Preventive therapeutic options for postoperative recurrence of ovarian endometrioma: gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist with or without levonorgestrel intrauterine system insertion.

PURPOSE: Here, we compared endometrioma recurrence rates in patients who have undergone a laparoscopic cystectomy and treated with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) alone or a GnRHa combined with a levonogestrel intrauterine system (LND-IUS). METHODS: We enrolled endometrioma patients who underwent laparoscopic cyst enucleation and divided them into two groups according to postoperative management: GnRHa alone and GnRHa in combination with LND-IUS. We compared preoperative history, perioperative parameters, postoperative endometrioma recurrence, and symptoms between these two groups. RESULTS: A total of 320 patients were included in the final analysis. With a median 84.6 months of follow-up, we detected significant differences between the two groups with respect to age at surgery (31.6 ± 4.8 vs. 37.6 ± 4.2 years, χ2 = 1.978, p < 0.001), gravida (0 vs. 2, χ2 = 4.391, p < 0.001), parity (0 vs. 1, χ2 = 0.035, p < 0.001), body mass index (21.0 ± 2.5 vs. 21.9 ± 2.4, χ2 = 0.0096, p = 0.009), r-AFS score (48 vs. 64, χ2 = 4.888, p = 0.001), and operation time (60 vs. 75 min, χ2 = 9.119, p = 0.003). Patients treated with both GnRHa and LND-IUS achieved significantly less endometrioma recurrence (23.6 vs. 11.5%, χ2 = 5.202, p = 0.023) and higher rates of pain remission (92.1 vs. 100%, χ2 = 6.511, p = 0.011), while those with GnRHa alone suffered more recurrent and painful symptoms (χ2 = 9.280, p = 0.026). Multivariate analysis using a Cox regression demonstrated that combined GnRHa and LNG-IUS treatment correlated with a decreased endometrioma recurrence rate after laparoscopic cystectomy (RR 0.369, 95% CI 0.182-0.749, p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Combination treatment of GnRHa and LNG-IUS exhibited superior pain relief and recurrence prevention among endometrioma patients after fertility-sparing surgery. Thus, combination treatment is a preferable long-term option for patients without intent for pregnancy in the near future.

Endometrial Organoids: A New Model for the Research of Endometrial-Related Diseases†.

An ideal research model plays a vital role in studying the pathogenesis of a disease. At present, the most widely used endometrial disease models are cell lines and animal models. As a novel studying model, organoids have already been applied for the study of various diseases, such as disorders related to the liver, small intestine, colon, and pancreas, and have been extended to the endometrium. After a long period of exploration by predecessors, endometrial organoids (EOs) technology has gradually matured and maintained genetic and phenotypic stability after long-term expansion. Compared with cell lines and animal models, EOs have high stability and patient specificity. These not only effectively and veritably reflects the pathophysiology of a disease, but also can be used in preclinical drug screening, combined with patient derived xenografts (PDXs). Indeed, there are still many limitations for EOs. For example, the co-culture system of EOs with stromal cells, immune cell, or vascular cells is not mature, and endometrial cancer organoids have a lower success rate, which should be improved in the future. The investigators predict that EOs will play a significant role in the study of endometrium-related diseases.

Oncofertility outcomes after fertility-sparing treatment of bilateral serous borderline ovarian tumors: results of a large retrospective study.

STUDY QUESTION: What are the oncofertility outcomes of young women (≤40 years old) with bilateral serous borderline ovarian tumors (SBOTs) after fertility-sparing surgery? SUMMARY ANSWER: Fertility preservation with the bilateral ovarian cystectomy procedure is feasible for bilateral SBOTs, with an acceptable oncological outcome and worthwhile pregnancy rates. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Fertility-sparing approaches are becoming the standard management of young patients with unilateral SBOTs and other borderline histological subtypes. However, there is a paucity of evidence to dictate the best management in bilateral SBOTs. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This was a retrospective observational study performed at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing, China, between January 1999 and January 2019. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Ninety-four women (≤40 years old) with pathologically confirmed bilateral SBOTs were included. Following preoperative counseling, patients self-selected into one of three treatment modalities: bilateral ovarian cystectomy (n = 48), unilateral adnexectomy plus contralateral cystectomy (UAC; n = 31), and radical surgery (n = 15). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the clinical and pathological features associated with disease-free survival and reproductive outcomes. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: During the median follow-up of 64 months (range, 4-243 months), 61 patients (65%) developed relapse, including 3 (20%) in the radical group, 26 (84%) in the UAC group and 32 (67%) in the bilateral cystectomy group. In the multivariate analyses, preoperative CA-125>300 U/mL, fertility preservation and micropapillary pattern were independently associated with adverse disease-free survival (P = 0.001, 0.03 and 0.026, respectively). Fourteen patients (15%) experienced invasive recurrence, and three (3%) died of progressive disease. The micropapillary pattern was significantly associated with invasive evolution risk (P = 0.006). Of the 49 patients who attempted to conceive, 23 (47%) achieved 27 pregnancies (24 spontaneous and three after IVF-ET), resulting in 19 live births. There was no significant difference in disease-free survival (P = 0.13) or pregnancy rate (41 vs. 50%, P = 0.56) between the UAC and bilateral procedures. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: As a retrospective study conducted in a referral center, inherent biases exist. The nonrandom allocation to treatment groups and relatively small number of patients attempt to conceive might limit the statistical power of our findings. Only 41 patients (43.6%) received complete staging during their initial surgeries, so an underestimation bias in terms of the FIGO stage and extraovarian implants might have occurred. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: The ultraconservative bilateral ovarian cystectomy procedure should be proposed in bilateral SBOTs when technically feasible. Invasive evolution occurs frequently in these women, and intense follow-up and oncofertility counseling are warranted, especially for those with micropapillary patterns. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): No external funding was used for this study. There are no conflicts of interest to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

Safety and fertility outcomes after the conservative treatment of endometrioid borderline ovarian tumours.

BACKGROUND: Because of the rarity of endometrioid borderline ovarian tumours (EBOTs), there is a paucity of data concerning the natural history and prognosis of this condition. Thus, the objective of our study was to establish the feasibility of fertility preservation in young women with EBOTs, as well as their oncological and reproductive outcomes. METHODS: Consecutive patients with EBOTs, treated at a tertiary referral centre during a span of 22 years, were retrospectively analysed. Recurrence-free interval, as well as its association with the type of surgery and with other clinical and pathological features, was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards methods. RESULTS: Of the 59 patients studied, the median follow-up time was 30 months (range, 6-177 months). Nine (15.3%) patients developed 13 recurrences 6-137 months after the initial surgeries, including three patients (5.1%; n = 3/59) who developed six invasive recurrences 8, 18 and 68 months after their initial surgeries. Conservative surgery showed a tendency towards a high recurrence rate (17.2% versus 13.3%); however, this difference was not significant (p = 0.45). The 5-year recurrence-free survival rate was significantly higher in the oophorectomy group than in the cystectomy group (p = 0.001). Cox regression analysis showed that none of the variables assessed were associated with an increased hazard ratio for recurrence, except for a younger age at diagnosis (p = 0.021). Of 20 patients who attempted to conceive, three pregnancies among two patients (10.0%) resulted in two live births. CONCLUSIONS: Conservative surgery with unilateral adnexectomy can be proposed for young women with EBOTs with fertility desire; however, the reproductive result is not satisfactory. In addition, careful evaluations of the endometria should be offered during the initial surgery and follow-up period. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Retrospectively registered.

Translation and psychometric evaluation of the simplified Chinese-version Endometriosis Health Profile-30.

STUDY QUESTION: What are the psychometric properties in mainland China of the 30-item Endometriosis Health Profile (EHP-30) translated into simplified Chinese? SUMMARY ANSWER: The simplified Chinese version of the EHP-30 is a valid, reliable and acceptable tool for the measurement of the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of women with endometriosis in the context of mainland China. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Endometriosis can critically affect women's HRQoL. The EHP-30 is currently the most reliable instrument to measure the HRQoL in women with endometriosis. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary referral university hospital from February 2012 to August 2012 in Beijing, P. R. China. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: The translation and cultural adaptation of the EHP-30 was performed according to accepted guidelines. The study included 336 women with endometriosis. Psychometric evaluation included factor analysis, convergent validity, measurement of internal consistency, item-total correlations and data completeness, descriptive statistics, and the determination of floor and ceiling effects. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Factor analysis confirmed the validity of the five-factor structure of the EHP-30 core questionnaire, which explained 79.51% of the total variance. The correlations of related subscale scores between EHP-30 and Short Form-36 were all significant. Cronbach's α for internal consistency across each scale ranged 0.89-0.97 for the core questionnaire and 0.80-0.96 for the modular questionnaire. No <97.67% of data completeness was achieved. Floor effects were observed in three scales: self-image (19.64%), children (26.67%) and medical profession (15.19%). No ceiling effects were found. The control and powerlessness scale had the highest median score (54.17) in the core questionnaire, whereas the infertility module (median = 56.25) had the highest score in the modular section. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The study was conducted in a referral centre for the treatment of endometriosis, thereby leading to overrepresentation of severe symptoms of endometriosis. Furthermore, the test-retest reliability and responsiveness of the questionnaire were not evaluated in this study. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Our study addresses the urgent need for a valid and reliable instrument to measure the HRQoL of female patients with endometriosis in mainland China. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This work was supported by grants to J. Leng from the Key Project for Clinical Faculty Foundation, Ministry of Health, China (2010). None of the authors has any conflict of interest to declare.

[Relationship of pelvic clinic-pathological features and the pain symptoms in ovarian endometrioma].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between the clinic-pathological features and pain symptoms in patients with endometriotic cyst (EM). METHODS: The medical data of symptoms, laparoscopy and pathology examination in 416 patients with endometriosis were studied retrospectively. All cases were divided into two groups on the existence of ovarian endometrioma, including 338 patients in cyst group and 78 cases in non-cyst group. The relationship between clinical symptoms and location and type of endometrioma was studied. RESULTS: (1) Serum CA125 level: the level of CA125 were (61 ± 39) kU/L in cyst group (28 ± 24) kU/L in non-cyst group, which reached statistical difference (P < 0.01). (2) Pathological features: among 338 cases, 34.0% of cyst were on left side (115/338), 26.3% were right side (89/338), and 39.6% were on both side (134/338). And 95.8% (324/338) of cases were combined with the other type of endometriosis, which were 48.5% (164/338) with peritoneal endometriosis, 47.3% (160/338) with deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE). In cystic patients, the incidences of endometriosis lesion were 13.9% (47/338) on the uterine surface, 38.5% (130/338) on obstruction of cul-de sac, 40.5% (137/338) on utero-sacral ligament of DIE, which were significantly higher than 5.1%, (4/78), 9.0% (7/78) and 28.2% (22/78) in noncyst group. (3) Pain symptom: the incidence and degree of dysmenorrhea and dyschezia had no statistical difference between two groups (P > 0.05), and the incidence of chronic pelvic pain (CPP) of 24.6% (83/338) and dyspareunia of 29.9% (101/338) in the cyst group were significantly lower than 35.9% (28/78) and 44.9% (35/78) in non-cyst group (P < 0.05). The incidence of dysmenorrheal was 85.1% (114/134) in cases with bilateral cyst, which was higher than 74.0% (151/204) in cases with single cyst. The incidence of dysmenorrheal and dyschezia in moderate-severe adhesion was 89.0% (138/155) and 18.7% (29/155), which was significantly higher than 68.8% (126/183) and 8.2% (15/183) in mild adhesion. In the patients cyst existed with DIE, the risk of dysmenorrheal, CPP, dyspareunia, and dyschezia were obviously raised (OR respectively was 5.17, 3.01, 3.05, 2.75). CONCLUSIONS: The endometriotic cyst often co-exists with other type of endometriotic lesions. Ovarian endometrioma was associated with lesion localized on uterine surface, cul-de-sac, sacrum ligament. The risk of all the pain symptoms would be raised when the endometriotic cyst co-exit with the DIE lesions. So the treatment for DIE lesions was as same important as the endometriotic lesions in order to relieve pain symptoms and delay the relapse.

Combined proteomics and transcriptomics identifies serpin family C member 1 associated protein as a biomarker of endometriosis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore potential biomarkers indicating endometriosis (EM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A proteomics method and combined quantitative transcriptomics were adopted to highlight markers in the EM. Venn analysis was used to integrate the ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNA-seq) and protein profiles. Promising candidate markers were tested by enzyme-related immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: A sum of 979 mRNAs and 39 proteins were tested to be significantly differentially expression in the standard cluster compared with the EM cluster. Venn analysis showed a filtered signature of only two down-regulated molecules in the EM group, i.e. fetuin B (FETUB) and serpin family C member 1 (SERPINC1); the latter showed a big variance between the control category and the EM set in the authentication test. CONCLUSION: SERPINC1 may be a useful possible biomarker for the analysis of EM.

The role of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system for recurrence prevention after conservative surgery among patients with coexistent ovarian endometrioma and diffuse adenomyosis: A retrospective case control study with long-term follow up.

BACKGROUND: When ovarian endometrioma coexist with adenomyosis, the risk of postoperative recurrence increased. How is the effect of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) on symptomatic recurrence for those patients was unknown. METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed 119 women with coexistent endometrioma and diffuse adenomyosis who received laparoscopic excision of pelvic endometriosis from January 2009 to April 2013. Women were categorized into two groups: intervention group with LNG-IUS and control group with expectant observation after surgery. Data were compared in terms of preoperative history, laboratory and intraoperative findings, and clinical outcomes during follow-up, including pain regression, changes in uterine volume and recurrence. RESULTS: During a median 79 months (range, 6-107) of follow-up, patients with LNG-IUS experienced a significantly lower symptomatic recurrence of either ovarian endometrioma or dysmenorrhea (11.1% vs. 31.1%, p = 0.013), compared with women under expectant observation by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (χ2 = 5.448, p = 0.020) and Cox univariate assessment (hazard ratio of 0.336, 95% confidence interval 0.128-0.885, p = 0.027). Patients treated with LNG-IUS demonstrated a more prominent reduction in uterine volume (-14.1 ± 20.9 vs. 8.7 ± 48.8, p = 0.003) and higher percentage of complete pain remission (95.6% vs. 86.5%). For multivariate analysis, use of LNG-IUS (aHR 0.159, 95%CI 0.033-0.760, p = 0.021) and severity of dysmenorrhea (aHR 4.238, 95%CI 1.191-15.082, p = 0.026) were two independent factors associated with overall recurrence. CONCLUSION: Postoperative insertion of LNG-IUS may prevent recurrence in symptomatic women with comorbidity of ovarian endometrioma and diffuse adenomyosis.

[Expression of transient receptor potentials of vanilloid subtype 1 and pain in endometriosis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1) in uterosacral ligament and its correlation with pain in endometriosis. METHODS: Total of 54 patients undergoing endometriotic lesions excision in uteroscaral ligament by laparoscopy due to pelvic pain were enrolled in this study. According to visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, 27 patients with VAS 5-10 were in group A and 27 patients with VAS 0-4 were in group B. In the mean time, 20 patients with dysmenorrhea without endometriosis (VAS: 0-4) were matched as group C. Specimens (including the sacro-ligaments of 20 women without endometriosis) were immunostained with specific antibodies of TRPV1. Western blot and real time PCR were performed to detect TRPV1 expression in endometriosis lesions and control group. RESULTS: (1) Immunohistochemnistry: the positive area of TRPV1 was found in endometriotic lesions in uterosacral ligament in group A, B and tissue of uterosacral ligament group C. The semi-qualitification of TRPV1 expression were 3 in group A, 1 in group B and 1 in group C by immunohistochemistry staining. There was significantly different expression between group B and group A (P = 0.005) or group C (P = 0.027). (2) mRNA expression:the expression of TRPV1 was 1.84 in group A, 0.80 in group B, 0.24 in group C, respectively. With higher VAS scores, the expression of TRPV1 exhibited increasing trends. The expression of TRPV1 mRNA was higher in group A than that in group B (P = 0.022). There was statistically different expression between group B and group C (P = 0.031). (3) Western blot: the expression of TRPV1 protein was 0.63 in group A, 0.19 in group B, 0.02 in group C. There was significant differences between group A and group B (P = 0.022), and between group B and group C (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The expression of TRPV1 was correlated with the degree of pain in patient with endometriosis.

[Influence of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist on the expression of mRNA of nerve growth factor and its receptors in eutopic endometrial stromal cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) on the expression mRNA of nerve growth factor (NGF) and its receptors (TrkA and P75NTR) in normal and eutopic endometrial stromal cells (ESC). METHODS: From January to April 2009, 3 patients with endometriosis undergoing surgery in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were obtained eutopic endometrium as study group matched with eutopic endometrium from 3 patients with teratoma as control group. ESC were incubated with different concentration of GnRH-a (0, 5×10⁻¹¹, 5×10⁻¹°, 5×10⁻9, 5×10⁻8, 5×10⁻7 g/ml). The expression of mRNA of NGF, TrkA and P75NTR were measured by real-time-PCR. RESULTS: At concentration of 0 g/ml, the levels of NGF, TrkA and P75NTR mRNA in ESC were 6.32, 8.55, 8.08 in study group, which were significantly higher than 0.94, 0.67, 1.08 in control group (P < 0.05). Treated by the following concentration of GnRH-a (5×10⁻¹¹, 5×10⁻¹°, 5×10⁻9, 5×10⁻8, 5×10⁻7 g/ml), the median expression of NGF, TrkA and P75NTR mRNA was 1.00, 0.96, 1.05; 1.09, 0.82, 1.27; 1.04, 0.52, 0.81;1.00, 0.55, 0.64; 0.78, 0.49, 1.02 in study group. Compared with the expressions of those untreated by GnRH-a in study group, they showed significantly lower trends (P < 0.05). In control group, the median expression of NGF, TrkA and P75NTR mRNA was 0.98, 0.37, 0.92; 0.70, 0.45, 1.15; 1.55, 0.80, 1.35; 1.09, 0.41, 1.35; 0.90, 0.82, 1.18. Compared with the expressions of those untreated by GnRH-a in control group, there were no statistically differences (P > 0.05). And treated by the same concentration of GnRH-a, the expressions of NGF, TrkA and P75NTR mRNA did not show statistically difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The expression of NGF, TrkA and P75NTR mRNA were suppressed by GnRH-a.

Prognosis and Prognostic Factors of Serous Borderline Tumor-Micropapillary Variant: Retrospective Study of 200 Patients with Long-Term Follow-Up.

Objective: To determine the oncofertility outcomes and prognostic factors in a large series of serous borderline ovarian tumor-micropapillary variant (SBOT-M) with a long-term follow-up. Methods: Consecutive patients with SBOT-Ms treated from two affiliated hospitals of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences were retrospectively reviewed. Prognostic factors on invasive recurrence, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival were analyzed, and outcomes of patients treated with conservative and radical surgery were compared. Results: From 2000 to 2020, 200 patients were identified and followed. After a median follow-up of 68 months, 81 patients relapsed. In the multivariate analyses, younger age at diagnosis and conservative surgery that preserved fertility potential were independently associated with worse DFS (p = 0.018 and <0.001, respectively). Twenty-three patients experienced invasive recurrence, and seven died of progressive disease. Multivariate analysis showed that nulliparous and advanced FIGO stage were independently adversely associated with lethal recurrence (p = 0.022 and 0.029, respectively). Only advanced FIGO stage at diagnosis was associated with worse overall survival at univariate analysis (p = 0.02). Among 61 patients attempting conception, 37 achieved 44 pregnancies and resulted in 32 live births. Conclusions: In this series, patients with SBOT-M have an acceptable oncofertility outcomes. The use of conservative surgery was independently associated with worse DFS, but without an impact on neither invasive relapse nor on overall survival. Patients with advanced FIGO stages had a significantly higher risk of lethal recurrence and worse overall survival, suggesting that adequate staging surgery and intensive postoperative surveillance should be warranted.

[Economics analysis of endometriosis and adenomyosis surgeries].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the hospital expenses and hospital stay of surgical management for endometriosis and adenomyosis. METHODS: The average hospital expenses and average hospital stay were compared for a total of 12003 patients of endometriosis and adenomyosis confirmed operatively at our hospital from January 1994 to December 2008. And the relevant factors consisted of surgical phases, pathological types, surgical approaches, surgical routes, definite procedures and age groups. RESULTS: The average hospital expenses were significantly higher than average gynecologic surgical expenses (RMB 7073 vs RMB 6847, P < 0.01) while and the average hospital stays significantly shorter than the latter (6.8 vs 8.6 days, P < 0.01). The periods of 2006 - 2008 and 1994 - 1996 had significantly different average hospital expenses (RMB 7853 vs RMB 3382, P < 0.01) and average hospital stay (6.4 vs 9.5 days, P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis showed age was the most important correlated factor for the hospital expenses of endometriosis and adenomyosis surgeries (all P < 0.01). And surgical approach was one of the most important factors for hospital stay (all P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Adenomyosis has the highest cost and younger endometriosis patients carry the lowest economic burden. Laparoscopy and conservative surgery may reduce the economic burden of endometriosis and adenomyosis operations.

[Clinicopathological characteristics of recurrent endometriosis and the outcomes of secondary surgery].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate clinicopathological characteristics of recurrent endometriosis and outcomes of secondary surgery. METHODS: From Jan. 2003 to Dec. 2008, 69 cases with recurrent endometriosis operated by the same senior gynecologist in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were studied retrospectively in order to summarize clinicopathological characteristics and clinical outcomes. In prior surgery, both ovaries were involved in 29 cases (42%, 29/69), and unilateral ovarian endometriomas were found in 40 cases (58%, 40/69), including 19 cases (48%, 19/40) with left lesions and 21 cases (52%, 21/40) with right lesions. After first surgery, 57 cases presented recurrent pelvic cystic masses and 12 cases presented moderate to severe pain without pelvic mass. RESULTS: The median recurrence interval was 38 (1 - 144) months. Among 57 cases with recurrent pelvic masses, bilateral ovarian endometiomas recurred in 24 cases at median recurrence interval of 31 months. Unilateral ovarian endometrioma recurred in 33 cases at recurrence interval of 39 months. There was no significant different recurrence period between bilateral and unilateral recurrent ovarian mass (P = 0.452). The recurrent rate of left and right side ovarian lesion was 77% (37/48) and 68% (34/50 cases), respectively, which did not reach statistical difference (P = 0.396). Among 12 recurrent cases with pure pelvic pain, 10 cases were founded combined with adenomyosis (AM), of which 4 cases had deep infiltrated endometriosis (DIE). Compared with the 40 cases of simple ovarian endometriomas, 29 cases complicated by DIE and (or) AM had longer operation time (75.1 min vs. 49.9 min, P = 0.017) and more blood loss (114.9 ml vs. 38.4 ml, P < 0.05). In those 69 recurrent endometriosis patients, the median period of following-up was 32 months (3 months to 8 years). Six cases showed recurrent disease again at median recurrence interval of 3 years (6 months-6 years). Thirty-eight cases had expecting childbearing, however, only 4 women underwent childbirth. CONCLUSIONS: The rate of clinical diagnosis of recurrent endometriosis is quite high. Pain is mostly associated with AM. The major difficulty and challenge of secondary surgery was ovarian endometrioma combined with DIE or AM. Prognosis of recurrent endometriosis is not optimistic after secondary surgery.

[Comparison of postoperative residue, recurrence and pregnancy outcome between laparoscopic and transabdominal myomectomy].

OBJECTIVES: To compare operative characteristics, postoperative residue, recurrence, and pregnancy outcome between laparoscopic myomectomy (LM) and transabdominal myomectomy (TAM), and investigate the favourable surgical approach in women with uterine myomas. METHODS: From Jan 2008 to Dec 2008, 313 women undergoing LM and 148 women undergoing TAM were studied retrospectively in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The patients' general information, including the largest diameter, mean numbers and weights of excised myomas, peri-operative characteristics (operating time, blood loss, and hemoglobin decrease), and residue, recurrence of myoma, and pregnancy outcome were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: The largest diameter, mean numbers and mean weight of myomas removed were larger in TAM group [(7.6 ± 3.0) cm, (5.6 ± 5.5), (308 ± 364) g, respectively] than those in LM group [(6.8 ± 2.0) cm, (2.4 ± 2.1), (140 ± 109) g, respectively; P < 0.01]. While the extension of operating time [(89 ± 32) versus (74 ± 35) min], increased blood loss [(239 ± 251) versus (149 ± 252) ml] and hemoglobin decrease [(22 ± 14) versus (15 ± 12) g/L], and longer hospital stay [(6.4 ± 1.6) versus (4.4 ± 1.3) d] were observed in TAM group when compared with those in LM group (P < 0.01). However, the residue rate of LM and TAM was 2.6% versus 1.4% respectively (P = 0.5130); the recurrence rate of LM and TAM was 11.1% versus 12.3% (P > 0.05); the pregnancy rate of LM and TAM was 49.2% versus 9/13 separately, the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.2330). The number of myomas removed was the significant risk factors associated with recurrence (OR = 2.805, 95%CI: 1.192 - 6.601, P = 0.0180). No uterine rupture occurred during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: Both LM and TAM are effective surgical approaches for the patients with leiomyoma who desire to pregnancy, or to retain the integrity of their uteruses. Most of uterine myoma could be treated through laparoscopy. The residue rate of LM is higher than that of TAM. However, the short term recurrence rates of LM and TAM are similar. Multiple myomas is the risk factor associated with recurrence after myomectomy. The pregnancy rates are comparable between LM and TAM groups.

[Diagnosis and treatment of ureter endometriosis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate strategies of diagnosis and treatment of ureter endometriosis. METHODS: From 1983 to 2010, the cases registered in Peking Union Medical College Hospital and confirmed as ureter endometriosis by surgery were enrolled in this study. Clinical manifestations, pre-operative examinations, surgical categories and routes, surgical and pathological findings, post-operative medical treatment, relapse and relating factors were collected and studied. RESULTS: Totally 46 patients with ureter endometriosis underwent one or two surgeries. Forty-eight per cent (22/46) of patients were not be diagnosed with ureter endometriosis pre-operatively, and 46% (21/46) only presented dysmenorrhea or even no symptoms. Ureterolysis (72%, 33/46) and laparotomy (63%, 29/46) were the most common surgical category and surgical approach. There were 64% (25/39) of patients had left ureter involved and 80% (37/46) had extrinsic ureter endometriosis. Fifteen per cent (7/46) of patients had relapsed disease with median recurrent time of 24 months (13-49 months), and they all received second surgeries. Logistic regression analysis showed that only gonadotropin releasing hormone analogue agents were related with recurrence when compared with those patients without medical treatment post-operatively significantly (OR=23.2, 95%CI: 2.4-221.7, P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Ureter endometriosis was related with reproductive tract endometriosis. It has insidious process resulting in difficulty for early diagnosis. It's important to treat pelvic deep infiltrating endometriosis and ovarian endometrioma to prevent ureter from further involvement. Post-operative treatment of pelvic endometriosis is the key point of preventing relapse of ureter endometriosis.

[Expressions and roles of TGFß/Smad signal pathway in peritoneum of endometriosis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß and Smad pathway expressed in adhesion peritoneums in patients with endometriosis (EM). METHODS: From Dec. 2009 to Mar. 2010, 11 patients with EM [including 3 patients treated by gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) treatment] underwent laparoscopy surgery in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. In the mean time, 9 patients with benign ovarian tumor without EM and peritoneum adhesion were chosen as control. Peritoneum from lateral peritoneal cavity, adjacent from lesion and grossly normal was obtained during surgery. Microstructure of peritoneums was observed by HE staining and Masson staining. The expression of TGF-ß1, TGF-ß3, Smad 3 and Smad 7 in peritoneums were measured by immunohistochemistry staining and real-time PCR. The effect of GnRH-a on expressions of these markers were also analyzed. RESULTS: (1) Microstructures of peritoneum: enlargement of nucleus of peritoneal mesothelial cells, thickening of connective tissue, distributive disorder of fiber, increasing numbers of fibroblast and inflammatory cells in EM were significantly different from those in control group. (2) The expression of TGF-ß1 and 3 in peritoneum were 0.170 ± 0.020 and 0.110 ± 0.010 in EM group, which were significantly higher than 0.070 ± 0.010 and 0.050 ± 0.020 in control group. TGF-ß1 was downregulated to 0.130 ± 0.030 and TGF-ß3 was upregulated to 0.490 ± 0.090 by GnRH-a. (3) The expression of Smad 3 and 7 were 0.140 ± 0.020 and 0.110 ± 0.020 in peritoneum in EM group, which were significantly higher than 0.024 ± 0.004 and 0.014 ± 0.007 in control group. GnRH-a could upregualted the expression of smad 7 (0.040 ± 0.020), however, but no significant effect was observed on regulating Smad3 expression. CONCLUSIONS: The changes of microstructure and the alteration of TGF-ß/Smad expression in peritoneum of endometriosis were observed. GnRH-a could regulate the expression of TGF-ß and Smad.

Thoracic endometriosis presented as catamental hemoptysis: a case series of a rare disease.

OBJECTIVE: Thoracic endometriosis syndrome (TES) is a rare disease in which a functioning endometrial tissue is observed in the pleura, lung, parenchyma, airways, and/or diaphragm. The optimal management of this disease remains a matter of debate. We aimed to report TES cases and their effective hormonal treatment and management. METHODS: In this retrospective study, women presented as catamenial hemoptysis (CH) diagnosed with thoracic endometriosis were included. The main outcome of measure was cessation or recurrence of the clinical manifestations of thoracic endometriosis. RESULTS: The mean onset age of the 14 patients was 30.21 ± 5.40 years. CH was characteristic symptom of these patients. All patients underwent chest computed tomography (CT) scan during menstruation and 2 or 3 weeks after menstruation, which showed the obvious shrinking or disappearance of the lesions. All of the patients were given Gonadotropin releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) for 3 to 6 months, eleven of them were administered with combined oral contraceptives (COC) cyclically after GnRHa. The median follow-up duration was 24 months. Hemoptysis recurrence was observed in one patient. CONCLUSIONS: CH is a rare clinical entity of thoracic endometriosis, the change of CT images during and after menstruation or the response to GnRHa were helpful for accurate diagnosis. Hormonal treatment with GnRHa followed by COCs cyclically could be employed for efficient management of thoracic endometriosis.

Clinical Features and Long-Term Outcomes After Laparoscopic Surgery in Patients Co-existing With Endometriosis and Adenomyosis.

Objective: To investigate the difference of clinical features and outcomes between EM patients with and without AM after following up for at least 6 years after surgery. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 358 EM patients who had a minimum of 6 years follow-up after laparoscopic cystectomy, which was performed by one single doctor at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2009 to April 2013. All women were divided into AM group and non-AM group and analysis was performed in preoperative characteristics, surgical findings and postoperative outcomes during follow-up. Results: A total of 358 EM patients were recruited, of which 142 (39.7%) were in the AM group and the rest 216 (60.3%) in the non-AM group. Between the two group, the mean age was 34.6 vs. 32.2 years (P < 0.001). The mean operating time in the AM and non-AM group was 73.2 vs. 61.9 min (P < 0.001). According to the revised AFS classification, the mean score of the two group were 60.3 vs. 45.5 (P < 0.001). At the end of the follow-up, though the AM group was with higher rate of disease relapse, yet no significant difference was found between the two groups in statistical comparison (34/142 [23.9%] vs. 34/216 [15.7%], P = 0.053). With a minimum follow-up of 6 years after laparoscopic cystectomy, failed and successful pregnancy were seen in 107/142(75.4%) and 35/142 (24.6%) patients in the AM group vs. 114/216(52.8%) and 102/216 (47.2%) patients in the non-AM group (P < 0.05). As for the successfully pregnant patients, live births, including spontaneous pregnancy and IVF-ET, were seen in 34/35 (97.1) vs. 99/102 (97.1) patients between AM and non-AM groups, while others ended in spontaneous abortion. No significant associations were found between the two groups in infertility, leiomyoma presence, the size of ovarian endometrioma, type of deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) or type of recurrence (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Compared with non-AM group, EM patients with concurrent AM may have higher age, longer mean operating time and higher mean AFS score. In terms of fertility outcomes, patients in the AM group were with lower likelihood of pregnancy after surgery during the long-time follow-up.

[Relationship between pain and nerve fibers distribution in multiple endometriosis lesions].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the distribution of nerve fibers in multiple endometriosis lesions and pelvic pain. METHODS: From Sept. 2007 to Sept. 2008, 120 endometriosis patients treated in Peking Union Hospital were enrolled in this study, which including 19 cases with stage I, 29 cases with stage II, 44 cases with stage III and 28 cases with stage IV. The pain symptom was evaluated by visual analogue scales (VAS) score and nerve fibers in multiple endometriosis lesions were detected by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: The number of nerve fibers in multiple endometriosis lesions were (29.74+/-17.33)/mm2 in uterosacral ligament, (24.53+/-13.34)/mm2 in vaginal septum, (17.09+/-10.09)/mm2 in uterus rectum crux, (6.77+/-4.21)/mm2 in peritoneal endometriosis lesions, (0.07+/-0.25)/mm2 in endometriosis ovarian cyst wall. The number of nerve fibers in uterosacral ligament was mostly correlated with the degree of pain (r=0.56). The nerve fibers of uterus rectum crux and vaginal septum were correlated with defecation pain (r=0.58 and 0.41) and dyspareunia (r=0.82 and 0.67), which were significantly higher than those in endometriosis leision in peritoneum and ovary. There was no significant different number of nerve fibers among different stage disease (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: There was significantly different distribution of nerve fibers in multiple endometriosis lesions, which was correlated with dysmenorrhea, anus pain, dyspareunia and chronic pelvic pain, not with clinical staging.

[Characteristics and trends of surgical management on endometriosis: a review of cases from Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 1983 to 2009].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics and trends of surgical management on endometriosis in Peking Union Medical College Hospital From 1983 to 2009. METHODS: The medical documents of patients with endometriosis diagnosed by surgical pathology were studied retrospectively in Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH). The ratio of different surgical approaches (laparoscopic and laparotomic surgery) and surgical categories (conservative, semi-radical or radical surgery) were compared in all the cases with endometriosis to investigated alterations trends of approaches and methods of surgery. RESULTS: Totally integrated records of 13 972 patients underwent surgeries on endometriosis were reviewed and consisted of 24.974% (13,972/55,945) of all gynecologic surgeries. 59.490% of cases (8312/13,972) were treated by laparoscopic approach, which were significantly higher than the rate of 37.700% (15,824/41,973) of laparoscopic approaches in the other gynecologic diseases (P < 0.01). The proportion of laparoscopic surgeries in all endometriosis surgery was 67.31% (947/1407) between 2005 and 2009, which were significantly higher than 55.98% (510/911) of laparoscopic surgeries between 2000 and 2004 (P < 0.01). Conservative surgery (i.e., with uterus and ovaries intact) consisted of 64.014% (8663/13,533) of endometriosis surgeries. The proportion of conservative surgeries was 66.24% (4176/6304) between 2005 and 2009. The proportion of laparoscopic approaches consisted of 81.10% (7026/8663) of conservative surgeries and 26.30% (1281/4870) of semi-radical or radical surgeries (P < 0.01). The average number of annual surgeries, the average number of annual laparoscopic surgeries and its proportion in endometriosis, and the average number of annual conservative surgeries and its proportion in pelvic endometriosis between 2005 - 2009 were all increased significantly than those at range of 1983 to 1999 and 2000 to 2004. The rate of severe complication 0.351% (49/13,972) was observed in all endometriosis surgeries. CONCLUSION: Surgery was the major treatment of endometriosis in PUMCH, laparoscopic surgery was the major approach and conservative surgery was the major surgery type.