ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers could promote the onset of endometrial polyps in hypertensive women.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether anti-hypertensive therapy is a risk factor for the onset of endometrial polyps in hypertensive women. METHODS: A sample of 305 hypertensive patients was analyzed. By applying multivariable logistic regression analysis, the odds of developing endometrial polyps relative to the known risk factors for endometrial polyps and to the class of anti-hypertensive drugs were calculated. RESULTS: The variables reaching significance after multivariable logistic regression analysis included the following: hypertension not-in-therapy (odds ratio 2.544; 95% confidence intervals 1.249 - 5.182; p = 0.010); ACE inhibitor therapy (odds ratio 2.400; 95% confidence intervals 1.248 - 4.614; p = 0.009); angiotensin receptor blockers (odds ratio 2.091; 95% confidence intervals 1.044 - 4.187; p = 0.037); and fasting glucose level (odds ratio 1.018; 95% confidence intervals 1.007 - 1.030; p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Although the results should be interpreted carefully, it appears that ACE inhibitors and, to a lesser extent, angiotensin receptor blockers may promote the onset of endometrial polyps in hypertensive patients.

Cecal endometriosis as a cause of ileocolic intussusception.

Endometriosis is a disease that can affect various organs, has an unclear symptomatology, and in extreme cases, can result in intestinal obstruction. This particular case illustrates the synchronous localization of endometriosis, both genital and intestinal, resulting in ileo-colic and colonic intussusception. The relative diagnostic and therapeutic approach for such a rare occurrence is discussed.

Autosomal recessive progressive myoclonus epilepsy with ataxia and mental retardation.

We describe two couples of sibs from a southern Italian family affected by epilepsy, myoclonus, mental retardation and slight ataxia. Onset was between 4 and 12 years and the course slowly progressive. The clinical picture suggested the diagnosis of Unverricht-Lundborg disease. Molecular study excluded linkage to EPM1. Other possible causes of progressive myoclonus epilepsy were also excluded.

Variable phenotype in a P102L Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker Italian family.

BACKGROUND: Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease is an autosomal dominant prion disease. The clinical features include ataxia, dementia, spastic paraparesis and extrapyramidal signs. METHODS: We report a new large Italian family affected by Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease. RESULTS: The four generation pedigree includes 11 patients. The mean age at onset +/- SD was 41.4 +/- 16.2 years. Mean disease duration to death in four patients was 5.5 +/- 1.7 years. Two clinical patterns were evident: cognitive impairment with scarce neurological features or ataxia followed by cognitive impairment. Molecular analysis showed P102L mutation in PRNP gene. CONCLUSION: Three Italian families have been reported to date. The variable phenotype has already been reported, and does not appear related to the codon 129 polymorphism.

Relationship between adenomyosis and uterine polyps.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether adenomyosis is associated with uterine polyps. STUDY DESIGN: To perform an ethical human study, we planned a large retrospective observational study covering the entire patient population of the ULSS 17-Veneto district who underwent resectoscopy in 2007 and 2008 (959 patients). We enrolled all the patients underwent resectoscopy with resection of uterine polyps, with resection of myomas, with endometrial ablations by slicing, and with endometrial biopsies in both the presence and absence of hysteroscopically visible lesions. The diagnosis of adenomyosis was made by pathological examination of tissue specimens obtained using a resectoscope loop. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine if adenomyosis was one of the various risk factors for the presence and number of uterine polyps. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 16.0) was employed, and p≤0.05 was the minimum for significance. RESULTS: Age (p=0.005), adenomyosis (p=0.013), high fasting glucose levels (p=0.004), and hypertension (p=0.045) were significantly associated with endometrial polyps. The presence of multiple endometrial polyps seemed to be associated with the presence of adenomyosis (p=0.016). The presence of cervical polyps was significantly associated only with presence of adenomyosis (p=0.002). The presence of multiple cervical polyps did not seem to be influenced by any of the variables considered. CONCLUSIONS: The results clearly demonstrate an association between adenomyosis and uterine polyps. The pathogenetic role of adenomyosis in the development of polyps should therefore be investigated further.

Autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy: a possible postganglionic neuropathy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate postganglionic autonomic and somatic nerve fiber involvement in a patient with chronic autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Department of Neurological Sciences, University Federico II of Naples. PATIENT: A patient with a 16-year history of severe autonomic failure and a high nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antibody titer underwent an extensive laboratory evaluation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Evaluation of sympathetic and parasympathetic functions and sural nerve and skin biopsies. RESULTS: Clinical and laboratory evaluations showed the involvement of cardiovascular, pupillary, sudomotor, gastrointestinal, and bladder functions. Sudomotor function study and skin biopsy findings revealed postganglionic autonomic damage. Moreover, sural nerve and skin biopsy specimens provided clear evidence of somatic nerve fiber involvement. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated postganglionic autonomic damage that could be related to a prolonged and severe impaired synaptic transmission and we report, for the first time to our knowledge, a somatic nerve fiber involvement in autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy.

Is early stage endometrial cancer safely treated by laparoscopy? Complications of a multicenter study and review of recent literature.

BACKGROUND: To compare the complications after total laparoscopic hysterectomy (LPS) and abdominal hysterectomy with lymphadenectomy (LPT) for early stage endometrial cancer in a series of 226 women and to assess the disease-free survival and the recurrence rate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two hundred and twenty six patients with clinical stage I endometrial cancer were enrolled in a multicenter study and underwent surgical staging consisting of inspecting the intraperitoneal cavity, peritoneal washing, total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and in all cases we performed systematic bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy by LPS or LPT approach. RESULTS: One patient of the LPS group had an uretero-vaginal fistula and another patient had an ureteral stricture temporarily treated with a stent. One patient of the LPS group had a bowel perforation due to dense adhesions with the peritoneum under the umbilicus, resolved with a bowel resection and an end-to-end anastomosis. In three patients of the LPS group we observed a vaginal cuff dehiscence and in one case a pelvic lymphocyst was reported. CONCLUSIONS: The low intraoperative and postoperative complications rate, observed in the LPS group, highlights the feasibility, safety and efficacy of this surgical approach. The operating time was longer in the LPS group but the recurrence rate and the complication rate appear similar and not more than what is traditionally expected with the LPT approach, although further studies and cost-benefit analyses are required to determine whether the use of LPS improves the outcome over standard LPT and whether the advantages of this technique could be extended to a larger proportion of patients.

Effect of palmitoylethanolamide-polydatin combination on chronic pelvic pain associated with endometriosis: preliminary observations.

OBJECTIVE: Endometriosis is a chronic oestrogen-dependent gynaecological disorder, the most common symptom of which is pain. Inflammation can be considered one of the major causes of pain in endometriosis. In particular, degranulating mast cells have been found in significantly greater quantities in endometriotic lesions than in unaffected tissues. The increase in activated and degranulating mast cells is closely associated with nerve structures in painful endometriotic lesions. These observations indicate that inflammation due to mast cells may contribute to the development of pain and hyperalgesia in endometriosis. Controlling mast-cell activation may therefore relieve the pain associated with endometriotic lesions. STUDY DESIGN: Four patients presenting an endometriosis-related pain intensity >or=5 (visual analogue scale for pain, or VAS) were enrolled and monitored during 3 months of the following treatment: oral palmitoylethanolamide 400mg and polydatin 40mg, twice daily for 90 days. Deep dyspareunia, dyschezia, dysuria, dysmenorrhoea and analgesic drug use during the 3-month follow-up period were also monitored, with the aim of demonstrating a reliable reduction in chronic pelvic pain. RESULTS: The preliminary results indicate that all patients enrolled experienced pain relief as early as 1 month after starting treatment. Furthermore, a reduction in the analgesic drugs usually employed for pain control was observed in all subjects treated. Additionally, some improvements in endometriotic lesions seemed to be demonstrated by imaging. CONCLUSIONS: The palmitoylethanolamide-polydatin combination seems to be very useful in controlling chronic pelvic pain associated with endometriosis. As a result of these findings we have initiated a multi-centre pilot study to verify the effectiveness of this treatment in controlling the chronic pelvic pain associated with endometriosis.

Silent onset of postmenopausal endometriosis in a woman with renal failure in hormone replacement therapy: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Postmenopausal endometriosis is a rare form of a common disease, since the absence of estrogenic hormone production should halt disease progression. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 54-year-old Italian Caucasian woman in surgical menopause with a history of ovarian endometriosis, who underwent voluntary hormone replacement therapy for seven years. She developed postrenal renal failure due to bilateral compression of the pelvic ureteral tract caused by two large, deeply infiltrating endometriotic nodules with no pelvic pain. She underwent operative laparoscopy with adhesiolysis of enteroenteric adhesions and excision of the endometriotic nodules encompassing the juxtavesical tract of the ureters, without obtaining improvement of renal failure. CONCLUSION: Postmenopausal endometriosis can manifest itself in an unpredictable and potentially very serious manner. It is therefore important to carefully evaluate the risks and benefits of administering hormone replacement therapy to patients with previous endometriosis.

Laparoscopic treatment of deep endometriosis with segmental colorectal resection: short-term morbidity.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Adequate surgical treatment of severe deep endometriosis requires complete excision of all implants, but the modality of bowel resection is still debated. We describe the results of our experience as a tertiary care endometriosis referral center in complete laparoscopic management of deep pelvic endometriosis with bowel involvement. DESIGN: A prospective single-center study (Canadian Task Force classification II-1). SETTING: In Sacro Cuore General Hospital of Negrar, Italy. PATIENTS: One hundred ninety-two women treated with laparoscopic excision of deep endometriosis and segmental colorectal resections were evaluated. INTERVENTION: From January 2003 through December 2005 we registered all consecutive patients laparoscopically treated for deep endometriosis who also were having segmental bowel resection. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Data analysis included age, weight, body mass index, history of endometriosis, preoperative symptoms, parity, infertility, operative procedures, operating time, conversion, intraoperative and postoperative morbidity, recovery of bladder and bowel function, and discharge from hospital. We report our results in terms of feasibility and short-term morbidity. Radicality was achieved in 91.5% of patients. Laparoconversion occurred in 5 cases (2.6%). Major complications that required repeat operation occurred in 20 cases (10.4%): Nine anastomosis leakages (4.7%), 3 uroperitoneum (1.6%), 4 hemoperitoneum (2.1%), 1 pelvic abscess (0.5%), 1 bowel perforation, 1 intestinal obstruction, and 1 sepsis. Minor complications occurred in 50 patients (26%). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic segmental colorectal resection for endometriosis is feasible and, in hospitals with necessary experience, can be proposed to selected patients who are informed of the risk of complications.

Total laparoscopic hysterectomy in cases of very large uteri: a retrospective comparative study.

In this review, we assessed the feasibility of total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) in cases of very large uteri weighting more than 500 grams. We compared surgical outcomes and short term follow-up in 149 patients with the uterus weighing less than 350 g (group A: 40-350 g) and 100 patients with the uterus weighing more than 500 g (group B: 500-1550 g). We discovered no statistical difference between the 2 groups in terms of intraoperative complications (group A: 0%; group B: 2%) and postoperative stay (group A: 3.05 +/- 1.89 days; group B: 3.2 +/- 1.28 days). There were statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in terms of operative time (group A: 101.3 +/- 34.3 min; group B: 149.1 +/- 57.2 min.; p <.0001) and postoperative hospital stay length (group A: 2.8 +/- 0.7 days; group B: 3.5 +/- 1.7 days; p <.0001). No major complications occurred in either group. Postoperative minor complications were more frequent in group B (group A: 8.7%; group B: 18%; p = .03). Median time to well-being was comparable in both groups. In conclusion, TLH is a feasible surgical technique also in cases of very large uteri. An increase in operative time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay length, and postoperative minor complications can be expected as the uterine weight increases.

Suppression of myoclonus in SCA2 by piracetam.

We report on a 30-year-old patient with advanced cerebellar degeneration due to SCA2. He presented with severe myoclonus, which was resistant to conventional therapy and dramatically improved after administration of 12-18 gm/die piracetam. Piracetam may be considered in the treatment of refractory myoclonus in spinocerebellar degenerations.

Pregnancy outcomes and deliveries after laparoscopic myomectomy.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To assess pregnancy outcomes and deliveries after laparoscopic myomectomy. DESIGN: Retrospective study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). SETTING: General hospital. PATIENTS: Three hundred fifty-nine women. INTERVENTIONS: Laparoscopic myomectomy and laparoscopic and/or hysteroscopic treatment of associated pathologies. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Five patients (1.39%) were lost to follow-up. Seventy-two women were pregnant at least once after laparoscopic myomectomy, for a total of 76 pregnancies. Four women conceived twice and four are pregnant as of this writing. One multiple pregnancy occurred. Twelve pregnancies resulted in first-trimester miscarriage, one in an ectopic pregnancy, one in a blighted ovum, and one in a hydatiform mole. One patient underwent elective first-trimester termination of pregnancy. Thirty-one women had vaginal delivery at term and 26 were delivered by cesarean section. No case of uterine rupture or dehiscence occurred. CONCLUSION: Our technique of laparoscopic myomectomy appears to allow safe vaginal delivery.

Preoperative double-contrast barium enema in patients with suspected intestinal endometriosis.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To assess the usefulness of double-contrast barium enema (DCBE) in the diagnosis of endometriotic lesions of the bowel and to define its potential value in preoperative decision making for intestinal surgery. DESIGN: Retrospective study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). SETTING: General hospital with a specialized endometriosis unit. PATIENTS: One hundred and eight women with symptoms suggestive of intestinal endometriosis who underwent DCBE before laparoscopic surgery. INTERVENTION: Laparoscopic complete excision of endometriosis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Fifty-five patients were found to have an entirely normal colon on DCBE studies. Twenty-eight of these were found to have adhesions of the bowel at laparoscopy. Radiographic abnormalities suggestive of endometriosis were detected in 53 patients; 20 of these underwent laparoscopic bowel segmental resection, 10 laparoscopic full-thickness disc excision, 4 laparoscopic mucosal skinning, and 4 total laparoscopic hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomies. Fourteen patients refused intestinal surgery. One patient had no endometriosis but severe adhesions. In all cases but one, the radiographic findings on DCBE were confirmed by surgery and with histopathologic examination of the resected specimens (accuracy 99%). In these same cases, the preoperative choice of intestinal surgery remained unchanged during the procedure. CONCLUSION: Our data show that, in expert hands, DCBE correlated with a patient's clinical history and clinical findings is capable of diagnosing bowel wall involvement due to endometriosis, which could require intestinal surgery. This allows for proper preoperative planning of surgical procedures and a thorough informed consent.

Analysis of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in different sites of endometriosis and correlation with clinico-pathological parameters.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have demonstrated the overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in endometriosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of COX-2 in different anatomical sites of endometriosis and its association with clinico-pathological parameters in a single institutional series of patients undergoing operative treatment. METHODS: COX-2 expression was analysed by immunohistochemistry in 136 samples of endometriotic tissue from 103 patients affected by endometriosis. RESULTS: COX-2 immunoreaction was observed in 78.5% of ovarian endometriotic cysts, in 11.1% of peritoneal implants and 13.3% of recto-vaginal nodules. COX-2 positivity was not distributed differently according to age, pre-operative serum levels of CA125 and AFS score. Moreover, COX-2 positivity did not show any significant variation according to the subjective intensity of pain, as dysmenorrhoea, chronic pelvic pain, lower urinary tract or gastrointestinal symptoms, or according to infertility. CONCLUSIONS: Increased COX-2 expression in the endometriotic ovarian cyst wall was observed with respect to other extraovarian localizations. No relevant correlations between COX-2 positivity and clinico-pathological characteristics and symptoms of patients were observed.