Effect of Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure on Sexual Dysfunction in Korean Women.

BACKGROUND: The role of the cervix in female sexual functioning is controversial. The loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) induces structural changes in the cervix. This study aimed to investigate whether LEEP affected sexual dysfunction in Korean women. METHODS: A prospective cohort study enrolled 61 sexually active women with abnormal Papanicolaou smear or cervical punch biopsy results and required LEEP. The patients were assessed before and six to twelve months after LEEP using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS). RESULTS: The prevalence of female sexual dysfunction according to FSFI scores before and after LEEP was 62.5% and 66.7%, respectively. LEEP-related changes in total FSFI and FSDS scores were not significant (P = 0.399 and P = 0.670, respectively). The frequency of sexual dysfunction in the desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain subdomains of the FSFI was not significantly altered by LEEP (P > 0.05). The proportion of women experiencing sexual distress according to FSDS scores did not significantly increase after LEEP (P = 0.687). CONCLUSION: A large proportion of women with cervical dysplasia experience sexual dysfunction and distress both before and after LEEP. LEEP itself may be not associated with negative effects on female sexual function.

Autologous Collagen-Induced Chondrogenesis: From Bench to Clinical Development.

Microfracture is a common technique that uses bone marrow components to stimulate cartilage regeneration. However, the clinical results of microfracture range from poor to good. To enhance cartilage healing, several reinforcing techniques have been developed, including porcine-derived collagen scaffold, hyaluronic acid, and chitosan. Autologous collagen-induced chondrogenesis (ACIC) is a single-step surgical technique for cartilage regeneration that combines gel-type atelocollagen scaffolding with microfracture. Even though ACIC is a relatively new technique, literature show excellent clinical results. In addition, all procedures of ACIC are performed arthroscopically, which is increasing in preference among surgeons and patients. The ACIC technique also is called the Shetty-Kim technique because it was developed from the works of A.A. Shetty and S.J. Kim. This is an up-to-date review of the history of ACIC.

Effect of Quality Control Program in Surgical Management of Early Cervical Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Regular assessments of clinical performance in gynecologic cancer surgery is important for the safety of patients. We evaluated the effects of quality control (QC) program on the treatment pattern and clinical outcomes of early cervical cancer. METHODS: Medical records of cervical cancer patients who received operation in our institution from January 2007 to December 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Cases were divided into 2 groups, before and after the initiation of QC program, group 1 (2007-2013) and group 2 (2014-2018), based on the operation date. Two groups were compared in clinicopathologic variables, surgical methods, operative details, adjuvant treatments, recurrence and survival. RESULTS: A total of 305 cervical cancer patients were included in the analysis, 210 in group 1 and 95 in group 2. In group 2, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) was more frequently performed (60.0% vs. 76.8%, P = 0.004), especially in earlier stages (stage IA, 72.6% vs. 100.0%; stage IB, 52.2% vs. 69.5%). However, the median tumor size treated by MIS was decreased in stage IB (20 mm vs. 17 mm, P = 0.015). Frequency of adjuvant treatment was also reduced in stage IB (56.5% vs. 37.3%, P = 0.016). Recurrence within 3 years, 3-year disease free survival and overall survival did not show significant difference; however, 3-year recurrence after MIS was significantly reduced in stage IB. CONCLUSION: QC program enforced stricter patient selection criteria for MIS and positively affected clinical outcomes in cervical cancer patients who underwent surgery. Systemic monitoring should be considered for patient safety.

Disparities between Uptake of Germline BRCA1/2 Gene Tests and Implementation of Post-test Management Strategies in Epithelial Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, or Primary Peritoneal Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: To assess the rate of germline BRCA gene tests in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients and uptake of post-test risk management strategies in BRCA1/2-mutated patients. METHODS: Institutional databases were searched to identify patients who were diagnosed with epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer (EOC) between 2009 and 2019 in two academic hospitals. Retrospective review on medical records was performed to collect clinico-pathologic variables, including performance of germline BRCA gene test and its results, as well as conduct of breast cancer screening tests and cascade testing. If annual mammography +/- breast ultrasonography was performed, it was considered that regular breast cancer surveillance was done. RESULTS: A total of 840 women with EOC were identified during the study period. Of these, 454 patients (54.0%) received BRCA gene testing and 106 patients (106/454, 23.3%) were positive for BRCA1/2 mutations. The rate of BRCA tests has markedly increased from 25.8% in 2009-2012 to 62.7% in 2017-2019. Among the 93 patients with BRCA1/2 mutation without previous personal breast cancer history, 20 patients (21.5%) received annual mammography with or without breast ultrasonography for regular surveillance. Among the 106 BRCA1/2-mutated EOC patients, cascade testing on family members was performed only in 13 patients (12.3%). CONCLUSION: Although BRCA1/2 gene tests have been substantially expanded, the uptake of post-test risk management strategies, including breast cancer screening for BRCA1/2-mutated patients and cascade testing for family members, has remained low. Strategies to increase its uptake and education about the importance of post-test risk managements are needed.

Effectiveness of adjuvant treatment for morcellated, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage I uterine leiomyosarcoma: A Korean multicenter study.

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of adjuvant treatment for morcellated, uterus-confined leiomyosarcoma in a multicenter setting. METHODS: We identified patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage I uterine leiomyosarcoma primarily treated with surgery between 2003 and 2016. Among them, patients who underwent one of the following morcellation methods were included: (i) power morcellation; (ii) intracorporeal morcellation using scalpels or electrocautery; and (iii) vaginal morcellation. Patients' survival outcomes were compared according to the implementation of adjuvant treatment. RESULTS: From 13 institutions, 55 patients were included; 31 for adjuvant treatment group and 24 for surgery only group. The clinicopathological characteristics including the mass size, morcellation methods, extent of surgery, and mitotic count were similar between the groups. In the adjuvant treatment group, 67.7%, 19.4% and 12.9% of patients received chemotherapy, chemoradiation and radiation, respectively. After a median follow-up of 50.5 months, the adjuvant treatment and surgery only groups showed similar overall survival (5-year rate, 92.0% vs 90.4%; P = 0.959). No significant difference in progression-free survival was observed between the two groups (3-year rate, 46.1% vs 78.2%; P = 0.069). On multivariate analyses, adjuvant treatment did not affect progression-free survival (adjusted HR, 2.138; 95% CI, 0.550-8.305; P = 0.273). The adjuvant treatment group showed a trend towards more common distant metastasis, compared to the surgery only group (25.8% vs 4.2%; P = 0.062). The incidences of pelvic, retroperitoneal, and abdominal recurrences were not different between the groups. CONCLUSION: Despite its frequent use in clinical practice, adjuvant treatment did not improve the survival outcomes of patients with morcellated, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage I uterine leiomyosarcoma.

SPSB1 enhances ovarian cancer cell survival by destabilizing p21.

SPRY domain-containing SOCS box protein 1 (SPSB1) is an E3 ligase adaptor protein with unknown functions in cancer cells. In this study, we found that SPSB1 knockdown markedly decreased the viability and migration of ovarian cancer cells, while ectopic SPSB1 overexpression in IL-3-dependent Ba/F3 cells significantly increased their proliferation rate compared with empty vector-transfected cells. SPSB1 knockdown significantly elevated p21 protein and mRNA levels and induced apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells, as evidenced by increased levels of cleaved PARP and decreased levels of Bcl-2. Notably, mechanistic investigations revealed that SPSB1 accelerated p21 destabilization by directly interacting with p21 and promoting its ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation. Taken together, our findings provide novel insights into the role of SPSB1 in ovarian cancer cells.

Outcomes of non-high grade serous carcinoma after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for advanced-stage ovarian cancer: a Korean gynecologic oncology group study (OV 1708).

BACKGROUND: Outcomes of patients with ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) have been widely studied, but there is limited information on the outcomes of patients with non-HGSC. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of NAC in non-HGSC patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent NAC for advanced stage non-HGSC between 2002 and 2017 in 17 institutions. Demographics, surgical outcomes, and survival rates were evaluated according to histological subtypes. RESULTS: A total of 154 patients were included in this study, comprising 20 cases (13.0%) of mucinous adenocarcinoma, 31 cases (20.1%) of endometrioid adenocarcinoma, 28 (18.2%) cases of clear cell carcinoma, 29 (18.8%) cases of low-grade serous carcinoma and 12 cases (7.8%) of carcinosarcoma. Complete remission/partial remission after the third cycle of NAC was achieved in 100 (64.9%) patients and optimal debulking surgery (residual disease ≤1 cm) at interval debulking surgery was achieved in 103 (66.9%) patients. The most common reason for performing NAC was high tumor burden (n = 106, 68.8%). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 14.3 months and median overall survival (OS) was 52.9 months. In multivariate analyses, mucinous and clear cell carcinoma were negative prognostic factors for both PFS (p = 0.007 and p = 0.017, respectively) and OS (p = 0.002 and p = 0.013, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, poor survival outcomes were observed in patients with mucinous and clear cell carcinoma undergoing NAC. Different treatment strategies are urgently required to improve survival outcomes for this disease subset.

Comparison of laparoscopic and abdominal radical hysterectomy in early stage cervical cancer patients without adjuvant treatment: Ancillary analysis of a Korean Gynecologic Oncology Group Study (KGOG 1028).

OBJECTIVE: We compared two groups of early stage cervical cancer patients treated with different surgical methods without adjuvant treatment using retrospective multicenter data previously collected for Korean Gynecologic Oncology Group (KGOG) study designed for developing prognostic models. METHOD: We initially assessed data from the multi-institutional cohort with early stage (IB-IIA) cervical cancer patients treated with radical hysterectomy without adjuvant treatment between 2000 and 2008. Propensity score matching was performed to compare disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients with laparoscopic to abdominal radical hysterectomy. Additionally, survival comparison was performed in patients with tumor size <2 cm. RESULTS: After matching, 119 patients with laparoscopic radical hysterectomy were compared with 357 patients with abdominal radical hysterectomy (median follow-up of 63.9 months). Inferior DFS was observed in the laparoscopy group (HR 2.738 [95% CI 1.326-5.650], p = 0.005) with a significant difference in pelvic (HR 5.110 [95% CI 1.817-14.473], p < 0.001) and hematogenous recurrence (HR 3.171 [95% CI 1.059-9.494], p = 0.03), but OS was not significantly different between two groups (p = 0.624). In subgroup analysis in the patient with tumor size <2 cm (laparoscopy 62 vs. laparotomy 186, median follow-up of 69.1 months), laparoscopy was associated with lower rate of DFS (HR 12.987 [95% CI 1.451-116.244], p = 0.003), but no significant difference in OS was observed between groups. Regarding OS, number of events is lacking, and inferior DFS in the laparoscopy group may be compensated by better response to radiation therapy in pelvic recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: In this analysis, laparoscopic radical hysterectomy was associated with lower rates of DFS but not OS in early stage cervical cancer patients without adjuvant treatment. Further larger scale studies are needed.

Clinical Application of a Specific Simulation Software for 3-Dimensional Orbital Volume Modeling for Orbital Wall Reconstruction.

In this study, we developed a new 3-dimensional (3D) preoperative planning software and investigated its effectiveness by measuring orbital volume change. Fifty-six patients who underwent unilateral orbital wall reconstruction between December 2015 and February 2018 in our institute were recruited. We developed an orbit-specific automatic 3D modeling software (Osteopore CMF 3D) that can automatically detect orbital fracture site, process mirroring, measure volume, and then produce a customized orbital implant. Using preoperative and postoperative 3D computed tomography, orbital volume was measured and compared between Osteopore CMF 3D and the widely used Mimics. Intraclass correlation coefficient between Osteopore CMF 3D and Mimics showed 90.6% concordance for preoperative injured site orbital volume and 86.7% concordance for postoperative orbital volume, both being statistically significant (preoperative intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.906 [confidence interval {CI}, 0.840-0.945; P < 0.000]; postoperative intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.867 [CI, 0.773-0.922; P < 0.000]). For uninjured sites, the 2 software packages showed 76.6% preoperative concordance and 83.9% postoperative concordance, both being statistically significant (preoperative intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.766 [CI, 0.600-0.863; P < 0.000]; postoperative intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.839 [CI, 0.725-0.905; P < 0.000]). This study introduces our newly developed 3D surgical planning software specialized for orbital wall reconstruction and demonstrates its performance to be comparable with that of a widely used software.

Synthesis of Trifluoromethylated Quinoxaline-Based Polymers for Photovoltaic Applications.

A series of quinoxaline-based conjugated polymers, in which the electron-donating benzodithiophene (BDT) unit is linked to the electron-accepting 6,7-difluorinated quinoxaline (DFQ) derivatives by a thiophene bridge, is synthesized. To investigate their effects on the intrinsic properties of polymers, strong electron-withdrawing trifluoromethyl (CF3 ) groups were incorporated into the meta-position of the phenyl ring at the 2,3-positions of the DFQ unit of the reference polymer, labelled PEhB-FQx, to yield the target polymer PEhB-FQxCF3. In addition, the 2-ethylhexyloxy substituents on the BDT donor in PEhB-FQxCF3 are changed to the more planar 2-ethylhexyl thiophene units to produce another target polymer PThB-FQxCF3. Owing to the significant contributions of the CF3 moiety, PEhB-FQxCF3 exhibits quite discernible optical and electrochemical properties along with significant enhancement in photovoltaic performances compared to the reference polymer PEhB-FQx. Furthermore, the incorporation of the alkylthienyl side chains on the BDT moiety confers on the resultant PThB-FQxCF3 to possess the maximum power conversion efficiency of 7.26% with an open circuit voltage of 0.88 V, short-circuit current density of 12.20 mA cm-2 , and fill factor of 67.80%.

Two-step chromatographic purification of glutathione S-transferase-tagged human papillomavirus type 16 E6 protein and its application for serology.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) E6 protein is an oncoprotein with a pivotal role in cervical carcinogenesis. Expression and purification of HPV E6 from Escherichia coli (E. coli) has been difficult because of its strong hydrophobicity even when expressed as a fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase (GST). There has been no protocol suggested for purifying GST-tagged HPV E6 protein with high purity so far. Herein, we provide efficient protocol for purifying GST-HPV16 E6 protein for the first time. In the current study, the GST-tagged protein was expressed in E. coli and a purification method was designed using cation-exchange chromatography followed by GST-affinity chromatography. Using physiological pH buffer during cell lysis and first cation-exchange chromatography significantly reduced yield of full-length GST-HPV16 E6 protein. It was found that using an alkaline buffer during cation-exchange chromatography was needed to obtain full length GST-HPV16 E6 protein. GST-HPV16 E6 protein recovered from the purification using alkaline condition retained its inherent p53-binding ability. Moreover, we were able to detect anti-HPV16 E6 antibodies with high sensitivity in sera from patients with cervical cancer using the GST-HPV16 E6 protein. It was found that the GST-HPV16 E6 protein could be used as a coating agent to enhance the sensitivity of detection of serum anti-HPV16 E6 antibodies when treated with ethylene glycol-bis (ß-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA). These results indicate that the two-step chromatographic purification allows obtaining high purity of GST-HPV16 E6 protein and the GST-HPV16 E6 is suitable to be used as an antigen of serology assay.

A lectin-based diagnostic system using circulating antibodies to detect cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer.

In the present study, we developed serological strategies using immunoglobulin fractions obtained by protein A chromatography to screen for cervical cancer and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia I (CIN I). The reactivities of the immunoglobulins purified from sera of women with normal cytology, CIN I and cervical cancer were compared in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and enzyme-linked lectin assays (ELLAs). To capture the immunoglobulins, ELISAs and ELLAs were performed in protein A immobilized microplates. The reactivity of immunoglobulin in ELISA was in the increasing order normal cytology, CIN I and cervical cancer, while that in ELLAs for detecting fucosylation was in the decreasing order normal cytology, CIN I and cervical cancer. It was confirmed that women with CIN I were distinguishable from women with normal cytology or women with cervical cancer in the ELISA or the ELLA for detecting fucosylation with considerable sensitivity and specificity. Women with cervical cancer were also distinguishable from women with normal cytology with high sensitivity (ELISA: 97%, ELLA: 87%) and specificity (ELISA: 69%, ELLA: 72%). Moreover, the logistic regression model of the ELISA and the ELLA discriminated cervical cancer from normal cytology with 93% sensitivity and 93% specificity. These results indicate that the ELISAs and the ELLAs have great potential as strategies for primary screening of cervical cancer and CIN. It is expected that the ELISA and the ELLA can provide new insights to understand systemic changes of serum immunoglobulins during cervical cancer progression.

Increased sialylation and reduced fucosylation of exfoliated cervical cells are potential markers of carcinogenesis in the cervix.

BACKGROUND: The Pap test has been used for over 50 years for primary screening of cervical cancer. There has been no study of glycosylation changes in Pap test samples despite considerable potential of the glycosylation changes as biomarkers for detecting cancerous lesions. In this study, we developed a 96-well platform for enzyme-linked lectin assays (ELLAs) to evaluate glycosylation levels in cervical cells. METHODS: A total of 117 samples of exfoliated cervical cells (ECCs) from 37 individuals with normal cytology, 20 with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1, 19 with CIN 2, 26 with CIN 3 and 15 with cervical cancer were analyzed by ELLAs. The wells of 96-well plates were coated with lysates of the cervical cells, and sialylation and fucosylation levels were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Sialylation levels increased and fucosylation levels decreased with increasing grade of cervical dysplasia. ELLAs for sialylation [ELLA-Sambucus nigra (SNAs)] and fucosylation [ELLA-Aleuria aurantia lectin (AAL)] discriminated not only CIN 2 and worse (CIN 2+: CIN 2, CIN 3, and cancer) from normal cytology but also CIN 3 and worse (CIN 3+: CIN3 and cancer) from normal cytology. ELLA-SNAs and ELLA-AALs distinguished cancer from normal cytology with a high true-positive rate (TPR) (ELLA-SNAs: 87%; ELLA-AALs: 87%) and low false-positive rate (FPR) (ELLA-SNAs: 19%; ELLA-AALs: 11%). CONCLUSIONS: The sialylation and fucosylation levels of ECCs as measured by ELLAs have great potential as biomarkers for primary screening of cervical cancer.

Current role of selective internal radiation with yttrium-90 in liver tumors.

An expert panel met to review the evidence for selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) using yttrium-90 microspheres in hepatocellular carcinoma and metastases from colorectal cancer and neuroendocrine tumors. There is now convincing evidence for the safety and efficacy of SIRT in these situations albeit mostly from retrospective cohort studies. There are a number of ongoing prospective randomized controlled clinical trials investigating the role of SIRT in liver tumors; however, data from these trials are still several years away (although the SIRFLOX study has been recently published). In this evolving environment, published evidence and the authors' experience were used to summarize the current and potential role of SIRT in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma of intermediate or advanced stage and in liver-dominant metastatic colorectal cancer and metastatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Anti-Inflammatory and Antinociceptive Activities of Anthraquinone-2-Carboxylic Acid.

Anthraquinone compounds are one of the abundant polyphenols found in fruits, vegetables, and herbs. However, the in vivo anti-inflammatory activity and molecular mechanisms of anthraquinones have not been fully elucidated. We investigated the activity of anthraquinones using acute inflammatory and nociceptive experimental conditions. Anthraquinone-2-carboxylic acid (9,10-dihydro-9,10-dioxo-2-anthracenecarboxylic acid, AQCA), one of the major anthraquinones identified from Brazilian taheebo, ameliorated various inflammatory and algesic symptoms in EtOH/HCl- and acetylsalicylic acid- (ASA-) induced gastritis, arachidonic acid-induced edema, and acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing without displaying toxic profiles in body and organ weight, gastric irritation, or serum parameters. In addition, AQCA suppressed the expression of inflammatory genes such as cyclooxygenase- (COX-) 2 in stomach tissues and lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) treated RAW264.7 cells. According to reporter gene assay and immunoblotting analyses, AQCA inhibited activation of the nuclear factor- (NF-) κB and activator protein- (AP-) 1 pathways by suppression of upstream signaling involving interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK1), p38, Src, and spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk). Our data strongly suggest that anthraquinones such as AQCA act as potent anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive components in vivo, thus contributing to the immune regulatory role of fruits and herbs.

Risk factors for negative impacts on sexual activity and function in younger breast cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to examine changes in sexual activity and function among younger breast cancer survivors who were sexually active before diagnosis and to investigate risk factors for negative impacts on them. METHODS: An observational cohort study enrolled 304 premenopausal and sexually active women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. Questionnaires were completed, and sexual activity was measured at two time points: after surgery, to assess sexual activity and function before diagnosis, and then at least 12 months after the completion of chemotherapy or endocrine therapy. For each domain of the Female Sexual Function Index, a score below 3 was classified as indicative of a sexual problem. Each sexual problem was considered to be dysfunctional if it was associated with distress. RESULTS: The median age at the last survey was 46.0 years (range: 23-57). Of the participants, 35 (11.5%) became sexually inactive after treatment. Among the 269 women who remained sexually active, 31.6% were currently experiencing sexual dysfunction, which was significantly higher compared with the frequency before diagnosis. In the multivariate logistic regression model, chemo-related menopause, thyroid dysfunction, and depression were independent risk factors for sexual inactivity. Chemo-related menopause was a significant risk factor for sexual dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Chemo-related menopause was significantly associated with both sexual inactivity and dysfunction after treatment. Thyroid dysfunction and depression were risk factors for sexual inactivity in younger breast cancer survivors.

Comparison of diagnostic accuracy between endometrial curettage and pipelle aspiration biopsy in patients treated with progestin for endometrial hyperplasia: a Korean Gynecologic Oncology Group Study (KGOG 2019).

A prospective multicenter trial has been started in Korea to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of endometrial aspiration biopsy compared with dilatation and curettage in patients treated with progestin for endometrial hyperplasia. For conservative treatment of endometrial hyperplasia, orally administered progestins are most commonly used method with various treatment regimens and more recently, the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system also has been used successfully to treat endometrial hyperplasia. However, there is no report about the accuracy of endometrial sampling during hormonal treatment for follow-up evaluation of endometrial hyperplasia. Patients with histologically confirmed endometrial hyperplasia are offered hormonal treatment with any one of the following three options: oral medroxyprogesterone acetate 10 mg/day for 14 days per cycle, continuous oral medroxyprogesterone acetate 10 mg/day or insertion of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system. Histological surveillance is performed at 3 months or 6 months following initial treatment. Endometrial tissues are obtained via endometrial aspiration biopsy using a pipelle and dilatation and curettage. In the case of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system, endometrial aspiration biopsy will be done with levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system in uterus and then, after the removal of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system, dilatation and curettage will be done. The biopsy findings will be compared. The primary endpoint is to compare the pathological outcome of endometrial aspiration with dilatation and curettage. The secondary endpoint is the response rate with three types of progestin treatment at 6 months.

Imaging of complications associated with port access of abdominal laparoscopic surgery.

Advanced techniques and equipment in laparoscopic surgery offer advantages over open surgery, expanding the application of this minimally invasive procedure to a wide range of abdominal operations that used to be performed as an open procedure. Laparoscopic surgery is performed in the closed abdominal cavity in which the space is limited. To create a working space in the abdominal cavity, an artificial pneumoperitoneum is established and multiple ports are placed for the introduction of various laparoscopic instruments. Unlike open surgery in which the incision is made just above the target organ, laparoscopic access is made away from the area of dissection, with the instruments triangulated around the target organ within the abdomen. This fundamental difference in approach between the open and laparoscopic procedures may lead to peculiar postoperative complications after laparoscopic surgery, which may be present away from the target organ or in the abdominal wall, and be easily missed on postoperative imaging studies. These complications include port-related direct organ injuries, such as abdominal organ or vascular injury; abdominal wall complications related to laparoscopic port insertion such as vascular injury, infection, and hernia; abdominal wall complications related to specimen removal, such as port site tumor seeding and endometriosis; and complications related to gas insufflation. The radiologist plays an important role in the diagnosis of complications after laparoscopic surgery, and therefore should be familiar with the features of such complications on imaging scans in the era of laparoscopic surgeries.

Genotypic prevalence of human papillomavirus infection during normal pregnancy: a cross-sectional study.

AIM: Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a necessary factor in most cases of cervical cancer, but malignant transformation requires the presence of additional cofactors such as pregnancy. Little is known about the effect of pregnancy on genital HPV carriage. We therefore analyzed the prevalence and genotypic patterns of genital HPV infections in normal pregnancies. METHODS: The prevalence of HPV infection was measured in 960 consecutive normal pregnant or post-partum women by HPV-DNA chip analysis of cervical swabs. Data were analyzed by trimester and adjusted for sociodemographic, reproductive and reported sexual history. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of HPV infection in the population was 24.3%. High-risk HPV genotypes were detected in 68.2% of infected subjects, including HPV 16 (18.7%), 39 (16.4%), 53 (10.1%), and 56 (9.4%). High-risk HPV genotypes were significantly more prevalent in the second trimester (23.8%) compared with the other periods (first trimester, 13.2%; third trimester, 17.4%; post-partum, 15.1%; P = 0.010). However, the high-risk HPV genotypes 16 or 18 were detected most frequently in the third trimester (7.2%) as compared to the other periods (first trimester, 2.9%; second trimester, 5.2%; post-partum, 2.1%; P = 0.03). After adjusting for confounding variables, overall HPV infection (odds ratio = 1.84, 95% confidence interval = 1.24-2.75) and high-risk HPV genotypes (odds ratio = 1.94, 95% confidence interval = 1.23-3.05) were significantly more common in the second trimester. CONCLUSION: The second trimester may be the most vulnerable period in high-risk HPV infections, which necessitates future investigations.

Femoral anteversion linked to the inability to squat: Analysis of CT images in the patient and control groups.

Many patients who cannot squat well in a neutral toe position can only squat in an excessively out-toeing position. This excessive out-toeing squat is thought to be caused by rotational problems of the lower extremities. In this study, we aimed to identify the cause for the inability to squat by measuring and comparing femoral and tibial torsion between an excessive out-toeing squat patient group and a control group representing the general population. Between 2008 and 2022, a patient group comprising 50 lower extremities with excessive out-toeing squats was established. A control group representing the general population was selected from patients aged 0 to 29 years, who underwent lower-extremity CT angiography between 2012 and 2022, using the Clinical Data Warehouse with exclusion criteria applied. A total of 94 lower extremities were included in the control group. The femoral torsional angle (FTA) and tibial torsional angle (TTA) of both groups were measured and compared using Student t test. Additionally, 30 each of those with the highest and lowest 30 FTA values were selected from the patient and control groups, and the TTA was compared between the high- and low-FTA groups using Student t test. The mean FTA was 0.34° (SD, 11.11°) in the patient group and 10.14° (SD, 11.85°) in the control group, with a mean difference of 9.8° and P < .001. The mean TTA was 27.95° (SD, 7.82°) in the patient group and 32.67 ° (SD, 7.58°) in the control group, with a mean difference of 4.72° (P = .001). The mean TTA was 34.3° (SD, 7.72°) in the high-FTA group and 28.17° (SD, 8.35°) in the low-FTA group, with a mean difference of 6.13° (P = .005). Patients with excessive out-toeing squat showed lower FTA and TTA values than the general population. Furthermore, although a correlation between FTA and TTA was not established through Pearson correlation analysis, a tendency was observed where a decrease in FTA was associated with a decrease in TTA. Based on these results, decreased FTA was demonstrated to be one of the major causes of excessive out-toeing squats.