A patient with a mucinous borderline ovarian tumor after fertility-sparing surgery in whom puncture fluid cytology on oocyte retrieval led to a diagnosis of recurrence.

The patient was an unmarried nulliparous 21-year-old female who was referred to our hospital with an abdominal mass. Bilateral ovarian tumors with a solid component were detected and both were suspected to be ovarian cancer. Since the patient strongly wished to preserve fertility, we performed left salpingo-oophorectomy, right cystectomy, and omentectomy. A postoperative histopathological examination revealed that the bilateral ovarian tumors were mucinous borderline tumors. The patient selected oocyte cryopreservation. Oocyte retrieval from the right ovary was performed 2 years after surgery, and six oocytes were obtained. The puncture of a small cyst revealed mucinous fluid, not normal follicular fluid; therefore, puncture fluid cytology was performed. A recurrent mucinous borderline ovarian tumor was suspected. Right salpingo-oophorectomy was performed and a recurrent mucinous borderline ovarian tumor was diagnosed. Puncture fluid properties need to be considered when there is an opportunity for oocyte retrieval after fertility-sparing surgery.

Pregnancy in a patient with caudal regression syndrome following continent bladder reconstruction.

Caudal regression syndrome (CRS) is rare congenital malformation, which is characterized by abnormal development of the lower end of the spine and complicated with neurodevelopmental disorders of vesico-rectal functions and the lower extremities. We report the case of a woman with CRS who became pregnant and gave birth following continent bladder reconstruction (CBR) for intractable urinary incontinence. A 25-year-old primigravida woman with CRS became pregnant naturally and was referred to our department. She had undergone CBR in our institute at 14 years old. Emergency cesarean section (CS) was performed at 30 + 5 weeks of gestation due to severe preeclampsia. This is the first report of a woman with CRS who became pregnant and gave birth following CBR. A multidisciplinary team is needed to manage pregnant women with CRS following CBR. Collaboration with a urologist is especially important for managing pregnancy and performing CS. The CBR is performed for the purpose of improving quality of life by gaining urinary continence and may increase sexual behavior in women with CRS, and so obstetricians may encounter pregnancies more frequently in the future.

[Fifteen trace elements in eluate from enameled cookware using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry].

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research is to clarify the effects of the following treatments on the elution of trace elements: water settling, 2 h boiling of water, acetic acid settling, and 2 h boiling of acetic acid in prebrushed enameled cookware, and the same four treatments after brushing the surface of enameled cookware. METHOD: The eluate samples from enameled cookware subjected to the above eight treatments ware obtained, and the concentrations of the fifteen trace elements (B, Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Cd, Sb, Pb, and U) were simultaneously analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). RESULTS: The concentrations of the fifteen elements eluted from enameled cookware were low or very low after the treatments. Enameled cookware is made from iron covered with glass containing pigments. The concentrations of Al, Ni, and Sb were significantly higher (p<0.01) in almost all treatments. The concentrations of Fe, which is the base element of enameled cookware, showed almost no change. The safety level for enameled cookware are standardized at 70 ng/mL Cd and 400 ng/mL Pb. The Cd and Pb concentrations in all treatment samples were below these standard levels. CONCLUSION: The results of our study and other studies conducted so far suggest that the risk of acute or chronic toxicity associated with the use of enameled cookware under normal circumstances is extremely low and negligible.