Influence of a patient education and care program on women undergoing non-assisted reproductive technology fertility treatment.

PURPOSE: To determine the influence of a patient education and care program on the quality of life (QOL) of female patients undergoing non-assisted reproductive technology (ART) fertility treatment. METHODS: Participants completed the MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey and fertility QOL (FertiQoL) questionnaires at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months of treatment. The responses of patients who underwent three sessions of the program (at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months of treatment) were compared with those of patients who did not receive the program. RESULTS: This study compared 69 patients who received an additional care program with 104 patients in the control group, all from 13 facilities. Treatment FertiQoL responses (p = 0.004) and treatment tolerability (p = 0.043) differed between the program and control groups at 3 months using the repeated measures mixed model. The cost of treatment per pregnancy was lower in the program group than in the control group. CONCLUSION: The patient education and care program provided by reproductive fertility specialists or fertility nurses during non-ART fertility programs improves patient satisfaction.

Early feasibility surveillance of gynecologic robotic-assisted surgeries in Japan.

AIM: To evaluate the clinical relevance of robotic-assisted surgeries (RAS) for gynecologic malignancies in a Japanese multi-institutional cohort. METHODS: A retrospective review of perioperative outcomes of 357 gynecologic RAS procedures was conducted in 24 hospitals accredited to perform RAS by the Japanese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG) over a 4-year period, January 2014 to December 2017. RESULTS: More than 25 (high), 10-24 (middle) and less than 10 cases (low) were enrolled from 3, 8 and 13 hospitals, respectively. A total of 247 patients underwent RAS for malignant indications. Radical hysterectomy (RH) was conducted for 200 patients, while para-aortic node excision (PAN) for 47 patients. RAS with RH or PAN was more feasible in high-volume centers with significantly shorter operation time and lesser blood loss than that in middle-volume centers. The total rate of perioperative injury and complications in RAS with PAN reached 33.3% in high-volume centers, which was almost equal to those in middle-volume centers (35.5%) but much higher than RAS without PAN (8.5%). CONCLUSION: Perioperative surveillance demonstrated high feasibility of gynecologic RAS procedures conducted in JSOG accredited hospitals for these 4 years. It is mandatory for RAS conducting hospitals to have careful attitudes to realize their learning curves in conducting advanced procedures.

Predictive factors for emergent surgical intervention in patients with ovarian endometrioma hospitalized for pelvic inflammatory disease: A retrospective observational study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to identify predictive factors for emergent surgical interventions in patients with ovarian endometriomas hospitalized for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). METHODS: We retrospectively identified 22 patients with ovarian endometriomas who were hospitalized to manage PID. Patients were divided into two groups: those who required emergent surgery after failed antibiotic therapy (emergent surgery group, n = 6) and those who were discharged with successful antibiotic therapy (conservative group, n = 16). Logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the factors associated with emergent surgery. RESULTS: Patients in the emergent surgery group were significantly more likely to have intrauterine or intrapelvic procedures before the onset of PID compared to those in the conservative group (83% vs 38%, odds ratio 8.33, 95% confidence interval 1.02-181.3; P = 0.048). The mean interval between the onset of PID symptoms and the commencement of parenteral antibiotic therapy was significantly longer in the emergent surgery compared to the conservative group (6.5 vs 1 day, odds ratio 1.28, 95% confidence interval 1.01-1.75; P = 0.041). CONCLUSION: A history of an intrauterine or intrapelvic procedure before the onset of PID was more likely to result in emergent surgery. A longer interval between the onset of PID symptoms and the commencement of parenteral antibiotics was also associated with emergent surgery. These findings could help to identify patients with ovarian endometriomas hospitalized with PID at higher risk of emergent surgical intervention.

Anesthesia-free In-office Hysteroscopic Morcellation for Endometrial Polyps: A Prospective Study.

Objectives: The objective of the study was to evaluate the feasibility and quality of anesthesia-free in-office hysteroscopic morcellation for the treatment of endometrial polyps. Materials and Methods: A prospective, single-center, open-label, single-arm clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of hysteroscopic morcellation for endometrial polyps or retained products of conception. All surgical procedures were performed using the TruClear™ 5C system in the office setting without anesthesia. The primary endpoint was the success rate of surgery, defined as the completion of the operation. The secondary endpoints were operating time, fluid deficit, adverse events, pain evaluated by Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores, and recurrence rate. Results: Ninety-five patients underwent hysteroscopic morcellation without anesthesia and received the treatment. The success rate of surgery was 100% (95/95), and the mean operating time was 7.3 min. Adverse events occurred in only 2.1% (2/95), with vasovagal reflex. The mean VAS scores during the procedure ranged from 2.4 to 3.1, and the recurrence rate after 6 months was 2.1% (1/47), with a pregnancy rate of 33% (11/33). When comparing nulliparous and parous patients, the success rate and the operating time were equivalent, and the mean VAS scores during the procedure were both within tolerable levels but significantly higher in nulliparous patients (3.3-4.5 vs. 1.6-1.9, P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that anesthesia-free in-office hysteroscopic morcellation for endometrial polyps can be safely performed with feasible quality and only tolerable pain. This less-invasive procedure is expected to become more widespread in future.

The significance of serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels in patients over age 40 in first IVF treatment.

PURPOSE: Although studies of serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) in predicting ovarian reserve are numerous, many studies utilized patients under age 40. However, the assessment of ovarian reserve is especially critical in older infertile women. This study evaluates the significance of AMH level in patients over age 40 at the time of their first in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. METHODS: Forty-nine women over age 40 were studied. Although serum samples were taken prior to their IVF treatments, the data of serum AMH of patients were not taken into consideration to determine the therapy strategy, including follicle induction in which clomiphene citrate and human menopausal gonadotropin were used. RESULT(S): Twelve out of 49 patients achieved a clinical pregnancy (24.4 %). There was a positive correlation between serum AMH levels and the number of oocytes retrieved (P < 0.0001). The ROC curve analysis for prediction of poor ovarian response, ≤3 retrieved oocytes, showed that the optimum cut-off level was < 1.0 ng/mL for AMH. The lower AMH group (AMH < 1.0 ng/ml) showed less chance of undergoing embryo transfer than the higher AMH group (AMH ≥1.0 ng/ml). There was no difference in pregnancy rate between the two groups. Five out of 12 pregnant women exhibited AMH levels of less than 0.4 ng/ml. CONCLUSION(S): Assessment of serum AMH concentration in older patients is useful for the prediction of oocytes numbers which may be obtained in IVF. A cut-off level of 1.0 ng/ml AMH can be used to predict poor ovarian response. This cut-off level of AMH of 1.0 ng/ml might be useful to predict whether patients could have an embryo transfer, but had no power to predict achieving pregnancy. On the other hand, our data also showed that patients over age 40 with extreme low levels of AMH still had a chance of pregnancy.

Obvious advantage of vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery hysterectomy against total laparoscopic hysterectomy in small uterus patients and the future prospects at a regional core institution: A retrospective study.

Objective: Owing to the combination of benefits, including permanent visual guidance and no abdominal skin incision, vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery hysterectomy (vNOTES-H) is currently widely used. However, the introduction of vNOTES-H has been delayed in many Japanese regional core hospitals because of its specific device and skill requirements. Therefore, the characteristics and advantages should be explained for the widespread use of this technique. Study design: We reviewed the medical records of 17 patients with vNOTES-H and 94 patients with total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2022. In this analysis, to compare the results of vNOTES-H to TLH, we excluded certain patients with a relatively heavy uterus (>255 g) and the presence of abdominal adhesions. In this report, first, the characteristics of the vNOTES-H procedures using a transvaginal access platform are explained by referring to one representative patient. Second, the patient characteristics of the vNOTES-H and TLH groups, including operation time and blood loss amount, were compared. Then, to detect the influence of vNOTES-H on the difficulty of operation among all 111 patients, we performed a multivariate logistic regression analysis to assess the influence of each of 9 factors, including "vNOTES-H", "Advanced age", "High BMI", "3 parity", "Gynaecological operation history", "Adenomyoma", "Large leiomyoma", "Heavy uterus" and "Large uterus", on the two indexes, including "Short time operation" and "Massive blood loss". Results: In the simple comparison between the groups with vNOTES-H and TLH, the operation time in the former group was significantly shorter than in the latter group, although other factors did not show significant differences, including blood loss amount. Moreover, in the multivariate logistic regression analysis of all 111 patients, the "vNOTES-H" factor showed a significantly high possibility of "short time operation", although no factor, including "vNOTES-H", showed a significant influence on "massive blood loss". Conclusions: vNOTES-H showed advantages in terms of operation time without increasing blood loss for patients with a relatively small uterus. However, to expand the selection for vNOTES-H, we should accumulate further patients and perform more analyses.

An algorithm for the pre-operative differentiation of benign ovarian tumours based on magnetic resonance imaging interpretation in a regional core hospital: A retrospective study.

Objective: For selecting minimally invasive surgery (i.e. laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy) for treating ovarian tumours (OTs) in premenopausal patients, the pre-operative differentiation of benign ovarian tumours (Be-OTs) based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) interpretation is important. This paper describes the authors' 8-year experience of approximately 1000 OT cases, and provides information about a diagnostic algorithm to help other hospitals. Study design: The medical records of 901 patients aged < 50 years with OTs from 1 January 2015-31 March 31 2023 were reviewed. First, the accuracy of pre-operative differentiation between Be-OTs and borderline/malignant ovarian tumours (Bo/Ma-OTs) was compared in each type of OT. Second, to identify the factors influencing differentiation between Be-OTs and Bo/Ma-OTs in 164 serous/mucinous ovarian tumours (SM-OTs), a multi-variate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the effect of 13 factors, including MRI findings, OT size and tumour markers. Results: In the comparison of diagnostic accuracy of pre-operative MRI for each OT type, accuracy was found to be notably high for ovarian endometrial cyst (OEC) (n = 409), ovarian mature cystic teratoma (OMCT) (n = 308), ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinoma (OEA) (n = 6) and ovarian clear cell adenocarcinoma (OCCA) (n = 14). On the other hand, discrepancies between MRI and pathological findings often occurred in SM-OTs, including ovarian serous cystadenoma (n = 86), ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma (n = 61), ovarian serous adenocarcinoma (n = 12) and ovarian mucinous adenocarcinoma (n = 5). In the multi-variate logistic regression analysis of the latter 164 patients, in addition to MRI findings, OT size and carbohydrate antigen 125 also had an effect to some extent. The combination of MRI interpretation and OT size may enhance differentiation of Be-OTs and Bo/Ma-OTs. Conclusions: Among four types of OTs (OEC, OMCT, OEA and OCCA), MRI interpretation was able to differentiate between Be-OTs and Bo/Ma-OTs almost perfectly. Additionally, to mitigate the difficulty in differentiating SM-OTs, OT size may be useful in combination with MRI findings, although further accumulation and analysis of OT cases is needed.

Desmoid Tumor Mimicking Port Site Metastasis after Laparoscopic Surgery for Endometrial Cancer.

Desmoid tumors are rare; however, they sometimes form in the abdominal wall after surgery or trauma. We report a case of desmoid tumors in the abdominal wall mimicking port-site metastasis after laparoscopic surgery for endometrial cancer. A 53-year-old woman with familial adenomatous polyposis presented to our hospital with vaginal bleeding and was diagnosed with endometrial cancer. We performed a total laparoscopic hysterectomy and began observation. Two years after surgery, follow-up computed tomography revealed three nodules with a size of approximately 15 mm in the abdominal wall at the trocar sites. Tumorectomy was performed because endometrial cancer recurrence was suspected, but desmoid fibromatosis was finally diagnosed. This is the first report of desmoid tumors at the trocar site after laparoscopic surgery for uterine endometrial cancer. Gynecologists should be aware of this disease because differentiating it from metastatic recurrence is challenging.

Comparison of robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy to total laparoscopic hysterectomy in terms of operational complications at a regional institution: A retrospective study.

Objective: With the increased use of total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH), the use of robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy (RALH) has increased due to its technical advantages. On the other hand, RALH has some disadvantages, including its high cost, which includes not only the purchase price of robotic technology systems but also the running cost and long preparation time for setting assistant robots. Therefore, an overall understanding of the characteristics of RALH is needed. Study design: We reviewed the medical records of 432 patients with TLH and 93 patients with RALH from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2022. In this analysis, we excluded certain cases with concomitant laparoscopic cystectomy (LC) and a heavy uterus (> 400 g). First, the patient characteristics of the TLH and RALH groups, including operation time and blood loss amount, were compared. Then, among these cases, we sought to predict difficult cases for TLH and RALH by identifying risk factors related to each of the following three categories of operational complications: "long operation time", "massive blood loss" and "other complications". For this purpose, multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the influence of each of 7 representative factors, namely, "advanced age", "high body mass index (BMI)", "nulliparity", "concomitant pelvic lymphadenectomy (PLA)", "heavy uterus", "abdominal adhesion", and "large leiomyoma". Results: In the simple comparison without various factors, there was an advantage of RALH in both the average operation time and blood loss amount. However, in the multivariate logistic regression analyses, a significant risk was detected in the following relationships: 1) between "long-term operation" and "abdominal adhesion" and 2) between "other complications" and "heavy uterus". Conclusions: RALH has sufficient advantages over TLH regarding at least in terms of blood loss amount; however, since RALH may have potential weaknesses in the context of complex cases, additional cases and analyses are needed.

Preventive effect of metronidazole vaginal tablets on vaginal bacteria-related postoperative complications with total laparoscopic hysterectomy.

BACKGROUND: The use of total laparoscopic hysterectomy is increasing. However, as with conventional abdominal hysterectomy, vaginal bacteria-related postoperative complications need to be managed in total laparoscopic hysterectomy. Therefore, we started to combine metronidazole vaginal tablets with intravenous administration of cephem antibiotics immediately before starting surgery to reduce complications. To evaluate the effect of this combination, and to determine the risk factors for these complications, we retrospectively collected medical records from our hospital and performed a multivariate analysis. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 520 patients who underwent total laparoscopic hysterectomy from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2021. Among these cases, we identified 16 cases as having vaginal bacteria-related postoperative complications, defined as needing more than one additional day for treatment of postoperative complications, namely postoperative infection (10 cases) and vaginal dehiscence (6 cases). First, we evaluate the effect of metronidazole vaginal tablets by dividing the patients into two groups according to whether metronidazole vaginal tablets were used, and comparing the vaginal bacteria-related postoperative complication rates and other indices. Second, we performed a multivariate logistic regression analysis to assess the influence of each of 17 representative factors, including patient characteristics and symptoms, uterus and leiomyoma sizes, concomitant procedures such as laparoscopic cystectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy, and others. RESULTS: In the multivariate analysis of the 520 cases, we confirmed that the use of metronidazole vaginal tablets could reduce the vaginal bacteria-related postoperative complications rate by more than half (odds ratio, 0.36). In addition to metronidazole vaginal tablets use, concomitant laparoscopic cystectomy and blood transfusion were associated with significant increases in the vaginal bacteria-related postoperative complication rate. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of the addition of metronidazole vaginal tablets to pre- and postsurgical treatment on the reduction of vaginal bacteria-related postoperative complications was confirmed. This easy, safe, and low-cost method may improve the management of total laparoscopic hysterectomy.

Myomectomy decreases abnormal uterine peristalsis and increases pregnancy rate.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between fibroids and infertility remains a critical and unresolved question. During the implantation phase, it is known that uterine peristalsis is dramatically reduced, which is thought to facilitate implantation of the embryo to the endometrium. In the previous study, using a cine MRI mode, we found that less than half of the patients with intramural fibroids exhibited abnormal uterine peristalsis during the mid-luteal phase. In the present study, we further investigated whether myomectomy for patients in the high peristalsis group is a constructive method to normalize uterine peristalsis. METHODS: The frequency of junctional zone movement was evaluated using a cine MRI mode during the mid-luteal phase. Fifteen infertility patients, who had intramural myomas and exhibited abnormal uterine peristalsis (≥2 times/3 min) in their first MRI, underwent myomectomy and a second MRI. After receiving the second MRI, patients underwent infertility treatment for at least 8 months, and pregnancy rate was evaluated prospectively. RESULTS: Among 15 patients, the frequency of uterine peristalsis was normalized (0 or 1 time/3 min) in 14 patients. Following myomectomy and second MRI test, 6 of the 15 patients achieved pregnancy (n = 15, pregnancy rate: 40%). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of uterine fibroids might induce abnormal uterine peristalsis in some patients, leading to infertility, and myomectomy may improve fertility in these patients.

Successful Management of a Noncommunicating Rudimentary Uterine Horn Pregnancy by Laparoscopic Surgery: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Pregnancy in a noncommunicating rudimentary horn is extremely rare but can cause serious clinical complications, such as uterine rupture. The standard treatment is excision of the rudimentary horn, and recently, in some cases, laparoscopic resection has been performed in the first trimester of gestation. Herein, we present a case of noncommunicating rudimentary horn pregnancy (NCRHP), which was diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging at 6 weeks of gestation and treated by laparoscopic surgery. However, we have also found some rare cases in which patients could obtain live newborn babies. Since management is affected by the different levels of obstetric medical care and diagnostic tools, we also performed a review and analysis of NCRHP. A PubMed search yielded 103 cases reported in the English literature. Correct diagnosis and laparoscopic treatment were achieved more frequently in developed countries, especially in the first trimester of gestation. On the other hand, symptoms, including abdominal pain and hypovolemic shock, tended to occur in the second trimester of gestation. This period was also found to be a risk factor for uterine rupture. Among 18 patients at the third trimester of gestation, 13 obtained live neonatal infants. Therefore, detailed information about this disease is crucial for proper treatments.

The effect of temporary uterine artery ligation on laparoscopic myomectomy to reduce intraoperative blood loss: A retrospective case-control study.

Objective: To reduce intraoperative blood loss in laparoscopic myomectomy, uterine artery occlusion or temporary uterine artery clipping have been employed. Recently, in addition to these techniques, temporary uterine artery ligation has been reported as a new method that has less invasive effects on fertility and needs no special devices to be used. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of temporary uterine artery ligation to minimize intraoperative blood loss during laparoscopic myomectomy. Study Design: This was a retrospective case-control study at the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital Mizonokuchi, Teikyo University School of Medicine. A total of 264 patients with uterine leiomyoma who underwent laparoscopic myomectomy were enrolled in this study. We divided the patients into two groups, those who underwent temporary uterine artery ligation (52 patients) and those who did not (212 patients) and compared the operation time, blood loss volume, and other indexes. Second, to identify influential factors, we assessed the effects of 11 representative factors on massive blood loss or a prolonged operation time using multivariate analysis. Results: The intraoperative blood loss volume was decreased by approximately half with the addition of temporary uterine artery ligation (75.1 ± 73.6 ml vs. 158.5 ± 233.2 ml, p = 0.011), but the operation time was longer (200.5 ± 46.9 min vs. 160.1 ± 51.3 min, p < 0.001). Among the 264 patients, 25 patients (9/52 in the case group and 16/212 in the control group) had a prolonged operation time (≥ 240 min), and 24 patients (1/52 in the case group and 23/212 in the control group) experienced massive blood loss (≥ 400 ml). In the multivariate analysis, high body mass index, concomitant surgery and temporary uterine artery ligation showed a positive association with a prolonged operative time, and the presence of single leiomyoma showed a negative association. Concomitant surgery and the presence of large leiomyoma showed a positive association with massive blood loss, and temporary uterine artery ligation showed a negative association. Conclusions: By performing temporary uterine artery ligation during laparoscopic myomectomy, the volume of intraoperative blood loss could be decreased, especially in patients with large leiomyomas. However, because this procedure prolongs the operation time, there is still room for improvement.

Unilateral uterine artery embolization and Bakri tamponade balloon insertion in the treatment of acute puerperal uterine inversion: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Acute puerperal uterine inversion is rare but may cause massive postpartum blood loss due to uterine atony. Therefore, these patients must be diagnosed, and uterine replacement must be performed as soon as possible. However, in some cases, active bleeding due to uterine atony becomes uncontrollable, even though the uterine inversion itself is treated. In these cases, additional treatments, including surgical procedures, are needed. CASE PRESENTATION: A 41-year-old Japanese woman, gravida 1, para 0, was hospitalized for labor induction at 40 weeks and 3 days of gestational age. She had a vacuum-assisted delivery after 3 days of oxytocin administration, but acute uterine inversion occurred. Although replacement of the inverted uterus was successful by manual repositioning and Bakri balloon tamponade insertion, massive postpartum hemorrhage caused by uterine atony became uncontrollable. In this situation, since disseminated intravascular coagulation had developed, we used uterine artery embolization to stop the bleeding. After detecting the pseudo-aneurysmal sac and tortuous vessels of the right uterine artery, transcatheter right-sided uterine artery embolization was performed. Thirteen days after uterine artery embolization, she was discharged with no complications. CONCLUSIONS: In cases of disseminated intravascular coagulation caused by massive postpartum bleeding, uterine artery embolization may often be selected. In our case, since we performed angiography to detect the main bleeding site, the hemorrhage could be stopped with unilateral uterine artery embolization alone, without hysterectomy.

The function of bone morphogenetic proteins in the human ovary.

The gonadotropins, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH), are of particular importance in ovarian physiology. However, FSH receptors and LH receptors are not expressed until the secondary follicle stage, indicating that initiation of follicular growth is independent of the gonadotropins. Among many intra-ovarian growth factors, many studies have shown that bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) play pivotal roles in regulating the early phases of follicular growth. The BMP system induces the gonadotropin system by modulating gonadotropin receptors in early-stage follicles. Interestingly, the BMP system also prevents precocious maturation of the follicle by suppressing luteinization. Signals provoked by the preovulatory LH surge eliminate BMPs, enabling luteinization to progress. Thus, the BMP system and the gonadotropin system seem to cooperate in regulating follicular development, maturation, and luteinization.

Predictive factors of spontaneously regressed uterine endometrial polyps during the waiting period before hysteroscopic polypectomy.

BACKGROUND: The presence of uterine endometrial polyps is associated with not only abnormal uterine bleeding but also infertility, so the use of hysteroscopic polypectomy has been increasing. This operation is considered to increase cost-effectiveness when performed prior to infertility treatments. However, there are typical problems to consider, including the possibility of spontaneous regression of the polyp and the duration of complete endometrial wound healing after surgery. Meaningless interventions must be avoided, when possible. Therefore, data acquisition and analysis of various findings obtained from surgery have become important for improving treatment procedures and patient selection. To estimate the spontaneous regression rates and contributions of multiple factors to uterine endometrial polyps during the waiting period (approximately 2-3 months) before hysteroscopic polypectomy, we performed a multivariate analysis of data from the records in our hospital. METHODS: The medical records of 450 cases from September 2014 to April 2021 in our hospital were retrospectively reviewed under the approval of our Institutional Review Board. We included all cases of hysteroscopic polypectomy with postoperative pathological diagnosis. We defined cases as having a "spontaneously regressed polyp" when the target polyp was not detected by postoperative pathological examination. We extracted data on the following ten factors: "Advanced age" (≥ 42 years), "Small polyp" (< 10 mm), "High body mass index" (≥ 25 kg/m2), "Nulliparity," "Single polyp," "Infertility," "Hypermenorrhea," "Abnormal bleeding," "No symptom," and "Hormonal drug use." We also classified cases into five groups according to the size of the polyp (≤ 4.9 mm, 5.0-9.9 mm, 10.0-14.9 mm, 15.0-19.9 mm, and ≥ 20.0 mm) and determined the frequency of spontaneously regressed polyp in each group. RESULTS: After exclusion of cases with insufficient data or other diseases, such as submucosal leiomyoma, 424 cases were analyzed. Among them, 28 spontaneously regressed polyps were identified, and the highest frequency of spontaneously regressed polyp was detected among the cases with polyps measuring 5.0-9.9 mm (16.4%). On multivariate analysis of the ten factors, "Small polyp" and "Hormonal drug use" were found to significantly impact the frequency of spontaneously regressed polyp. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the factors identified in this analysis, the indications for observation or medical therapy adapted to small polyps might be expanded.

A retrospective study of 323 total laparoscopic hysterectomy cases for various indications and a case report treating caesarean scar pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: The application of laparoscopic surgeries has been increasing, and various uterine diseases in addition to leiomyoma/adenomyoma have become indications for total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH). Therefore, data acquisition and analysis of TLH procedures, including TLH for rare uterine diseases, have become important for improving surgical procedures and patient selection. To determine the prevalence of and risk factors for the occurrence of intraoperative and postoperative complications of TLH, we performed a multivariate analysis of the records in our hospital. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 323 patients who underwent TLH for the treatment of leiomyoma/adenomyoma (278 cases), low-grade (pre)malignant uterine tumours (40 cases) and other rare uterine diseases (5 cases) from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2019. Of the rare uterine diseases, one case of caesarean scar pregnancy for which TLH was performed is introduced as a case report. To assess the effects of 11 representative factors, including patient characteristics, uterus and leiomyoma sizes, indications for TLH and others, we performed a multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Among the 323 cases, 20 intraoperative complications and 15 postoperative complications were reported. In the multivariate analysis, "ovarian tumour" and "heavy uterus" were positively associated and "nulliparity" was negatively associated with intraoperative complications. There were no significant risk factors for postoperative complications. The only risk factor for operative complications directly related to the resected uterus was "heavy uterus". Therefore, we could perform TLH relatively safely for patients with other indications besides leiomyoma/adenomyoma. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the factors detected in this analysis, the indications for TLH may be expanded. Owing to the increase in TLH for indications other than leiomyoma/adenomyoma, a more accurate determination of the treatment approach can be achieved.

Significant risk factors for malignant transformation of ovarian endometrioma during dienogest treatment: a case report and retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: To determine the prevalence of and risk factors for malignant transformation of ovarian endometrioma during dienogest therapy, which is very rare, we examined multiple cases of malignant transformation of ovarian endometrioma during dienogest therapy and performed a multivariate analysis of the records in our hospital. METHODS: The medical records of 174 patients who underwent DNGT for the treatment of OMA from June 1, 2011, to May 31, 2018, were reviewed retrospectively with the approval of the Human Ethical Committee of the University of Teikyo Hospital. And we provided one representative case of MT with obtaining written informed consent. To assess the effects of six representative factors, including advanced age, parity, surgical history, and endometrial cyst characteristics (including 3 factors), on the possibility of malignant transformation, we performed a multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the 174 cases, 4 were diagnosed with malignant transformation, and these cases are reported. In the multivariate analysis, advanced age (P = 0.0064), nullipara (P = 0.0322), and enlargement (P = 0.0079) showed significant differences for malignant transformation occurrence. All 4 malignant transformation cases were among the 19 patients who had all of these 3 factors. CONCLUSIONS: For a more accurate determination of the treatment approach, a larger sample size will be needed to determine the risk factors for malignant transformation during dienogest therapy.

Intraoperative and Postoperative Clinical Evaluation of the Hysteroscopic Morcellator System for Endometrial Polypectomy: A Prospective, Randomized, Single-blind, Parallel Group Comparison Study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the TRUCLEAR™ system (Smith and Nephew Inc., London, UK), a hysteroscopic system that morcellates and aspirates masses, in terms of the operating time, surgeon's convenience, and effect on patients compared with conventional electrosurgical resection. METHODS: Patients undergoing hysteroscopic resection of endometrial polyps were randomly allocated to undergo hysteroscopic morcellation or electrosurgical resection (UMIN-CTR identifier: UMIN000019649). The primary outcome was the operating time. Secondary outcomes were the removal success, fluid deficit, convenience with the technique, insertion time, number of insertions during the operation, visibility of the operative field, recurrence of the patient's chief complaint, and adverse events. RESULTS: Sixty-seven women were randomly allocated to the morcellation arm (n = 34) or electrosurgical resection arm (n = 33) from November 2015 to November 2016. The polyps were completely removed, and no adverse events were observed in all 67 patients. The average operating time (8.3 min vs. 12.0 min, P = 0.014), insertion time (5.0 min vs. 9.0 min, P < 0.001), and number of insertions (1.0 vs. 8.2, P < 0.001) were significantly lower in the morcellation arm than in the electrosurgical resection arm. Surgeons' subjective evaluation measured on a 10-cm visual analog scale was higher in the morcellation arm than in the electrosurgical resection arm in terms of easiness of removal (8.4 vs. 6.5, P < 0.001) and visibility of the operative field (7.8 vs. 6.4, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Surgeons gave the hysteroscopic morcellator system a better evaluation compared than electrosurgical resection, and the system shortened the operating time.

Endophytic-Type Endometrial Cancer with Adenomyosis Successfully Diagnosed with Hysteroscopic Endometrial Biopsy Using an 8.3-mm Operative Resectoscope: A Case Report.

In order to diagnose endometrial cancer preoperatively, outpatient endometrial biopsy with a curette is frequently performed owing to its convenience. However, in some cases, gynecologists fail to diagnose endometrial cancer via outpatient endometrial biopsy because of the cancer's distribution in the uterus and its consistency. A 57-year-old Japanese woman (gravida 4 para 4) presented with a 6-month history of light but intermittent postmenopausal vaginal bleeding. A malignant uterine tumor was strongly suspected after imaging using ultrasound examination and magnetic resonance imaging; however, a precise pathological diagnosis was not achieved despite multiple outpatient endometrial biopsies with the aid of office hysteroscopy. Based on an endometrial biopsy obtained using a cutting loop electrode on an 8.3-mm operative resectoscope, we reached a diagnosis of endophytic-type endometrial cancer, which is in accordance with the final pathological diagnosis after abdominal hysterectomy. Three months after her first visit to our hospital, total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with pelvic/para-aortic lymph node dissection were performed. Macroscopically, the endometrium was atrophic, and there was no obvious mass in the uterine cavity; however, microscopically, the cancer cells mainly existed in the deep myometrium and the final diagnosis was International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IB endometrial cancer. Operative biopsy of the uterine endometrium and deep myometrium using hysteroscopy confirmed an accurate preoperative diagnosis of uterine endometrial cancer specifically of the endophytic type.