels were a useful adjunct that could be used in the diagnosis of ovarian torsion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen nulligravid 4-month-old female Wistar albino rats were randomly and equally allocated into two groups. Control group, sham operation (n = 8) group, and study group, ovarian torsion (n = 8) group. Ovarian torsion model was created using titanium vascular clips and vascular clips were kept for a 2-h period. Right ovaries were surgically removed at the end of the procedure in each group. Blood was sampled before and after operation to assess plasma hs-CRP levels. Ovarian histopathologic findings scores and plasma hs-CRP levels were evaluated. RESULTS: In study group, the mean plasma hs-CRP level was significantly higher than that in the control group. (0.91 ± 0.18 vs. 0.39 ± 0.06 mg/l, respectively, p < 0.001), following 2 h of ovarian torsion. Histologic examinations of the right ovary confirmed the torsion model. Histologic score of the specimens had higher scores for follicular cell degeneration (p = 0.002), vascular congestion (p = 0.002), inflammatory cell infiltration (p = 0.003), and hemorrhage (p < 0.001) in the study group. For the change in the plasma hs-CRP value for a cut-off value of >0.275 mg/l, sensitivity and specificity were calculated as 100 %. CONCLUSION: The measurement of hs-CRP in a rat model seems to be a valuable plasma marker in early detection and diagnosis of ovarian torsion. However, further clinical and experimental studies of a larger size are required.

Late recurrence of aggressive angiomyxoma of the vulva.

OBJECTIVE: Aggressive angiomyxoma (AA) is found mainly in the pelvis and perineum, with a female-to-male ratio of approximately 6:1. Although it is a slow growing tumor, AA has a marked tendency to local recurrence with a low metastasis capacity. The study aimed to describe a case of vulvar angiomyxoma recurred almost 20 years after its initial surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We report the case of a 57-year-old gravida 5 para 4 woman with vulvar AA arising from the left labium majus, which recurred 20 years after initial surgery. There was a nontender, solid, mobile mass on the left vulva, which was 25 x 30 cm on physical examination. A pelvic computed tomographic scan showed a mass measuring 26 x 10 x 14 cm originating from left vulvar region, which has a fatty tissue density. RESULT: Under general anesthesia, total excision of the tumor was performed. Macroscopically, the tumor weighed 723 g and measured 33 x 20 x 10 cm. The histopathological examination of the specimen revealed a myxoid tumor with sparse infiltrates of spindle-shaped to stellate cells and vessels of varying sizes. The final histopathological diagnosis was AA. CONCLUSIONS: Aggressive angiomyxoma may form extremely large tumors, and recurrence is not rare even many years after primary surgery.

Sertoli leydig cell tumor of the ovary in a woman with cushing syndrome: A case report.

Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor (SLCT) is a rare tumor of the ovary.Cushing's syndrome (CS), on the other hand, is a clinical picture formed by the long-term high levels of glucocorticoids in the blood for any reason and the resulting symptoms. Exceptionally in some of cases, a tumor far from the adrenal region synthesizes adrenocortical hormones. Among such ectopic neoplasms, CS Tumors of the ovary that secrete cortisol as a cause of the disease is an exceptional case. In other words, in this case, we argue that the tumor in the ovary causes Cushing's syndrome by secreting cortisol and ACTH-like peptides. There are 5 cases reported in the literature. In this case report we present a case in which SCLT of the ovary was detected by histopathological examination in a patient who underwent laparoscopic surgery due to Cushing's syndrome and bilateral adnexal mass.

Family planning choices in couples using contraception without knowing they are infertile: should newly-wed men undergo a routine spermiogram?

INTRODUCTION: Newly-weds choose to use contraception either to spend the first years of their marriage more freely, because of economic reasons or because of the increase in working career women. We studied the reasons for infertility and the rate of contraception use in the first years of marriage among couples with primary infertility and evaluated the use of a spermiogram as a screening test in newly-wed men. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 302 couples with primary infertility who were treated at our infertility clinic were included in the study. The couples were divided into 2 groups: group 1 (infertile couples who have used contraception) consisted of 67 couples and group 2 (infertile couples who did not use contraception) consisted of 235 couples. RESULTS: Sixty-seven (22.5%) infertile couples stated that they had used no contraception in the first years of their marriage. In group 1, 35.8% of couples were diagnosed as having unexplained infertility, while 28.4% of them had male factor, 31.3% female factor and 4.5% a combination of male and female factor infertility. Sixteen men with male factor infertility used coitus interruptus (3-36 months) or condoms (6-12 months) unnecessarily. CONCLUSIONS: Infertility counseling in the early days of marriage and a spermiogram performed at that time could be beneficial for the newly-wed couples even if they do not want a child at the time. To perform a spermiogram as a screening test in all newly-wed men should be discussed.

Intraoperative Complications and Conversion to Laparatomy in Gynecologic Robotic Surgery.

INTRODUCTION: In this study our objective was to document complications encountered during our initial experience with the robotic system and also state the cases in which conversion to laparotomy was necessary. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study is a retrospective analysis of robotically performed gynecological and gynecologic oncology procedures at a single center from July 2016 to July 2018. Patient demographics and preoperative indications were obtained from the electronic medical records. RESULTS: The patients had a mean age of 53.6 years (range, 25-84 years). The operative time ranged from 1 h and 50 min to 9 h (mean, 5 h and 2 min). Most of the complications were managed within minutes and with robotic assisted suturing when necessary. Five patients out of 83 patients needed a surgical conversion from robotic surgery. Conversion rate was 6.02%. CONCLUSION: During the study period we were able to manage complications uneventfully without requiring conversion to laparotomy most of the time. Vascular complications encountered during robotic surgery can be managed without requiring conversion to laparatomy.

The clinical importance of polyp size measurement through two-dimensional saline infusion sonohysterography prior to hysteroscopic resection in predicting premalignant and malignant endometrial lesions.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical importance of endometrial polyp size measured using saline infusion sonohysterography (SIS) before performing a hysteroscopic resection in predicting premalignant/malignant lesions. METHODS: A retrospective observational study analysis was conducted of 365 patients, who underwent SIS, in a reference hospital. The longest plane of the polyp size was taken as base. Polyps were classified as benign, premalignant, or malignant. RESULTS: The rates of premalignant and malignant lesions were 7.4% and 0.9%, respectively. The mean polyp size was 17.7 ± 0.5 mm in benign patients and 23.7 ± 1.8 mm in premalignant/malignant individuals (P < 0.001). In the group of polyps that were 0-10, 10-20, 20-30, and >30 mm, premalignancy/malignancy rates were 0.0%, 4.8%, 13.3%, and 18.8%, respectively. The cut-off value for polyp size to be able to predict lesions was calculated as 22.5 mm (sensitivity: 63%, specificity: 80%) on receiver operating characteristics curve analysis (P = 0.001, area under the curve 0.732). The power of the study was calculated as 90.86%. CONCLUSION: During the female reproductive years, endometrial polyps smaller than 10 mm, as measured in SIS, can be followed. However, when the polyp size is 22.5 mm or more, especially in postmenopausal women, treatment should be planned.

Unilateral tubal twin ectopic pregnancy treated with single-dose methotrexate.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous tubal twin pregnancy is a rare condition with an incidence of 1 in every 125,000 pregnancies. We present the case of a unilateral tubal twin ectopic pregnancy treated with single-dose methotrexate. CASE: A 26-year-old nulliparous woman was admitted to our clinic with a complaint of vaginal bleeding and leftside pelvic pain. Her serum ß-human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-hCG) level was 18,780 mIU/mL and ultrasound revealed tubal twin pregnancy of 7 weeks' gestation. Because her vital signs were stable and no sign of tubal rupture was present, we performed single-dose (100 mg) methotrexate intramuscularly. In the follow-up, serum ß-hCG levels were found to be 7,600 mIU/ml on day 7, 948 mIU/ml on day 20, 126 mIU/ml on day 26 and <10 mIU/ml on day 42. CONCLUSION: Methotrexate theraphy may be preferred in tubal twin ectopic pregnancies when the vital signs of the patient are stable and the fetal cardiac activities are negative.

The relationship between serum thiol levels and thiol/disulfide homeostasis in women with tubal ectopic pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the thiol/disulfide homeostasis in tubal ectopic pregnancies in terms of early diagnosis of the disease. DESIGN: A prospective case-control study was carried out between June 2017-February 2018 in the Gynaecology Department of Umraniye Medical and Research Hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 42 women with ectopic pregnancy were compared with 44 healthy women who have intrauterine first trimester pregnancies. The thiol/disulfide homeostasis is evaluated with the spectrophotometric measurement method that was recently developed by Erel&Neselioglu. RESULTS: Disulfide/native thiol and disulfide/total thiol ratios were increased (p = 0.018 and p = 0.023 respectively), while native thiol/total thiol ratios and native thiol levels were decreased in tubal ectopic pregnancy group according to control group (p = 0.023). Between control and tubal ectopic pregnancy groups no differences were measured in disulfide levels (p = 0.350). The area under curve for native thiol and total thiol were 0.937 and 0.927, respectively. The optimum cut off value for native thiol was 379.95 µmol/l with a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 81%. The optimum cut off value for total thiol was 432.5 µmol/l had 92% sensitivity and 79% specificity. LIMITATIONS: In the study, whether intrauterine pregnancies resulted in miscarriage or delivery can be examined. CONCLUSION: Increased disulfide/native thiol levels, disulfide/total-thiol ratio and decreased native/total thiol ratio were found to be significantly associated with the presence of tubal ectopic pregnancy which can be useful for the early diagnosis of the disease.

Reliability and diagnostic performance of smartphone colposcopy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the interobserver and intraobserver reliability of smartphone colposcopy (SPC) versus conventional colposcopy and to determine diagnostic performance. METHODS: A smartphone back camera was used to capture cervical images before and after application of acetic acid, and after application of lugol solution. Captured images were reviewed independently by two experienced colposcopists and findings were noted as per colposcopy. Smartphone-based diagnostic performance was calculated, and kappa statistics were used for measurement of agreement between SPC and conventional colposcopy findings. RESULTS: A total of 114 women were included in the study. The kappa statistic for intraobserver reliability was 0.77 for both normal colposcopic findings and the transformation zone, indicating substantial agreement. Kappa values were 0.54 for acetowhite epithelium, 0.51 for lugol staining, and 0.51-0.60 for atypical vascularization. Kappa values for interobserver reliability were 0.76 for normal colposcopic findings, 0.56 for acetowhite epithelium, and 0.60 for lugol staining. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of SPC for CIN2+ were 88.2 (95% CI, 72.5-96.7), 48.7 (95% CI, 37.4-60.2), 0.42 (95% CI, 0.36-0.48), and 0.91 (95% CI, 0.79-0.96), respectively. CONCLUSION: SPC showed substantial agreement between the histologic diagnoses based on the captured images and conventional colposcopic findings.

Efficacy of micronised vaginal progesterone versus oral dydrogestrone in the treatment of irregular dysfunctional uterine bleeding: a pilot randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The vaginal route is more effective than the other drug delivery routes for some specific indications. AIM: To compare the efficacy of a vaginal progesterone preparation with that of oral dydrogesterone. METHODS: A total of 69 women with irregular dysfunctional uterine bleeding were randomly assigned into one of two groups: oral dydrogesterone group (n = 35) and vaginal progesterone group (n = 34). At the end of a three-month treatment period, the women were re-evaluated. The endometrial histology findings and menstrual cycle characteristics were used as primary outcome measures. Pearson chi-square and Fisher's exact test were used for data analysis. RESULTS: Findings from 54 eligible women were evaluated. There was no statistically significant difference in both menstrual recordings and endometrial histology results between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Vaginal micronised progesterone could be an alternative to oral preparations in the treatment of dysfunctional uterine bleeding. This needs to be further evaluated in adequately controlled randomised trials against other effective treatments.

Maternal serum thrombospondin-1 is significantly altered in cases with established preeclampsia.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to investigate whether maternal serum TSP-1 level was associated with PE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In our case control study, 84 pregnant women in the third trimester were included. Forty-one of them were healthy and 43 of them were with the diagnosis of PE. The diagnosis was based on the definitions of the National High Blood Pressure Education Program working Group on High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy. Preeclamptic patients were divided into two subgroups as mild and severe. Blood pressure (BP) of pregnant women were obtained in left-side lying position using a mercury sphygmomanometer after at least 10 minutes of rest. Ten milliliters of venous blood was taken from every pregnant women and dispensed into lithium heparin and serum was obtained. Samples were stored at -80 °C until analyzed. Serum TSP-1 level was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All tests were two-tailed and p < .05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: TSP-1 level was significantly lower in PE group than in controls (p = .003). Platelet counts were similar in two groups (p = .26). TSP-1 levels were significantly lower in severe PE than in mild PE cases. According to the subgroup analysis, TSP-1 level was found significantly lower in severe preeclampsia group compared to control group (p = .015). CONCLUSIONS: In light of the association between endothelial dysfunction and preeclampsia, we claim that lower levels of TSP-1 which is released mostly from endothelial cells seem to reflect disease severity in PE. Our study reveals that maternal serum TSP-1 levels decrease in pregnant women presenting with PE and TSP-1 may be a new biomarker for the detection of PE and even severity of it. Further studies especially prospective ones with greater numbers of cases are needed.