High incidence of asymptomatic genital tract infections in pregnancy in adolescent girls and young women: need for repeat aetiological screening.

INTRODUCTION: Sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence and incidence estimates for pregnant adolescents are under-reported. We estimated prevalence and incidence of STIs in pregnant adolescents (15-19 years) in comparison with pregnant women 20-24 and >25 years. METHODS: Pregnant women registering at primary care clinics in Umlazi, a periurban subdistrict in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, were enrolled in an HIV incidence cohort study during February 2017-March 2018. Women were examined for abnormal vaginal discharge, received empirical treatment, tested for HIV-1 and had vaginal swabs taken at their first and a subsequent visit in the third trimester. Vaginal swabs were stored for STI testing at completion of study and tested for Trichomonas vaginalis, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Mycoplasma genitalium using PCR. RESULTS: A total of 752 HIV-negative pregnant women were enrolled at a median gestational age of 17 weeks: 180 (23.9%), 291 (38.7%) and 281 (37.4%) in the 15-19, 20-24 and >25 years age groups. Pregnant adolescents had an STI prevalence of 26.7% at baseline, not significantly lower than the 20-24 (34.7%, OR 1.4; 95% CI 1.0 to 2.1, p=0.09) and >25 years (33.8%, OR 1.4; 95% CI 0.9 to 2.1, p=0.12) age groups. T. vaginalis (11.1%), C. trachomatis (7.8%) and N. gonorrhoeae (4.4%) were most prevalent in adolescents, a trend similar to the other age groups. Overall, 43.4% were symptomatic and treated at baseline. Overall, 40.7% (118 of 290) of women who tested negative for an STI at baseline tested positive at the repeat visit (incidence 19.5/100 person years). STI incidence in pregnant adolescents was 23.9/100 person years and comparable with older age groups (20.5/100 person years and 16.2/100 person years). At the repeat visit, 19.0% of all women with an STI were symptomatic and treated. Performance of syndromic management was poor at baseline (negative predictive value (NPV) 68.6%, positive predictive value (PPV) 34.0%) and at repeat visit (NPV 58.4%, PPV 34.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of asymptomatic curable STIs in pregnant adolescents is high and comparable with women >20 years old. Adolescents remain at substantial risk of asymptomatic incident STIs during pregnancy.

Characterising a syndemic among black women at risk for HIV: the role of sociostructural inequity and adverse childhood experiences.

Objectives Black women disproportionately experience STIs (including HIV/AIDS), gender-based violence, substance misuse and mental health conditions. Addressing a gap in syndemic research, we characterised comorbidity overlap within the context of sociostructural inequities and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among black women in Baltimore, Maryland. Methods Between 2015 and 2018, black women (n=305) were recruited from STI clinics in Baltimore, Maryland. Among those with complete survey data (n=230), we conducted a latent class analysis to differentiate women based on their profile of the following syndemic comorbidities: STIs, adult sexual victimisation, substance misuse and mental health disorders. We then examined the association between ACEs and syndemic latent class membership. Results Thirty-three percent of women experienced three to nine ACEs before age 18 years, and 44% reported four to six comorbidities. The two-class latent class solution demonstrated the best fit model, and women were categorised in either class 1 (past-year STI; 59%) or class 2 (syndemic comorbidities; 41%). Women in class 2 were more likely to report unstable housing (10% vs 3%) and identify as bisexual/gay (22% vs 10%) than women in class 1. ACEs were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of class 2 membership. Conclusions This study reinforces the importance of screening for ACEs and offering trauma-informed, integrated care for black women with syndemic comorbidities. It also highlights the critical nature of tailoring interventions to improve sociostructural equity, preventing and reducing syndemic development.

Health inequities in human papillomavirus prevention, diagnostics and clinical care in the USA: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) represents the most common STI in the USA. HPV inequities in prevention, diagnostics and clinical care persist. We define inequities as systematic, avoidable and unfair differences in health outcomes. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this scoping review are to chart existing data on HPV-related inequities, identify gaps in existing literature and guide future research to reduce these inequities. METHODS: We completed a scoping review following guidelines from the Joanna Briggs Institute and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses scoping reviews extension. We performed a literature search on PubMed and Ovid Embase in July 2022 for articles pertaining to HPV and evaluating populations within the USA. We included English language publications from 2018 to 2022 evaluating at least one health inequity outlined by the National Institutes of Health. General publication characteristics and health inequity data were charted in a masked, duplicate fashion using a pilot-tested Google Form. We analysed frequencies of health inequities and summarised main findings from included studies. RESULTS: Our final sample included 170 publications. The most common inequities examined were race/ethnicity (140 studies), sex or gender (97 studies), and income (69 studies). Many historically marginalised racial/ethnic groups had lower rates of HPV-related knowledge, vaccination and worse overall outcomes related to HPV. Compared with women, men had lower rates of HPV vaccination and provider recommendation, and higher rates of HPV-infection. Results regarding income were largely conflicting. CONCLUSION: Findings from our review demonstrate clear gaps in HPV-related inequity research. Vaccine completion, provider recommendation and intersectionality should continue to be evaluated to implement targeted interventions.

[Paediatric vulval clinic]. / Pädiatrische Vulvasprechstunde.

In 2008 a vulval clinic was established at the University Clinic of Schleswig Holstein, Campus Luebeck, Department of Dermatology. A total of 1227 patients were referred to the clinic between 2008 and October 2020, including 91 children (age range 1-13 years) and 17 adolescents (age range 14-17 years). The most common paediatric vulval conditions encountered were lichen sclerosus (33%), vulvitis (23%) and vulval psoriasis (7%). Quality of life was measured in 81 children using the paediatric version of the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Of a maximum 30 points, the mean score was 7.2, confirming the association between vulval diseases and impaired quality of life in children and adolescents.

European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR) Guidelines: MR Imaging of Leiomyomas.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the Female Pelvic Imaging Working Group of the European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR) was to develop imaging guidelines for MR work-up in patients with known or suspected uterine leiomyomas. METHODS: Guidelines for imaging uterine leiomyomas were defined based on a survey distributed to all members of the working group, an expert consensus meeting at European Congress of Radiology (ECR) 2017 and a critical review of the literature. RESULTS: The 25 returned questionnaires as well as the expert consensus meeting have shown reasonable homogeneity of practice among institutions. Expert consensus and literature review lead to an optimized MRI protocol to image uterine leiomyomas. Recommendations include indications for imaging, patient preparation, MR protocols and reporting criteria. The incremental value of functional imaging (DWI, DCE) is highlighted and the role of MR angiography discussed. CONCLUSIONS: MRI offers an outstanding and reproducible map of the size, site and distribution of leiomyomas. A standardised imaging protocol and method of reporting ensures that the salient features are recognised. These imaging guidelines are based on the current practice among expert radiologists in the field of female pelvic imaging and also incorporate essentials of the current published MR literature of uterine leiomyomas. KEY POINTS: • MRI allows comprehensive mapping of size and distribution of leiomyomas. • Basic MRI comprise T2W and T1W sequences centered to the uterus. • Standardized reporting ensures pivotal information on leiomyomas, the uterus and differential diagnosis. • MRI aids in differentiation of leiomyomas from other benign and malignant entities, including leiomyosarcoma.

[Disease burden for gynecological disease in China, 2016].

Objective: To assess the disease burden for gynecological disease in China in 2016. Methods: Data were extracted from the global burden of disease study 2016 (GBD 2016) . The burden of gynecological disease among age groups and provinces groups was assessed by prevalence rate, mortality rate, years lived with disability (YLD) , years of life lost due to premature mortality (YLL) and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) . An average world population age-structure for the period 2010-2035 was adopted to calculate age-standardized rates. Results: In 2016, the prevalence rate of gynecological disease in women aged 15 years and above in China was 24.94%, of which was 36.71% to women of childbearing age. The number of DALY from gynecological disease was 2 727 637.82 life years in 2016, with the DALY rate was 411.12/100 000 and standardized DALY rate was 341.80/100 000. The first three gynecological diseases with highest DALY and DALY rate among Chinese women aged ≥15 years were premenstrual syndrome (815 004.64 life years, 122.84/100 000) , uterine fibroids (281 976.67 life years, 42.5/100 000) and endometriosis (154 792.89 life years, 23.33/100 000) . The DALY caused by gynecological disease in Guangdong (220 871.19 life years) , Shandong (190 968.72 life years) , Henan (171 273.92 life years) , Jiangsu (168 404.27 life years) and Sichuan (144 358.5 life years) were higher than other provinces. The standardized DALY rate attributable to gynecological disease were highest in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (404.00/100 000) , Shanghai (394.90/100 000) , Heilongjiang (382.00/100 000) , Beijing (365.70/100 000) and Jiangsu (357.50/100 000). Conclusions: Gynecological disease is a great threat to women's reproductive health. Effective measures should be taken to address the issue, especially to women of childbearing age.

[Prevalence of breast and gynecological diseases in female workers in the administrative office and workshop of an automobile part factory].

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of breast and gynecological diseases in female workers in the administrative office and workshop of an automobile part factory, and to provide a basis for promoting the health of female workers. Methods: In March 2015, color ultrasound examination of the breast, uterus, and bilateral adnexa was performed for all female workers, and routine gynecological examination, routine leucorrhea examination, and thinprep liquid-based cytology test were performed for married female workers. The detection rates of breast and gynecological diseases in female workers in the administrative office and workshop were analyzed. Results: In the 314 female workers, the overall detection rate of breast and gynecological diseases was 86.31%; the detection rate of abnormal breast ultrasound results was 72.93%, mainly breast hyperplasia; the detection rate of abnormal gynecological ultrasound results was 12.14%, mainly hysteromyoma, pelvic effusion, and uterus-rectum fossa effusion. The overall detection rate of cervicitis or vaginitis in married female workers was 66.86%. The univariate analysis showed that compared with those in the administrative office, the female workers in the workshop had significantly higher detection rates of breast hyperplasia and grade 2 breast lesions on the Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) and significantly lower detection rates of hysteromyoma and grade 3 breast lesions on the BI-RADS (all P <0.05) . The multivariate analysis showed that age was a risk factor for hysteromyoma (OR=1.261) , age and working in the workshop were risk factors for breast hyperplasia (OR=1.065 and 1.834) , married status was a protective factor against breast hyperplasia and grade 2 breast lesions on the BI-RADS (OR=0.334 and 0.450) , and working in workshop was a risk factor for grade 2 breast lesions on the BI-RADS (OR=1.890) and a protective factor against grade 3 breast lesions on the BI-RADS (OR=0.355) . Conclusion: Female workers in an automobile part factory have high prevalence rates of breast and gynecological diseases. Night shifts for female workers in the workshop should be reduced as much as possible, and female workers, especially those in the administrative office, should be guided to release pressure and take a balanced diet.

Quality of life in long-term cervical cancer survivors compared with healthy women and women with benign gynecological disorders.

OBJECTIVE: The impact of cervical cancer treatment on the quality of life of long-term survivors compared with the general female population is controversial, and no studies have been conducted comparing patients with benign gynecological diseases. The aim of this study was to compare the quality of life of cervical cancer survivors with that of healthy controls. STUDY DESIGN: A case-control study was conducted to compare the quality of life of 106 cervical cancer survivors from a tertiary hospital and 185 women admitted to a gynecological outpatient clinic from the same health area for a healthy woman check-up (n 46) or for a benign gynecological disorder (symptomatic, n 113; asymptomatic, n 26). To measure quality of life, self-administered questionnaires, such as the Functional Assessment Cancer Therapy-cervix and World Health Organization quality of life-brief version, were employed. Baseline scores were collected when patients first reported, and further evaluations were completed at 0-6, 7-12, 13-24, 25-60, and more than 60 months. For the contrastive analysis hypothesis, we employed R statistical software. RESULTS: Except for the environment domain at 0-6, 7-12, and 13-24 months (51.52 vs. 60.73, p < 0.0001; 52 vs. 60.73, p < 0.0001; 49.81 vs. 60.73, p < 0.0001, respectively), we found no statistically significant differences in the quality of life between cervical cancer survivors and controls. We did find differences in the physical health domain scores at 0-6 months (60.22 vs. 72.42, p = 0.039) and the social relationships domain scores at 13-24 months (54 vs. 71.42, p = 0.017) between cases and asymptomatic controls. CONCLUSION: Except for physical well-being, environment and social relationships, which were substantially better for controls, especially in the asymptomatic, long-term cervical cancer survivorsquality of life did not vary from that of controls.

Chronic mucocutaneous anogenital herpes: series of ten cases and literature review.

Anogenital herpes is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections worldwide. It has several clinical manifestations, from cases of primary herpes infection to recurrent forms, among them chronic mucocutaneous herpes. This presentation is rare, characterized by a duration of more than four weeks, usually associated with immunosuppression and resistance to classic anti-herpetic treatment. The present study presents a series of ten cases of chronic mucocutaneous herpes with a discussion about its clinical, laboratory, and therapeutic aspects.

Analysis of count data in the setting of cervical cancer detection.

Women with an abnormal Pap smear are often referred to colposcopy, a procedure during which endocervical curettage (ECC) may be performed. ECC is a scraping of the endocervical canal lining. Our goal was to compare the performance of a naïve Poisson (NP) regression model with that of a zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) model when identifying predictors of the number of distress/pain vocalizations made by women undergoing ECC. Data on women seen in the colposcopy clinic at a medical school in El Paso, Texas, were analyzed. The outcome was the number of pain vocalizations made by the patient during ECC. Six dichotomous predictors were evaluated. Initially, NP regression was used to model the data. A high proportion of patients did not make any vocalizations, and hence a ZIP model was also fit and relative rates (RRs) and 95% CIs were calculated. AIC was used to identify the best model (NP or ZIP). Of the 210 women, 154 (73.3%) had a value of 0 for the number of ECC vocalizations. NP identified three statistically significant predictors (language preference of the subject, sexual abuse history and length of the colposcopy), while ZIP identified one: history of sexual abuse (yes vs no; adjusted RR=2.70, 95% CI 1.47 to 4.97). ZIP was preferred over NP. ZIP performed better than NP regression. Clinicians and epidemiologists should consider using the ZIP model (or the zero-inflated negative binomial model) for zero-inflated count data.

Incidence and risk factors for HPV-associated cancers in women with end-stage renal disease.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes the majority of cervical, anal/rectal, and oropharyngeal cancers in women. End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is also associated with an increased risk of malignancy, but the incidence of and risk factors for HPV-associated cancers in US dialysis patients are not defined. We queried the US Renal Data System for women with HPV-associated cancers and assessed for incidence of cancer diagnosis and association of risk factors. From 2005 to 2011, a total of 1032 female patients with ESRD had 1040 HPV-associated cancer diagnoses. Patients had a mean age of 65 years, were mostly white (63%), and on hemodialysis (92%). Cervical cancer (54%) was the most common, followed by anal/rectal (34%), and oropharyngeal (12%). The incidence of HPV-associated cancers in patients with ESRD increased yearly, with up to a 16-fold increased incidence compared with the general population. Major risk factors associated with the development of any HPV-associated cancer included smoking (adjusted relative risk=1.89), alcohol use (1.87), HIV (2.21), and herpes infection (2.02). Smoking, HIV, and herpes infection were prominent risk factors for cervical cancer. The incidence of HPV-associated cancers in women with ESRD is rising annually and is overall higher than in women of the general population. Tobacco use is a universal risk factor. For cervical cancer, the presence of HIV and herpes are important comorbidities. Recognizing risk factors associated with these cancers may improve diagnosis and facilitate survival. The role of HPV vaccination in at-risk dialysis patients remains to be defined but warrants further study.

Primary umbilical endometriosis (Villar's nodule): Case report / Endometriosis umbilical primaria (nódulo de Villar): reporte de un caso

Background: Umbilical endometriosis or Villar's nodule is uncommon. Incidence goes up to 0.5-1.2% of all patients with endometriosis. As far as 2012, only 109 cases of umbilical endometriosis have been reported worldwide, there is no incidence reports in Mexico. Clinically, it's a solitary node, solid and well defined, colored red, blue or black and it's ocassionally accompanied by bleeding and dysmenorrhea. The treatment can be medical or surgical and it consists of painkillers, and hormonal suppression using GnRH analogues, hormonal contraceptives, danazol or progesterone. Surgical treatment consists in complete resection of the umbilical lesion. The aim of this paper is to present a clinical report case and have a bibliographic review of this pathology. Clinical case: A 34 year-old patient comes to the clinic due to severe umbilical pain of some months, associated with enlargement, swelling and cyclic menstrual bleeding. Escision of the lesion is performed and sent to pathology having the diagnosis of umbilical endometriosis. There is no evidence of endometriosic implants under laparoscopic control. Conclusions: Regards of being a rare pathology, umbilical endometriosis must be taken as a differential diagnosis in patients with umbilical lesions associated with menstrual cycle pain.

Introducción: La endometriosis umbilical o "nódulo de Villar" es poco común. La incidencia varía entre 0.5-1.2% de todas las pacientes con endometriosis. Hasta el año 2012 solo se habían reportado 109 casos de endometriosis umbilical en el mundo; en México hasta el momento, no hay incidencia reportada. Clínicamente se presenta como una tumoración o nódulo solitario, sólido y bien delimitado, de coloración rojo, azul o negro, en ocasiones se acompaña de sangrado y dolor asociado al ciclo menstrual. Puede ser tratada de manera médica o quirúrgica.El tratamiento médico consiste en administración de analgésicos y supresión hormonal utilizando análogos de GnRH, anticonceptivos hormonales, danazol o progestágenos. El tratamiento quirúrgico consiste en resección completa de la lesión umbilical. El obejtivo de este trabajo es presentar el caso clínico y realizar una revisión bibliográfica sobre la endometriosis umbilical primaria, debido a que es una patología inusual. Caso clínico: Presentamos a una paciente de 34 años que acude por presentar dolor umbilical de varios meses de evolución, asociado con aumento de volumen, tumefacción y sangrado cíclico relacionado al ciclo menstrual. Se realiza exéresis de la lesión enviándola a Patología para su estudio definitivo, reportando endometriosis umbilical. Sin presencia de implantes endometriósicos en cavidad abdominal buscados de manera intencional por laparoscopia. Conclusiones: A pesar de ser una entidad poco frecuente, la endometriosis umbilical debe siempre de sospecharse como diagnóstico diferencial en pacientes con lesiones en la región, que presentan dolor asociado al ciclo menstrual.

Chronic mucocutaneous anogenital herpes: series of ten cases and literature review

Abstract Anogenital herpes is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections worldwide. It has several clinical manifestations, from cases of primary herpes infection to recurrent forms, among them chronic mucocutaneous herpes. This presentation is rare, characterized by a duration of more than four weeks, usually associated with immunosuppression and resistance to classic anti-herpetic treatment. The present study presents a series of ten cases of chronic mucocutaneous herpes with a discussion about its clinical, laboratory, and therapeutic aspects.

An interesting finding in the uterine cervix: Schistosoma hematobium calcified eggs.

Schistosoma hematobium infection is an endemic parasitic disease in Africa, which is frequently associated with urinary schistosomiasis. The parasite infection causes epithelial changes and disruption, facilitating the infection by the human papilloma virus and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The authors report the case of a 44-year-old African HIV-positive woman who presented an abnormal routine Pap smear. Colposcopy examination revealed dense acetowhite micropapillary epithelium covering the ectocervix, iodine-negative, an erosion area in endocervical canal, and atypical vessels. Histologic examination of the surgical specimens showed numerous calcified schistosome eggs (probably S. hematobium) and a high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. The relation between S. hematobium infection and bladder cancer is well known; however, this relationship with cervical cancer remains controversial. The symptoms of schistosomiasis of the female genital tract are rather non-specific, and are often misdiagnosed with other pelvic diseases. The familiarity of health professionals with schistosomiasis of the female genital tract is less than expected, even in endemic regions. Therefore, great awareness of this differential diagnosis in routine gynecological practice is of paramount importance.

Lipschütz ulcer (ulcus vulvae acutum): a rare cause of genital lesion / Úlcera de Lipschütz (ulcus vulvae acutum): uma causa rara de lesão genital

Lipschütz Ulcer, or ulcus vulvae acutum, is a rare and probably underdiagnosed entity that usually presents as an acute painful vulvar ulcer in young women. The etiology is unknown, although recent reports have associated it with the Epstein-Barr virus. The diagnosis is made by exclusion after ruling out sexually transmitted diseases, autoimmune causes, trauma, and other etiologies of genital ulcerations. We report a case of a young woman who developed flu-like symptoms and painful vulvar ulcers. Complementary examinations ruled out sexually transmitted diseases and the other usual causes of genital ulcers; lesions healed with no sequelae or recurrences. This case represents a rare important differential diagnosis of genital ulceration.

A Úlcera de Lipschütz, ou ulcus vulvae acutum, é uma entidade rara mas provavelmente subdiagnosticada, que se apresenta como úlcera vulvar aguda dolorosa numa mulher jovem. A etiologia é desconhecida embora relatos recentes a tenham associado à primo-infecção pelo vírus Epstein-Barr. O diagnóstico é estabelecido após exclusão de doenças sexualmente transmissíveis, causas autoimunes, traumáticas e outras etiologias de úlceras genitais. Relatamos o caso de uma jovem que desenvolveu quadro gripal e dolorosas úlceras genitais. Os exames complementares excluiram doenças sexualmente transmissíveis e as outras causas habituais de ulceração genital. As lesões cicatrizaram sem sequelas e sem recorrências. Este caso representa um diagnóstico diferencial importante e raro de ulceração genital.

Resultados citopatológicos de mulheres que realizaram exame do colo do útero em um laboratório escola da Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia-GO: estudo de prevalência / Cytopathological results from women that realized the examination of cervix in a laboratory-school from Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia-GO: prevalence study

Objetivo - Avaliar a prevalência de câncer de colo do útero e infecções genitais em mulheres atendidas no serviço de saúde pública de Goiânia-GO. O exame de Papanicolaou é o método utilizado para detecção das lesões intraepiteliais e neoplásicas da cérvice uterina, tendo importante papel na prevenção do câncer do colo do útero e no diagnóstico das infecções genitais. Métodos - Estudo retrospectivo dos laudos dos exames citopatológicos das mulheres atendidas nas Unidades de Atenção Básica em Saúde (UABS) de Goiânia-GO, entre 03/2006 a 05/2008. Os esfregaços citológicos foram analisados no Centro de Análises Clínicas Rômulo Rocha da Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade Federal de Goiás (CACRR/FF/UFG). Resultados - Um total de 15.615 mulheres foi incluído no estudo. A mediana de idade foi de 33 anos (14-93 anos), a maioria (57,6%) tinha entre 20 e 39 anos e 6,6% (n=1.034) eram < 20 anos de idade. Mais de 50% dos casos de infecção entre adultas e adolescentes eram causados por Gardnerella vaginalis e 13,6% por Trichomonas vaginalis. Entre mulheres mais jovens (20-39 anos),16,9% das infecções foi causada por Candida sp. Aproximadamente 7,6% dos esfregaços avaliados apresentaram alterações celulares, sendo 4,9% células escamosas atípicas de significado indeterminado/lesão intraepitelial escamosa de baixo grau (ASC-US/LSIL) para as mulheres entre 20-29 anos e 2,6% células escamosas atípicas com possível lesão de alto grau/lesão intraepitelial escamosa de alto grau e células glandulares atípicas (ASC-H/+) para mulheres entre 20 e 49 anos. Conclusão - Lesões graves em mulheres jovens chamam atenção para a necessidade de políticas de saúde pública que reforcem a importância do Papanicolaou para a prevenção do colo de útero.

Objective - To correlate the prevalence of cervical cancer and genital infections with the age of women treated at public health service of Goiânia-GO. Papanicolaou test is the method used for detection of intraepithelial and neoplastic lesions in the uterine cervix, playing an important role in cervical cancer prevention and helping in female genital infections'diagnosis. Methods - Women's cytopathological tests were analyzed at Health Care Units from Goiânia-GO, between 03/2006 and 05/2008. Smears were analyzed at Clinical Analysis Laboratory Rômulo Rocha, at Pharmacy Faculty of the Federal University of Goiás. Results - The total of 15.615 women were included in this study. The median age was 33 years (14-93 years), 57.6% were between 20 and 39 years of age and 6.6% were adolescents <20 years of age. More than 50% of cases of infection among adults and adolescents were caused by Gardnerella vaginalis, followed by 13.6% by Trichomonas vaginalis and to 16.9% by Candida sp. Approximately, 7.6% of smears evaluated showed cellular alterations, and 4.9% atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance/squamous intraepithelial lesion of low grade (ASC-US/LSIL) for women aged 20-29 years and 2.6% atypical squamous cells can damage high-grade/squamous intraepithelial lesion high-grade and atypical glandular cells (ASC-H/+) for women aged 20-49 years. Conclusion - Serious injuries in young women draw attention to the need for public health policies that reinforce the importance of the Papanicolaou test for cervical cancer prevention.

Aspectos ginecológicos e obstétricos de pacientes atendidas nos serviços público e privado de saúde: há diferenças? / Gynecological and obstetrics aspects of patients treated in public and private health services: are there any differences?

OBJETIVO: Avaliar os aspectos epidemiológicos e clínicos de pacientes ginecológicas atendidas nas redes privada e pública de saúde. MÉTODOS: Estudo de corte transversal, no qual foram estudados prontuários de 243 pacientes (122 pacientes no serviço público e 121 no privado), de janeiro de 2007 a janeiro de 2008. Excluíram-se os prontuários de pacientes grávidas, com sangramento genital, histórico de uso de cremes ou géis vaginais em intervalos inferiores há 15 dias e pacientes que tiveram relação sexual em prazo inferior a cinco dias da consulta avaliada. A análise dos dados foi realizada com recursos de processamento estatístico do software Stata, versão 9.2, considerando-se o nível de significância de 5 por cento. RESULTADOS: A média de idade das pacientes foi de 27±12 anos entre pacientes da rede pública, e de 25,9±10,4 anos na rede particular, não havendo diferença estatística entre estas médias (F=0,5 e p=0,4). As pacientes da rede pública apresentaram escolaridade mais baixa (p<0,001), eram preferencialmente do lar (p<0,001), iniciaram vida sexual mais precocemente, tiveram maior número de parceiros (p<0,001), de gestações (p<0,001) e de partos (p=0,004) e utilizavam principalmente a camisinha como método contraceptivo (p=0,013). Não houve diferença estatística em relação aos antecedentes de doenças sexualmente transmissíveis, ao diagnóstico de candidíase, vaginose bacteriana, tricomoníase ou neoplasia. CONCLUSÕES: As pacientes da rede pública de saúde apresentam maior número de gestações e partos. São, em geral, donas de casa, com baixa escolaridade, iniciam vida sexual mais precocemente e com maior número de parceiros. Entretanto, não houve diferença entre os grupos quando se avaliaram doenças mamárias, infecções ginecológicas ou neoplasias de colo uterino, o que sugere que o nível socioeconômico não é o único elemento no determinismo da doença e, por isso, outras variáveis devem ser avaliadas.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the epidemiological and clinical aspects of gynecological patients seeking care in the private and public health networks. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study we analyzed the records of 243 patients (122 public service patients and 121 private service ones), from January 2007 to January 2008. We excluded records of pregnant patients with vaginal bleeding, history of using vaginal creams or gels at intervals of less than 15 days and patients who had sexual intercourse within less than five days before their visit and with incomplete clinical data. Data were analyzed statistically using the Stata software, version 9.2, with a 5 percent level of significance. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients attending the public health service was 27±12 years-old and 25.9±10.4 years-old for patients attending the private health service, with no statistical difference between means (F=0.5 and p=0.4). Patients attending the public health service had lower education (p<0.001), they were preferentially housewives (p<0.001), began sexual life early, had a greater number of partners (p<0.001), of pregnancies (p<0.001) and of deliveries (p=0.004), and mainly used the condom as a contraceptive method (p=0.013). There was no statistical difference between groups regarding the history of sexual transmitted diseases, diagnosis of candidiasis, bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, or neoplasia. CONCLUSIONS: Patients attending the public health service have a higher number of pregnancies and births. They are usually housewives with low educational level, their sex life begins early, and they have more partners. However, there was no difference between groups when evaluating breast diseases, gynecological infections, or cancer of the cervix, which suggests that socioeconomic status is not the only element in the determination of the disease and, therefore, other variables should be evaluated.

Donovanose / Granuloma inguinale (Donovanosis)

Os autores apresentam imagens de duas formas clínicas mais frequentes da Donovanose, em ambos sexos. A donovanose é considerada uma doença sexualmente transmissível, endêmica nas regiões tropicais e semitropicais do globo. Apresentam também imagens de duas lâminas: uma da pesquisa direta (corpúsculos de Donovan, dentro de grandes células mononucleadas coradas de vermelho pelo Giemsa) e outra de achados histológicos típicos (formato de alfinete dentro do histiócito).

The authors present images of two of the most common clinical forms of granuloma inguinale (donovanosis) in males and females. Donovanosis is considered a sexually transmitted disease that is endemic in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Two microscopic images are also shown, one of a direct smear (the presence of Donovan bodies within large mononuclear cells identified using Giemsa stain) and the other of typical histological findings (rod-shaped Donovan bodies within a mononuclear histiocyte).