Sexual dysfunction in women with human papilloma virus infection in the Turkish population.

Human papilloma virus infection (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted disease. It may increase the risk of several cancers, including those of the cervix, vulva, vagina, head and neck. HPV is usually transmitted during sexual intercourse; there are limited data about sexual dysfunction (SD) after infection with this virus. We aimed to measure the incidence of SD in women with HPV. In this study, we evaluated 67 HPV-infected female patients and 66 healthy controls. The Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Socio Demographic Form were used for evaluation. Gynaecologists and psychiatrists evaluated the participants. Women with HPV were found to have significantly higher Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX) total scores and ASEX sub scores than the control group in the domains of sexual desire, arousal, genital response, orgasmic experience and their satisfaction from orgasm (p ≤ .05). The study group shows a statistically significant difference in the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), but Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scores show no significant differences between the experimental and control groups. Our study shows that HPV positivity in female patients is associated with a significant impairment in sexual function and that this impairment is not related to depression or anxiety. Impact statement What is already known on this subject? There are only a few studies concerned with sexual dysfunction in HPV patients. These studies have methodological problems, as they do not rule out the effect of depression on sexual dysfunction. It is very difficult to perform studies on sexual dysfunction and sexually transmitted diseases, because both physicians and patients are reluctant to talk about sexual problems. In the present study, only 6 out of 15 physicians accepted to contribute to the study. Although the physicians gave a questionnaire to more than 400 patients, only 133 of them completed that questionnaire. The most important difficulties in this study was to find enough patients. What do the results of this study add? Depression and sexual dysfunction are frequently seen in HPV patients. Although depression is one of the most common causes of sexual dysfunction, an HPV infection may lead to sexual dysfunction even in the patients without depression. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? HPV infections may be associated with mental health problems and sexual dysfunction. The gynaecologists and other clinicians working with HPV patients should also evaluate patients psychologically and refer patients to psychiatry if required. The psychiatric problems associated with an HPV infection do not only impair sexual functions, but also may lead to difficulties in social life.

Removal of unilateral endometriomas is associated with immediate and sustained reduction in ovarian reserve.

Endometrioma surgery by stripping the cyst capsule has been associated with a reduction in ovarian reserve. It is still not clear whether the inflicted damage is immediate, sustained over time or associated with the use of electrocautery, nor which marker is more accurately reflects the post-operative reduction in ovarian reserve. This observational study assessed the damage inflicted by endometrioma removal with anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentration and antral follicle count (AFC) pre and post-operatively. Twenty-five women with unilateral endometrioma underwent laparoscopic stripping of the endometrioma cyst capsule. There was a significant decrease both in AMH concentration (24%) and in AFC (11%) 1 month following surgery (P<0.01). At 6months post-operatively, the respective values were 24% and 15% less than preoperatively. AMH concentration and AFC showed no correlation with the use of bipolar electrocautery during surgery. Primordial follicles embedded adjacent to the cyst capsule were found in 61.5% of the specimens. Endometrioma surgery by stripping of the cyst capsule is associated with a significant reduction in ovarian reserve. The reduction is immediate and sustained over time. AMH appears to be a better indicator for post-operative quantification of the ovarian reserve.

Early cleavage of human embryos to the two-cell stage. A simple, effective indicator of implantation and pregnancy in intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between embryo cleavage time and implantation and pregnancy rates in women undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for male factor infertility. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 78 patients undergoing their first ICSI cycle were evaluated prospectively. Embryos were assessed for early cleavage to the two-cell stage 27 hours after injection. RESULTS: Early cleavage of at least one embryo was observed in 48 cycles (group I). None of the embryos cleaved early in the remaining 30 cycles (group II). There was no difference regarding mean patient age, duration of ovarian stimulation, number of gonadotropin ampules used, number of oocytes retrieved, fertilization, cleavage rates and embryo quality between the two groups. Implantation and clinical pregnancy rates were significantly higher in group I than II (17.9% and 45.8% vs. 5.1% and 16.7%, respectively; P < .05). Furthermore, progression to the blastocyst stage in excess embryos was significantly higher in group I than II (56.7% vs. 25.0%, P < .05). CONCLUSION: Pregnancy and implantation rates were higher in patients who have early cleaving embryos; absence of early cleavage was associated with a poor outcome.

Conjoined twins after intracytoplasmic sperm injection and transfer of day-3 embryos.

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of conjoined twins conceived through assisted reproduction after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and the transfer of three eight-cell embryos on day 3. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Assisted reproduction unit of a private hospital. PATIENT(S): A 32-year-old patient underwent ICSI and received three embryos. INTERVENTION(S): Ovarian stimulation and ICSI. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Images of the embryos and ultrasound images of the fetuses. RESULT(S): One embryo measuring 7 weeks, relatively big in size and bizarre in appearance with one heartbeat, was detected on transvaginal ultrasound at 6 weeks, 4 days of pregnancy. Two weeks later, another ultrasound was performed; two fetuses with a common heart were observed. In 10th week of pregnancy, two fetuses with two hearts and an attached thorax were observed. A diagnosis of thoracopagus was made, and the pregnancy was terminated. CONCLUSION(S): Conjoined twins conceived through assisted reproduction are extremely rare. This case, which occurred after transfer of cleavage-stage embryos, suggests that ovulation induction, ICSI, and assisted hatching may also play roles in addition to other factors commonly proposed to be responsible for conjoined twining, such as in vitro culture condition, culture time, and blastocyst-stage transfer.

Case report: delirium associated with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is one of the most important complications of assisted reproductive technologies. Mild OHSS is characterized by ovarian enlargement and abdominal discomfort. In severe cases anasarca, hepatic dysfunction, reduced blood volume, electrolyte imbalance, organ failure and thromboembolic phenomena may be observed. Delirium is a syndrome, not a disease, and has many causes, all of which result in a similar pattern of signs and symptoms relating to a patient's level of consciousness and cognitive impairment. Delirium remains an under-recognized and under-diagnosed clinical disorder. The case is presented of a 30-year-old woman with OHSS and delirium. She underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for severe male factor infertility. Five days after oocyte retrieval, ascite formation was observed in ultrasonographic evaluation, and embryo transfer was cancelled. Twelve days after retrieval she came to the emergency clinic with abdominal distension and pain. She was hospitalized and paracentesis was performed every other day three times. She had altered consciousness and psychomotor hypoactivity 1 h after the last paracentesis. Psychiatric consultation revealed that she was in a state of delirium, and haloperidol was administered for treatment. Her symptoms disappeared within a week. Her medication was stopped when symptoms resolved and she was still asymptomatic in psychiatric evaluation 1 week later.

A comparison of four different techniques of assisted hatching.

BACKGROUND: Assisted hatching (AH) has been proposed as a means to increase the implantation rate in patients with poor prognosis for pregnancy. The procedure appears to be effective when used selectively. Several different methods for AH have been introduced over the years but comparative studies are lacking. The aim of the current study was to compare retrospectively the efficacy of AH performed with four different methods in patients undergoing IVF or ICSI. METHODS: AH was performed prior to day 3 embryo transfer in 794 IVF/ICSI cycles. Indications for AH were females aged >35 years and/or elevated follicular phase FSH levels, previous failed IVF/ICSI cycles, poor embryo quality, and thick zona pellucida (>15 microm). Assignment to one of the four methods of AH was according to the availability of the particular method during the study period. The study was not randomized. RESULTS: Partial zona dissection was used in 239, acid Tyrode in 191, diode laser in 219 and pronase thinning of the zona pellucida in 145. Mean female age, mean number of previous failed IVF/ICSI cycles, number of oocytes retrieved, fertilization and cleavage rates, good quality embryos and zona thickness on day 3 did not differ between groups. Mean number of embryos transferred, implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and abortion rates were likewise similar. CONCLUSIONS: Selective AH using four different methods yields similar implantation and pregnancy rates.

Impact of oocyte pre-incubation time on fertilization, embryo quality and pregnancy rate after intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

Although, it is well known that pre-incubation of oocytes prior to conventional IVF improves fertilization and pregnancy rates, there are conflicting results regarding the effect of pre-incubation time in ICSI. This study evaluated the role of pre-incubation of oocytes on outcome in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. A total of 1260 patients undergoing their first ICSI cycles were evaluated retrospectively. In patients undergoing ICSI during the year 2000 (Group I, n = 670), oocytes were injected immediately after retrieval, whereas in patients undergoing ICSI during 2001 (Group II, n = 590), oocytes were incubated for 2-4 h prior to injection. The mean age of patients was 33.9 +/- 5.04 years and 34.1 +/- 5.06 years in groups I and II, respectively. The number of oocytes with a first polar body (MII) and fertilization and cleavage rates were higher, and embryo quality was significantly better in group II. In contrast, the total numbers of oocytes without a first polar body (MI), those where germinal vesicle breakdown had not occurred (GV), and empty zona oocytes were higher in group I. No difference was found in the number of embryos transferred or implantation or clinical pregnancy rates. This study demonstrated that pre-incubation of oocytes prior to ICSI is associated with improved maturation of oocytes, fertilization and embryo quality.

Transfer at the blastocyst stage of embryos derived from testicular round spermatid injection.

BACKGROUND: Intracytoplasmic injection of testicular round spermatids has been suggested as a salvage treatment in couples when testicular sperm extraction does not yield any mature sperm. However, the success of the procedure is debatable, and controversy surrounds issues such as the presence and (if present) identification of spermatids in testicular tissue. Progression rate to the blastocyst stage of spermatid-derived embryos appears to be low. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the feasibility and outcome of blastocyst stage embryo transfer after round spermatid injection (ROSI). ROSI was undertaken in 58 couples who did not yield mature or elongated sperm to testicular sperm extraction. RESULTS: The incidence of blastocyst formation from two pronuclear oocytes was 7.6%. A total of 16 blastocysts were transferred in 12 patients (20.7%). None of the patients conceived. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that the blastocyst stage is reached by only very few ROSI-derived embryos and these embryos do not implant.