Colour Doppler analysis of ovarian and uterine arteries in women with hypoestrogenic amenorrhoea.

BACKGROUND: This is a clinically-controlled study designed to investigate uterine and ovarian blood flow in patients with hypoestrogenic amenorrhoea. METHODS: Twelve women with hypoestrogenic amenorrhoea and 13 eumenorrhoeic subjects (controls) were enrolled. Colour and pulsed Doppler was used to visualize the uterine and ovarian arteries and the blood vessels within the ovarian stroma in both groups. Four blood flow indices were calculated: the pulsatility index, the resistance index, the peak systolic velocity and the end-diastolic velocity. RESULTS: Peak systolic velocity underwent the most significant change in amenorrhoeic patients, being significantly lower in comparison with that of controls, both in the uterine (P = 0.0009) and ovarian (P = 0.001) arteries. Compared with controls, the end-diastolic velocity of the ovarian artery was significantly lower (P = 0.039) in amenorrhoeic patients, and was also lower in the uterine artery (though not statistically significantly so). A reduction in blood flow was also evident in the ovarian stroma in amenorrhoeic patients. CONCLUSIONS: The significant reduction in blood flow observed in hypoestrogenic amenorrhoea suggests that estrogens play an important role in regulating both uterine and ovarian blood flow.

Male genital condylomatosis in partners of females affected with HPV infections. Clinical statistical contribution.

After a brief introduction, the Authors report the results of a clinical-"peniscopic" study of the genital regions in 56 male patients who were partners of females affected with genital condylomatoses. The results obtained show the importance of examining the male genital region under high magnification (peniscopy), especially if we consider recent research which indicates the close relationship between HPV, VIN, CIN and carcinoma of the cervix.

Cell-mediated immunity and condylomatosis.

Cell-mediated response in 60 patients affected by acuminated condylomas has been studied; this was investigated with aspecific in vivo tests (intradermal-reaction with tuberculin, trichophytin, candidine) and by in vitro tests (blood test with cell count, lymphocyte typing, serum proteins, serum immunoglobulin) and was compared with a control group. The results obtained confirm the hypothesis that condylomas acuminata usually occurs in patients with well-preserved cell-mediated immunity.

Cervical polyps: a colpo-cyto-histological study.

From a review of 1477 polyps of the cervical canal it appears that these very frequent lesions occur between the ages of 41 and 50 in relation to the disendocrine picture which characterises that age. The histological point of view reveals a picture in which the adenomatous variety predominates, followed by the mixed forms. The Authors, following colposcopic checking repeated in time on the same patients, are able to demonstrate that squamous metaplasia may originate in the subcylindrical reserve cells. There have not been cases of carcinomatous degeneration, inasmuch as their only case proved to be a metastasis of continuity from a carcinoma of the cervix, for which reason such neoplasias are not be considered precancerous lesions.

Steroid receptors in benign breast disease, gross cystic disease and fibroadenoma.

The benign breast pathology embraces a wide variety of anatomo-clinical-pathological conditions producing confusion in nomenclature. The Authors collected three different types of BBP and investigated the hormonal receptor status for each. The following concentrations of ERc were found: 1-6 fmol/mg in BBD; less than 2 fmol/mg in GCD; 12-18 fmol/mg in the cytoplasm and 29-37.5 fmol/mg in the nucleus in FA. In FA, PgR was found in concentrations of 43.5-50 fmol/mg in the cytoplasm and 0.2-10 fmol/mg in the nucleus. Even if we consider these three histo-pathological entities (BBD, GCD, FA) separately, no correlation can be seen between the presence of receptors and benign breast disease. The only observation we can make is that the fibroadenomas contain more easily identifiable receptor concentrations than BBD and GCD.

Estradiol and progesterone binding in uterine leiomyomata and pregnant myometrium.

In order to verify the endogenous steroid influences on the myometrium, we compared the receptor status in 18 specimens of uterine leiomyomata and 31 specimens of pregnant myometrium. 17-beta-Estradiol and Progesterone receptors were assayed in the cytosol and nuclear extracts. In the uterine leiomyomata we observed the following mean values: PgR/c 279 fmol/mg, PgR/n 89 fmol/mg, ER/c 52.5 fmol/mg, ER/n 12.3 fmol/mg. In the pregnant myometrium we observed the following mean values: PgR/c 5.86 fmol/mg, PgR/n 166 fmol/mg, ER/c 0.76 fmol/mg, ER/n 1.65. It was concluded that direct correlation between estrogen power and progesterone receptor replenishment in the nucleus exists.

Comparison between the diagnostic validity of cytology and histology in preneoplastic and neoplastic endometrial pathology.

With the aim of defining a program of prevention for preneoplastic and neoplastic endometrial pathology which guarantees a valid, accurate and cost-contained diagnosis, 476 women considered at risk were examined. All the patients were first submitted to cytologic endocavitary withdrawal and subsequently to aspirated curettage. The cytologic and the histologic diagnoses proved concordant in 72.3% of cases of non-pathologic endometrium, in only 68.7% of preneoplastic pathology, and in 72.7% of neoplastic pathology. The non-interpretable pictures had a notable incidence (21.7%). The AA., while recognising the validity of cytology in cases of carcinoma, underline the difficulties in the diagnosis of preneoplastic lesions, and conclude that in doubtful or positive cases and subjects at risk a histologic enquiry is always necessary.

The bollous cervico-vaginal pathology.

The Authors examine bollous cervico-vaginal pathology on the basis of their experience. Morphological characteristics and histological features of the examined pathology is described.

Estrogen and progesterone receptors status in the prediction of response of breast cancer to endocrine therapy (preliminary report).

The authors selected 263 ER cases and 224 ER/PgR cases for receptor status analysis from 1548 breast cancer tissues assayed. 30 Operating-theatres address their breast frozen specimens at our laboratory and thanks to this wide cooperation, we can perform the statistical analysis and relationship with very good reliability. In our experience we observed that the response to hormonal therapy is present in 50% of the cases containing ER concentrations up to 100 fmol/mg of proteins, and in 74% of the cases with ER concentrations more of 100 fmol/mg of proteins. Considering the presence of both receptors (ER+/PgR+) we observed the response rate to hormonal treatment in 76% of the cases while in 9% of the cases the status is ER/PgR negative. The cases classified ER negative and PgR positive demonstrated a response rate of 28%, 7 out of 26 cases ER+/PgR- responded to hormonal therapy. In this last situation, in addition to experienced hypotheses, the authors believe it is important to examine sonographically the ovaries, because the presence of a functional ovarian cyst could influence the saturation of receptorial sites.