[Recourse to particular arterial embolization in the treatment of some uterine leiomyoma]. / Recours à i'embolisation artérielle particulaire dans le traitement de certains fibromyomes utérins.

UNLABELLED: In 88 women between the ages of 34 and 51 years with one or several symptomatic uterine leiomyomata (menometrorrhagia, mass syndrome) after failure of medical treatment, particulate arterial embolization was proposed as an alternative to the scheduled surgical operation. Free-flow embolization with Ivalon particles (150 to 600 microns) was performed under local anaesthesia after femoral artery puncture and catheterization of the hypogastric then uterine arteries (5 F catheter) including occlusion Pelvic pain was frequently observed immediately after embolization, lasting 12 to 18 hours, and required analgesia. Necrobiosis syndromes can be observed in the case of very large leiomyomata. No immediate complications directly related to vascular catheterization were observed in this series, but complete necrosis of a very large leiomyomatous uterus required hysterectomy. Five embolization failures were observed. The following results were observed in the 80 interpretable cases with a follow-up of 6 to 60 months: the menstrual periods returned to normal in 60 (89%) of the 67 menorrhagic patients, after six months a volume reduction of myomata equal to 69% of initial volume was observed. CONCLUSION: in of 80 interpretable cases, embolization constituted an alternative to surgical treatment, which was avoided in 71 cases, 9 failures were observed. The results of this preliminary series must be valited by further studies.

[Carbon dioxide embolism during hysteroscopy followed by transient blindness]. / Embolie de CO2 lors d'une hystéroscopie suivie de cécité transitoire.

A 43 year-old woman, with uterine bleeding and right ovary cyst, was scheduled for hysteroscopy-curettage and laparoscopy. Her history was unremarkable. After induction of general anaesthesia and tracheal intubation (propofol, fentanyl, vecuronium), anesthesia was maintained with N2O/O2 (60%/40%) and isoflurane 1 vol %. The patient was placed in the dorsal lithotomy position. Two minutes after the beginning of CO2 insufflation for hysteroscopy, a ventricular tachycardia with a circulatory arrest suddenly occurred. Insufflation was stopped, cardiopulmonary resuscitation started and lignocaine 100 mg iv administered. The haemodynamic status improved rapidly with a return to sinusal rhythm and stable blood pressure within two minutes. In the recovery room, the patient was restless and experienced blindness for 3 hours. Physical examination and all investigations (EEG, brain CT scan, carotid Doppler and transoesophageal echocardiography) were normal. The most probable diagnosis was a CO2 venous embolism associated with an arterial paradoxal embolism responsible for the temporary blindness.

[Umbilical metastasis of an endometrial adenocarcinoma: "Sister (Mary) Joseph's nodule". Review of the literature]. / Métastase ombilicale d'un adénocarcinome de l'endomètre: "Sister (Mary) Joseph's nodule". Revue de la littèrature.

In the beginning of the XXth century, Sir Hamilton Bailey proposed the name "Sister Joseph's nodule" for the umbilical metastasis of an abdominal cancer. This unusual pathology has multiple primitive etiologies. We report here the 27th case of an umbilical metastasis of an endometrial adenocarcinoma. In case of a malignant umbilical tumor, 75% correspond to a "Sister Joseph's nodule". Their clinical manifestations are quite similar. This secondary localisation could appear before, during or after the diagnosis of the primitive tumor. Adenocarcinoma is the frequently diagnosed histological type. The endometrial origin represents only 1.4% of the cases. Multiple routes of spread exist. Prognosis remains poor. Medico-surgical treatment, in a curative target, will be aggressive and should be adapted at every case. Our case-report recalls a new patho-physiological approach. The extended follow-up of this patient, without further medical treatment, is an additional argument.

Arterial embolisation to treat uterine myomata.

Haemorrhage, probably related to hypervascularisation, is the commonest complication of uterine myomata and is difficult to treat. 16 patients, aged 34-48 years, with symptomatic uterine myomata, for which a major surgical procedure was planned after failure of medical treatment, were treated by selective free-flow arterial embolisation of the myomata with Ivalon particles. With a mean follow-up of 20 months (range 11-48) in the responders, symptoms resolved in 11 patients; menstrual cycles returned to normal in ten of these. Three patients had partial improvement. Two failures required surgery. In 14 cases embolisation caused pelvic pain, which required analgesia in all.

[Pneumoperitoneum related to celioscopy. Prevention of vascular wounds]. / Pneumopéritoine de la coelioscopie. Prévention des plaies vasculaires.

The insertion of the inflation needle during laparoscopic procedures carries the risk of severe vascular damage to the aorto-cava bifurcation. Interindividual anatomic variation is great as shown by magnetic resonance imaging, increasing the risk of vascular damage. Four simple technical precautions are recommended to prevent accidents: insertion at the lower umbilical margin, widen distance between the umbilicus and the greater vessels, a 45 degree insertion angle and strictly medial position.

[Value of preoperative embolization of uterine fibroma: report of a multicenter series of 31 cases]. / Intérêt de l'embolisation pré-opératoire des fibromes utérins: à propos d'une série multicentrique de 31 cas.

Pre-operative embolization of fibroids, an intervention radiology technique, significantly reduces the per and post-operative bleeding. It is an interesting alternative in the looking after of patients who have to undergo multiple myomectomies or the operation of voluminous fibroids responsible of large bleeding.

[Screening for ovarian cancers: critical analysis]. / Dépistage des cancers de l'ovaire: analyse critique.

The ovarian cancers have a low incidence rate and a high mortality rate mainly due to a late diagnosis. The potential value of ultrasonography and measurements of tumour associated markers to detect early ovarian cancer suggest the interest of a screening strategy. The analysis of the conditions for efficacy of a such screening program, of the predictive values of ultrasonography and tumour associated markers measurements and of the results of preliminary studies does not confirm on a rational basis the potential interest of screening strategies.