Disseminated Peritoneal Leiomyomatosis-A Challenging Diagnosis-Mimicking Malignancy Scoping Review of the Last 14 Years.

Disseminated peritoneal leiomyomatosis (DPL) is a rare condition marked by multiple leiomyomas in the peritoneal cavity, predominantly affecting women of reproductive age. Although typically benign, DPL can present significant diagnostic challenges and, in rare cases, may progress to malignancy. A primary contributing factor to DPL is iatrogenic, particularly due to surgical interventions such as morcellation during myomectomy. This scoping review explores the pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of DPL, highlighting the crucial role of hormonal influences and iatrogenic factors. Diagnostic methods include computed tomography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging, and histopathological evaluation, which are essential for assessing disease extent and guiding treatment. Management strategies encompass surgical intervention-with a focus on minimizing iatrogenic risks-conservative approaches for asymptomatic patients, and advancements in hormonal treatments. Emphasis is placed on preventing iatrogenic dissemination through refined surgical techniques and patient education. Despite its rarity, with fewer than 200 cases reported globally, understanding DPL's clinical presentation and iatrogenic origins is vital for optimal patient outcomes. This review underscores the importance of early diagnosis, personalized treatment plans, and ongoing research to address the challenges associated with DPL.

Monochorionic-diamniotic twin pregnancy complicated by twin reversed arterial perfusion sequence and retroplacental hematoma - a case report.

Twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence is a rare and severe complication specific to monochorionic twin pregnancies, involving the presence of an acardiac twin and a structurally normal co-twin (pump twin). We report on the case of a33-year-old female with a biamniotic monochorionic twin pregnancy complicated with TRAP sequence and polyhydramnios. The patient underwent fetoscopic termination of the acardiac twin and at 34 gestational weeks (GW) was readmitted with aretroplacental hematoma. The patient gave birth through caesarean section to a living female fetus, weighing 1480 g. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case reporting a twin pregnancy with TRAP sequence complicated with retroplacental hematoma.

Surgical scar endometriosis: a series of 14 patients and brief review of literature.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Endometriosis is a commonly encountered disorder in women of reproductive age, consisting of the presence of active ectopic endometrial tissue outside the endometrial cavity. Surgical scar endometriosis is a rare condition representing about 2% of all endometriosis cases. The purpose of this study was to assess the main characteristics, diagnostic tools and therapeutic options in abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE). METHODS: We have reviewed a series of fourteen cases with histopathological confirmation of AWE that were managed in our institution. RESULTS: The main characteristic of AWE were emphasized, showing that 78.57% of the patients had at least one previous caesarian section and that in only 57.14% of all cases an accurate diagnosis of AWE was established preoperatively. CONCLUSION: A direct relationship between gynecological and obstetrical surgery and AWE is well established and as the caesarian section rates increase constantly, the awareness regarding AWE should also be increased.

Cyclopia and proboscis - the extreme end of holoprosencephaly.

Holoprosencephaly (HPE), a major congenital abnormality in brain development is characterized by the absence or incomplete cleavage of prosencephalon into separate hemispheres, with cyclopia as the extreme manifestation of HPE, presenting as a failure of embryonic prosencephalon to properly divide the orbits of the eye in two cavities. We report the case of a 15-year-old pregnant patient, who delivered a 34-week living fetus with alobar HPE, cyclopia and proboscis. The patient did not have any routine scans during pregnancy; her first obstetrical exam was performed at 29 weeks of gestation (WG), when a prenatal ultrasound found a fetus with alobar HPE, cyclopia, proboscis, polydactyly and single umbilical artery. Despite adequate medical and genetic counseling, the patient and her legal representative refused further investigations - magnetic resonance imaging and genetic testing. She was admitted to the hospital at 34 WG for premature rupture of membranes, with clear amniotic fluid. Twenty-four hours later, she delivered vaginally a living male fetus, weighing 1995 g. Macroscopic examination revealed umbilical cord with two vessels, fetal proboscis, cyclopia, low implanted ears, bilateral polydactyly of the upper limbs, spina bifida occulta in the sacral region. The newborn lived for 40 minutes. Microscopy of the eyeball revealed choroid, ciliary body and conjunctiva structures, with no identification of the retina, and no evidence of the optic nerve in the fragments obtained from the optic chiasm region. This case underlines the importance of early obstetrical examinations during pregnancy and raises concerns about the ethics of allowing therapeutic termination of pregnancy after 24 WG in selected cases.

Usefulness of real-time elastography strain ratio in the assessment of bile duct ligation-induced liver injury and the hepatoprotective effect of chitosan: an experimental animal study.

The purpose of the study described here was to evaluate the usefulness of the elastographic strain ratio in the assessment of liver changes in an experimental animal setting and the hepatoprotective effects of chitosan. Ultrasonography and Strain Ratio calculation were performed before and after bile duct ligation (BDL) in three groups of Wistar albino rats (n = 10 animals per group): (i) rats subjected to bile duct ligation only; (ii) rats subjected to bile duct ligation and administered chitosan for 14 d; (iii) rats subjected to bile duct ligation and administered chitosan for 7 d. The results were compared with the laboratory data and pathologic findings. Strain ratios revealed an increase in liver stiffness after bile duct ligation (p < 0.05), except in the group with chitosan administered for 7 d, and agreed with laboratory and pathology data. In conclusion, strain ratio can be used as an experimental research instrument in the assessment of liver response to injury. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting on the usefulness of the sonoelastographic liver-to-kidney strain ratio in assessing the effects of experimentally induced liver lesions.

Conventional ultrasonography and sonoelastography in the assessment of plaque psoriasis under topical corticosteroid treatment - work in progress.

AIMS: The objective of the study was to compare the efficiency of 20 MHz skin ultrasonography and 40 MHz conventional ultrasonography in the assessment of plaque psoriasis and to assess the efficiency of 40 MHz real-time sonoelastography in the early detection of steroid-induced skin atrophy in psoriatic plaques. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ultrasonographic blinded evaluation was performed on 16 plaques in three consecutive patients, at baseline and after hydrocortisone acetate 1% ointment six-week application. The parameters were epidermal and dermal thicknesses for gray-scale ultrasonography and strain ratio for sonoelastography. Strain ratio was computed between the dermis and the adjacent hypodermis. Student's t-test for paired samples was performed. A confidence level of p<.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: At follow-up, epidermal thickness was significantly reduced with 20 MHz (p = .002) and 40 MHz sonography (p = .032), while dermal thickness varied insignifcantly with 20 MHz (p = .35) and 40 MHz sonography (p = .33). Measurements at 40 MHz were significantly higher than their 20 MHz counterparts at baseline (epidermis: p < .001; dermis: p = .003) and at follow-up (epidermis: p < .001; dermis: p = .001). Strain ratio revealed no significant change of dermal elasticity (p = .96). CONCLUSIONS: Although epidermal and dermal measurements varied significantly with 20 MHz and 40 MHz ultrasonography, both techniques efficiently quantified treatment response by measuring the reduction of epidermal thickness. Sonoelastographic findings were consistent with the expected outcome of short-term use of low-potency corticosteroid. Further studies are recommended.