Imaging in gynecological disease (27): clinical and ultrasound characteristics of recurrent ovarian stromal cell tumors.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical and ultrasound characteristics of recurrent granulosa cell and Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study performed at Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, IRCCS, Rome (Gemelli center), Italy. Patients with a histological diagnosis of recurrent granulosa cell tumor or Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor were identified from the database of the Department of Gynecological Oncology. Those who had undergone a preoperative ultrasound examination at the Gemelli center between 2012 and 2020 were included, and the data retrieved from the original ultrasound reports. In all of these reports, the recurrent tumors were described using International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) terminology. If a patient had more than one episode of relapse, information from all episodes was collected. If there was more than one recurrent tumor at the same ultrasound examination, all tumors were included. One expert sonographer also reviewed all available ultrasound images to identify typical ultrasound patterns using pattern recognition. RESULTS: We identified 30 patients with a histological diagnosis of recurrent granulosa cell tumor (25 patients, 55 tumors) or Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor (five patients, seven tumors). All 30 had undergone at least one preoperative ultrasound examination at the Gemelli center and were included. These women had a total of 66 episodes of relapse, of which a preoperative ultrasound examination had been performed at the Gemelli center in 34, revealing 62 recurrent lesions: one in 22/34 (64.7%) episodes of relapse, two in 4/34 (11.8%) episodes and three or more in 8/34 (23.5%) episodes. Most recurrent granulosa cell tumors (38/55, 69.1%) and recurrent Sertoli-Leydig tumors (6/7, 85.7%) were classified as solid or multilocular-solid tumors, while 8/55 (14.5%) recurrent granulosa cell tumors and 1/7 (14.3%) recurrent Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors were unilocular cysts and 9/55 (16.4%) recurrent granulosa cell tumors were multilocular cysts. The nine unilocular cysts had contents that were anechoic (n = 2) or had low-level echogenicity (n = 7), had either smooth (n = 4) or irregular (n = 5) internal cyst walls, and ranged in largest diameter from 8 to 38 mm, with three being < 20 mm and five being 20-30 mm. On retrospective review of the images, two typical ultrasound patterns were described: small solid tumor measuring < 2 cm (15/62, 24.2%) and tumor with vascularized echogenic ground-glass-like content (12/62, 19.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Some granulosa cell and Sertoli-Leydig cell recurrences manifest one of two typical ultrasound patterns, while some appear as unilocular cysts. These are usually classified as benign, but in patients being followed up for a granulosa cell tumor or Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor, a unilocular cyst should be considered suspicious of recurrence. © 2023 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Minimally invasive versus standard laparotomic interval debulking surgery in ovarian neoplasm: A single-institution retrospective case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To further investigate the role of MIS comparing patients submitted to MI-IDS with a balanced population treated by standard laparotomy. METHODS: The investigational arm (Cases) includes 30 AEOC patients treated with MI-IDS. The Control arm included a consecutive series of 65 AEOC patients submitted to laparotomic IDS. Inclusion criteria were: age>18years, histologically proven EOC, clinical complete/partial response after NACT, and ECOG PS <2. Preoperative clinical data, perioperative and oncological outcomes were analyzed. General Well-Being Schedule (GWBS) was administered to evaluate quality of life before and after surgery. RESULTS: Both groups were well-balanced. A higher percentage of women among Cases received bevacizumab-containing NACT compared with Controls. No statistical differences were registered in terms of surgical procedures and residual tumor. A significantly longer median OT in Cases was counterbalanced by more favorable EBL and median length of stay and TTC. No statistically significant differences were registered in terms of postoperative complications. Cases showed a 6months longer PFS compared to Controls. However, in multivariate analysis only the administration of Bevacizumab and a shorter TTC were independently associated with a longer PFS. Regarding QoL, no statistically significant differences were registered in Cases between pre- and postoperative GWBS score. Differently from Controls where this difference was statistically significant and a more intense distress were recorded. CONCLUSIONS: Minimally invasive approach could represent an advantageous alternative surgical way to perform interval debulking surgery in this specific subset of patients, with no impact on PFS. Based on these findings a randomized clinical trial is now under evaluation in our Institution.

Bladder function after spinal anesthesia for cesarean section: an urodynamic evaluation.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluates the effects of spinal anesthesia with hyperbaric bupivacaine plus sufentanil on bladder function in women undergoing cesarean section. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty caucasian healthy pregnants scheduled for elective Cesarean section under spinal anesthesia performed with hyperbaric bupivacaine plus sufentanil were enrolled. Filling cystometry, proprioceptive bladder sensation during cystometry, rate of spontaneous voiding, post void residual volume, anocutaneous and bulbocavernosus reflex were analyzed at 4, 6 and 8 hours after spinal anesthesia. RESULTS: The proportion of women experiencing first sensation, first desire and strong desire at 4 hours was significantly different from that reported at 6 and 8 hours (p < 0.05 for first sensation and p < 0.01 for first and strong desire). Significant differences were also observed between volumes at which first sensation arose at first measurement (4 hours) and at second and third measurements (p < 0.01). There was a significant difference in rate of spontaneous micturition, with 80% of patients at 8 hours able to spontaneously void versus 40% at 6 hours, (p < 0.01). Moreover, a lower percentage of women had absent and/or light reflexes at 4 hour than at 6 and 8 hours (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Spinal anesthesia with bupivacaine plus sufentanil causes a clinically significant disturbance on bladder function in women undergoing cesarean section. Even thought recovery of proprioceptive bladder sensation is fast, a full recovery of spontaneous voiding requires a much longer time. A close monitoring of urinary function and of bladder distension is, therefore, advisable.