[Epidemiological analysis of infertility in a Mexican population]. / Análisis epidemiológico de la infertilidad en una población mexicana.

BACKGROUND: Infertility is defined as the failure to conceive after a year of sexual life without a method of birth control. Most studies indicate that 15% of all couples will experience primary or secondary infertility in some moment of their reproductive life. OBJECTIVE: To gain knowledge of general characteristics from patients with infertility in our environment (social, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic) that attended the Reproductive Biology Department of Hospital Juárez de Mexico. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A descriptive, observational, situational, and retrospective indagatory study was performed on 116 infertile patients, seen in the outpatient clinic, from January through December 1999. All had entered our protocol of infertility and selected treatment. RESULTS: The altered ovarian endocrine factor was the most frequent (82.7%), followed by cervical factor (80%), masculine factor (38%) and tuboperitoneal factor (29%). In most cases the cause was multifactorial. The percentage of successful pregnancies (31.88%) was similar to that reported in the literature. CONCLUSIONS: The most common factors that influence infertility resembled those exhibited by specialized clinics of affluent countries with similar pregnancy rates.

[Craniopharyngioma and its impact upon human reproduction: analysis of 15 cases at the Hospital Juarez de Mexico]. / Craneofaringioma y sus repercusiones en la reproducción humana: análisis de 15 casos en el Hospital Juárez de México.

BACKGROUND: Craniopharyngiomas are intracranial tumors of non-glial origin derived from cellular remnants of the Rathke's pouch. Their frequency is 1-3% of intracranial tumors and 13% of suprasellar neoplasms. Histologically, it is a benign lesion, albeit clinically severe with a high index of relapse and sequelae upon the reproductive function. OBJECTIVE: To identify the clinical characteristics of patients with craniopharyngiomas before and after treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We reviewed our experience of 15 cases with craniopharyngioma seen at the Hospital Juarez de Mexico from 1995 throughout 2002. RESULTS: Prevalence was higher in males (ratio 2:1) with ages between 6-45 years old (X 17.9 +/- 6.45 years). The most common symptoms were cephalalgia (100%) and visual disorders (93%); the average levels of hormonal determination were in females: FSH 1.0 mIU/mL, LH 0.5 mIU/mL, estradiol 11.0 pg/mL, PRL 80 mg/mL. In males: FSH 1.7 mIU/mL, LH 2.6 mIU/mL, testosterone 0.6 mg/dL and PRL 29 mg/mL. All patients had hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Tumoral relapse was mostly seen in patients who underwent only surgery (n = 7, 46.6%). The ones with surgery and radiotherapy (n = 8, 53.3%) did not disclose symptoms that required another surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The main repercussion of craniopharyngioma, due to its proximity to hypothalamus and hypophysis, is on the endocrine and reproductive areas of human being.