[Fort Lauderdale congress report: advances in infertility treatment - Florida, 24-26 January 2002]. / Compte rendu du congrès de Fort Lauderdale : progrès dans le domaine du traitement de l'infertilité - Floride, 24-26 janvier 2002.

The goal of the treatment of infertility is to apply therapeutic techniques to patients in a safe manner and at the same time increase the chances for conceiving and delivering healthy babies: basic and clinical research is more and more finalized directed to these goals. The conference "Advances in Infertility Treatment" held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 24-26, 2002 covered many clinical and research aspects of this important therapeutic area. Important discussed issues included the impact of age, lifestyle, and the genetic set-up of patients in the pathogenesis and development of infertility-causing disorders such as male reproductive dysfunction, polycystic ovary syndrome, and ovarian failure. New ovulation induction regimens that may optimize, reduce complications, and lower costs of ovarian stimulation procedures and of assisted reproduction in general were presented. This was the 5th Ferring Pharmaceuticals Conference in the area of reproductive medicine held in Florida.

[Role of endocervical curettage in the screening for cervical cancer: apropos of a series of 31 cases]. / Place du curetage endocervical dans le dépistage du cancer du col: à propos d'une série de 31 cas.

We present a study of 31 cases of pathologic cervical smear with an inconclusive colposcopy. The aim of this study was to compare the results of the cervical smear, colposcopy, cervical biopsy, endocervical curettage and conization. The endocervical curettage is a valuable complement to the colposcopy, especially in the case of an inconclusive colposcopy.

Ureaplasma in semen and IVF.

Ureaplasma urealyticum (U.U.) screening has been systematically performed in tests carried out before IVF cycles. In 42% of the cases (306 couples), at least one partner presented a monomicrobian U.U. infection. U.U. infection of at least one fraction of the split ejaculate was observed in 32% of the cases and found in similar proportions at the prostatic and seminal vesicle levels. The U.U.-infected group presented a similar number of cytological abnormalities to the noninfected samples. However, there was a significant reduction in the pregnancy rate after embryo transfer in the infected group whereas U.U. did not alter fertilization parameters, embryo retrieval or pregnancy rates per puncture. The preliminary results of a complementary prospective study (70 couples) point to the likely role of sexually transmitted Ureaplasma at the endometrial level.

[Neuroleptic analgesia in the management of labor]. / La neuroleptanalgésie dans la direction majeure du travail.

Neuroleptic analgesia, which is used for the major part of the conduct of labour, has the advantage of abolishing the pain of uterine contractions without altering the mother's state of consciousness. A study of the effects of droperidol together with phenoperidine on the mother and the child has been carried out. Clinical results, the parameters of the intra-uterine pressure curves and the fetal heart rates as well as of the acid base balance and the pO2 of the mother and infant during dilatation of the cervix and the two first hours of life have been monitored. The conclusion is that neuroleptic analgesia does not cause neonatal depression and can be used as a method for conducting labour so long as very strict monitoring conditions are applied.