Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Five Year Review.

Ovarian cancer is a malignant disease that affects thousands of patients every year. Currently, we use surgical techniques for early-stage cancer and chemotherapy treatment combinations for advanced stage cancer. Several novel therapies are currently being investigated, with gene therapy and stem cell therapy being the corner stone of this investigation. We conducted a thorough search on PubMed and gathered up-to-date information regarding epithelial ovarian cancer therapies. We present, in the current review, all novel treatments that were investigated in this field over the past five years, with a particular focus on local treatment.

Maternal diabetes and the role of neonatal reticulocyte hemoglobin content as a biomarker of iron status in the perinatal period.

Aims: We aimed to evaluate the effects of maternal diabetes on neonatal iron status, measuring erythrocyte indices including hemoglobin, hematocrit, reticulocytes, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), percent (%) hypochromia, ferritin, and additionally mean reticulocyte hemoglobin content (MCHr) as an early marker of iron deficiency, and examine the association between neonatal MCHr, red cell indices, and ferritin. Materials and Methods: We conducted a hospital-based prospective cohort study in a tertiary neonatal unit of a University Hospital from 2018 to 2020. We enrolled 126 maternal-infant pairs of mothers whose pregnancy was associated with diabetes and 74 maternal-infant pairs from uncomplicated pregnancies. Erythrocyte indices were analyzed within the first twelve hours after birth. Erythrocyte parameters were compared between infants of the diabetes and the non-diabetic group. We examined the correlation of the neonatal MCHr with perinatal characteristics, including gestation, birth weight, maternal body mass index, the erythrocytic indices, maternal diabetes, maternal obesity, prematurity, small-for-gestational-age status, maternal preeclampsia, and maternal anemia. Finally, we evaluated the discordance between neonatal MCHr and neonatal ferritin. Results: Infants of the diabetes group had a significantly lower MCHr (32.6 pg vs. 34.2 pg, p=0.003) compared with infants of uncomplicated pregnancies. Neonatal MCHr was significantly correlated with maternal hypochromia (r=-0.237, p=0.004) and neonatal MCV (r=0.674, p<0.001). Neonatal MCHr was significantly associated with maternal diabetes [standardized coefficients 0.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.05-0.58, p=0.003) and maternal preeclampsia (standardized coefficients 0.17, 95% CI 0.02-0.92, p=0.019), after adjusting for maternal anemia, maternal obesity, prematurity, and small-for-gestational-age status. Those results were consistent also when analyzing maternal-infant pairs with pre-existing diabetes, and maternal-infant pairs with gestational diabetes. There was significant discordance between neonatal MCHr and neonatal ferritin (p=0.001). Conclusions: MCHr was significantly lower in infants of mothers whose pregnancy was associated with diabetes compared with infants of non-diabetic mothers and correlated with neonatal and maternal red cell indices of iron deficiency. Since there was significant discordance between neonatal MCHr and ferritin during the first postnatal day, it is possible that MCHr could be used as a screening test for iron deficiency, especially in infants.

Transperineal excision of a sizeable angiofibroma of the ischiorectal fossa. A case report.

Cellular angiofibroma is a recently described rare benign soft-tissue tumor more commonly presenting in middle-aged women, often mimicking malignancy. The vulva is most common location. Complete local excision is the best curative treatment and usually there is no recurrence after surgery. We describe a 49-year-old woman with a painless tumor in the left ischiorectal fossa. It was a random finding in a routine computed tomography (CT) scan after resection of ear melanoma 3 years previously. Ultrasonography showed a solid mass, and further magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suggested a rhabdomyosarcoma. Altogether, these findings indicated malignant disease. An uncomplicated simple excision of the tumor was done in the operating theatre. The mass measured 7×5×5 cm and the histopathological examination found that it was a cellular angiofibroma, a benign lesion. There were no postoperative complications. This case report highlights the need for multidisciplinary team management of rare tumors such as cellular angiofibromas.

A neonate with intrauterine growth restriction and pseudo-Bartter syndrome due to severe maternal eating disorder: A case report.

Maternal diet before and during pregnancy plays an important role for the developing fetus. Any eating disorder in this period can cause transient or/and permanent negative effects on the mother and her offspring.