Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug with a local anesthetic compared to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug alone significantly reduce the pain associated with vaginoscopic office hysteroscopy.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Pain is the most common cause of office hysteroscopy (OH) failure. There is no consensus on alleviation of pain during OH. The aim was to compare the effectiveness of pain-relieving methods during OH. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective randomized open-label trial included women subjected to OH. All women received 100 mg of ketoprofen intravenously pre-procedure. Women were randomly assigned to 3 arms: A) no local anesthesia, B) infiltration anesthesia with 20 ml of 1% lidocaine solution, C) paracervical block with 20 ml of 1% lidocaine solution. Karl Storz Bettocchi® rigid hysteroscope with a 5 mm operative sheath was used. Intensity of pain in numeric rating scale (NRS), intensity of cervical bleeding, frequency of vasovagal episodes, and failure rate were compared. RESULTS: The study involved 201 women, 67 in each arm. NRS value during OH was higher in arm A than in B and C (6.3 vs. 5.1 vs. 5.0; p = 0.01). NRS value after OH did not differ and in all arms pain was imperceptible (p = 0.007). Cervical bleeding was more frequent in arm B than in A and C (76.1% vs. 33.4% vs. 35.9%; p < 0.0001), but its intensity did not differ from the other arms (p = 0.3). Vasovagal episode was most common in arm B (p = 0.048). There was no difference in the failure rate between the arms (p = 0.08). CONCLUSIONS: The paracervical block, albeit technically the most laborious, has proven to be the most beneficial for the patient in terms of overall comfort and for the surgeon regarding feasibility.

A survey of knowledge, attitudes and awareness of the HPV and HPV vaccine among obstetricians and gynecologists across Poland.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess general knowledge regarding human papillomavirus (HPV) and the attitude to primary prevention in form of HPV vaccination (HPVv) among Polish obstetricians and gynecologists (OBGYNs). In addition, we wanted to study the willingness of physicians to promote the HPVv among patients, based on their general attitude to vaccinations as well as HPV-related knowledge. The gynecologists were also asked to assess their patients' awareness of HPV infection. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A questionnaire consisting of 25 questions was used to collect the data and with support of the Polish Society of Gynecologists and Obstetricians (PTGiP) and the Polish Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (PTKiPSM) sent via their mailing lists to all members and beyond. The total amount of 213 fully filled questionnaires were gathered and analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Most of the surveyed OBGYNs showed a good knowledge of HPV and HPVv. They were able to correctly identify the high-risk oncogenic HPV types (hrHPV) and admitted to using HPV genotyping in their daily practice and actively promoting HPVv, being in majority supporters of mandatory vaccinations in general. Almost 90% confirmed the importance of informing patients about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). On the other hand, there was a group of OBGYNs with clearly insufficient knowledge about the HPV and its prevention. CONCLUSIONS: General knowledge of Polish physicians about HPV is good, independent of gender and age. The acceptance of all vaccines is high, but the low availability of the HPV vaccines seems to be the biggest problem stopping patients from getting them.

Evaluation of the prevalence of folic acid supplementation before conception and through the first 12 weeks of pregnancy in Polish women at high risk of fetal anomalies.

OBJECTIVES: Local and international organizations recommend folic acid (FA) supplementation in the periconceptional period. This study aimed to analyse the prevalence of periconceptional supplementation with FA in women at high risk of fetal anomalies refferred for first trimester screening. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Our analysis involved 1,455 women at high risk of fetal anomalies refferred for first trimester screening. FA supplementation was assessed by face-to-face interviews conducted by doctors performing first trimester screening for aneuploidy. RESULTS: FA supplementation before pregnancy was reported by 46.8% of the women and during the first trimester by 57.2% of those studied. Women used FA supplementation more frequently if they had a history of at least one miscarriage (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.70-2.83; p < 0.001), a history of assissted reproductive techniques (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.18-4.31; p = 0.014), or were aged between 30 and 34 (OR 2.87, 95% CI 1.47-5.58; p = 0.002). Among 122 women with a history of fetal defects only 50% confirmed FA supplementation before pregnancy and 62.2% during pregnancy (p = 0.488). A similar frequency of FA supplementation was noted among women with epilepsy, diabetes, and hypertension. Less frequent taking of FA was noted among women at least third and subsequent pregnancies (p < 0.001). In the current pregnancy, neural tube defects (NTDs) were less frequent by 86% in the group of women with FA supplementation than in the non-supplementation group (1 case vs 6 cases, respectively) and for other fetal defects by 62.5% (24 vs 40 cases, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: We found an unsatisfactory compliance with recommendations for the use of folic acid supplementation during periconceptional period among women at high risk of fetal defects and folate deficiency, that could have negative effects on the health of child and mother. The study results show the need to increase the awareness of FA supplementation during periconceptional period especially in women with high risk of fetal anomalies.

Early- and Late-Onset Preeclampsia: A Comprehensive Cohort Study of Laboratory and Clinical Findings according to the New ISHHP Criteria.

Recently, the diagnostic criteria of preeclampsia have been changed. No studies are available in the literature that analyzed in detail the differences between early-onset preeclampsia (EOP) and late-onset preeclampsia (LOP), taking into account the International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy (ISSHP) criteria. Thus, we sought to retrospectively investigate in detail the differences in clinical and laboratory outcomes between EOP and LOP diagnosed according to the ISSHP criteria. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 214 women with singleton pregnancies and preeclampsia admitted to the Department of Obstetrics and Perinatology of the University Hospital in Kraków, Poland, from 2013 to 2017 (113 (52.8%) women with EOP and 101 (47.2%) women with LOP). Electronic medical records were reviewed for demographics and medical history, laboratory tests, and delivery and neonatal data. Patients with preeclampsia accounted for 1.7% of the women who delivered during the study period. The EOP and LOP groups did not differ in the distribution of risk factors for preeclampsia. The most common risk factor was primiparity, which was observed in 72.0% of cases. Regarding the ISSHP diagnostic criteria, the two groups differed in the incidence of fetal growth restriction (p=0.0009), hemolysis (p=0.0416), and neurological complications (p=00342), which were found more often in the EOP group. In addition, the EOP group had more frequent occurrence of severe cardiorespiratory (p < 0.0001) and hematological (p=0.0127) complications, adverse fetoplacental conditions (p < 0.0001), and severe fetoplacental complications (p=0.0003). Children born to women with EOP had lower Apgar scores (p < 0.001) and higher rates of intraventricular hemorrhage (p < 0.0001), respiratory disorders requiring mechanical ventilation (p < 0.0001), and early (p=0.0004) and late sepsis (p=0.002). EOP differed from LOP in terms of maternal and perinatal adverse outcomes. The observed higher rates of fetoplacental adverse conditions and severe complications indicate a significant contribution of impaired placentation to the etiopathogenesis of EOP.

Indications for sexology consultation in women after surgical treatment due to breast cancer.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Surgical treatment due to brest cancer have an impact on women sexuality. There is a need for research about effective indications for sexology consultation in women after such treatment. The aim of this study is to determine the indications for sexology consultation in women after surgical treatment for breast cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We tested 42 women patients diagnosed with breast cancer who had undergone mastectomy 3 months before the study. 3 months after the surgery the women were surveyed using the Polish version of FSFI assessing sexual functioning in women. The result of PL-FSFI were compared with the control group. RESULTS: It was found that the mean score of PL-FSFI in the study group 3 months after the surgery was 13.33 points (score range: 1.2-31.7; median 8.3 points) with a statistically significant difference in terms of areas: desire, arousal, lubrication and orgasm in favour of the control group. The total score of PL-FSFI was significantly lower in women after mastectomy than in women after breast-conserving surgery. It has been shown that sexually active women in whom the surgery concerned the right breast (on the side of the dominant hand) scored lower on the scale "sexual functioning" of QLQ-BR-23 than women with surgery of the left breast, with this difference being statistically significant. There was a statistically significant correlation between the baseline performance status on the Zubrod scale and the scales: desire, lubrication and satisfaction of PL-FSFI. Living in a small town proved to be statistically significant for predicting a lower risk of sexual dysfunction among the surveyed women. CONCLUSIONS: The women who underwent surgery due to breast cancer had a higher risk of sexual dysfunction compared to the general population. Higher risk of sexual dysfunction especially concerns women after mastectomy, those who underwent breast surgery on the side of the dominant hand, and those with a worse preoperative overall level of functioning of > = 1 point on the Zubrod scale. A lower risk of disorders was observed in women living in smaller towns. The above factors indicate the advisability for sexology consultation in women with breast cancer.

Current management of cervical cancer in Poland-Analysis of the questionnaire trial for the years 2002-2014 in relation to ASCO 2016 recommendations.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the survival of patients with cervical cancer (CC). Since the recommendations concerning cervical cancer management adopted by Polish medical societies do not differ significantly from the ESGO or non-European guidelines, and the fact that evaluation of the system for CC treatment in Poland, as well as the mortality rate of Polish women with CC, which is 70% higher than the average for European Union (EU) countries, justifies the hypothesis that treatment of CC in Poland deviates from the Polish and international recommendations. This article puts forward the current management of cervical cancer in Poland and discusses it in the context of ASCO guidelines. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A survey retrospective multicenter analysis of the medical records of 1247 patients with cervical cancer who underwent treatment for disease and who had completed at least two years of follow-up. RESULTS: Although concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy is a standard treatment of FIGO IB to IVA cervical cancer patients in enhanced- and maximum-resources settings, in our analysis, we found that the percentage of women subjected to chemotherapy was lower than in countries where total survival rates were lower. CONCLUSION: Within the IA to II A cervical cancer patients studied group, the methods of treatment remained in line with ASCO guidelines for countries with the highest standard of care. Although concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy is a standard treatment of FIGO IB to IVA cervical cancer patients in enhanced- and maximum-resources settings, in our analysis, we found that the percentage of women subjected to chemotherapy was lower than in countries where total survival rates were lower. Our findings, together with the inconsistencies within the cervical cancer screening program, may be one of the explanations of poorer survival rate of women with cervical cancer in Poland.

Analysis of intravaginal misoprostol 0.2 mg versus intracervical dinoprostone 0.5 mg doses for labor induction at term pregnancies.

OBJECTIVES: Labor-induction methods are used in about 23% of labors. Most commonly, pharmacological methods are used to pre-induct the labor with dinoprostone - a PGE2 analog, and misoprostol - a PGE1 analog. The aim of this study was to evaluate two pharmacological methods of labor induction with the use of prostaglandins applied via an intravagi-nal insert containing misoprostol at a dose of 0.2 mg and intracervical gel containing dinoprostone at a dose of 0.5 mg. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted on a group of 50 adult patients qualified for the pre-induction of labor. Following data were recorded: the time from the drug administration to the beginning of regular contractile function, the time from administration to amniotic fluid rupture, the time from medicament administration to the vaginal labor or caesarean section, the duration of I, II and III stages of labor, the delivery method and in the event of caesarean section - the indications for surgery. RESULTS: In comparison to dinoprostone, the misoprostol application was found to shorten the time from drug administration to amniotic fluid rupture by 14.1 hours, the time to the beginning of the first stage of labor by 11.7 hours and from the drug administration to the delivery by 17.3 hours (p-value < 0.05). The duration of the first stage of labor in the misoprostol group was shorter by 1.2 hours than in dinoprostone group (p-value < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Application of intravaginal insert with misoprostol at a dose of 0.2 mg appears to be a more effective method of labor induction in comparison to intracervical gel with dinoprostone at a dose of 0.5mg. Thorough analysis of these methods requires further studies.

Low-Grade Metabolically-Induced Inflammation Mediators Interleukin-6, Adiponectin, and TNF-α Serum Levels in Obese Pregnant Patients in the Perinatal Period.

BACKGROUND Obesity is a major clinical problem. The number of obese pregnant women is rising rapidly. The consequences of obesity are significant and affect every aspect of perinatal care for both the mother and the developing fetus. Adipose tissue may be responsible for chronic subclinical inflammation in obesity, being a source of inflammatory mediators. The study was designed to evaluate the analysis of the serum concentration of inflammatory mediators, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and adiponectin, in obese pregnant women at full-term pregnancies. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included 40 women with body mass index (BMI) less than 30 and 24 pregnant women with BMI equal to or greater than 30, admitted to the Perinatology and Obstetrics Department of the University Hospital in Cracow in the first stage of labor. Blood samples were taken from patients to detect the serum concentration of cytokines. Ultrasound was used to evaluate the development of the fetus, including estimated fetal weight, Doppler flows, and the amount of amniotic fluid. We also included the history of chronic diseases and other complications of the pregnancy. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS The level of adiponectin in obese patients as compared to controls was significantly lower. There was no statistically significant difference in either group when TNF-α and IL-6 were measured. The results of the survey are consistent with previous reports. CONCLUSIONS The exact role of inflammation in pregnancy is not well understood. Determining the exact functions of the different cytokines in physiological pregnancy and pregnancy complicated by obesity requires further study.

[Analysis of histological type and staging of cervical cancer as prognostic factors among women treated in the Department of Gynecology and Oncology, Jagiellonian University in the years 2001-2014].

Introduction: Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most common, in terms of incidence of new cases, cancer in women and the third leading cause of cancer deaths in women worldwide. Survival of patients with CC depends on many factors, including the type of cancer, grading, FIGO staging and treatment. Material and Methods: Analysis of survival of 524 patients diagnosed with invasive and non-invasive CC depending on histopathologic diagnosis, clinical staging, tumor grading and combination of therapy. Results: The 2-fold increase in the risk of death at diagnosis in order of HSIL> ca planoepitheliale> adenocarcinoma> sarcoma was noted. Grading 2 and 3 significantly reduces the average survival in patients diagnosed with CC. The higher staging, the shorter the average survival. Each pass by one FIGO stage was shown to increase the risk of death by 46%. The risk of death increases by 4% with every year of woman's life. The longest average survival, 72 months, characterized a group of women undergoing curettage, followed by radical hysterectomy/ trachelectomy and lymphadenectomy without adiuvant radio-/ chemotherapy. The shortest survival, 26.9 months, was observed in the group treated with curettage followed by chemoradiation. Conclusions: Histopathology, clinical staging, grading, age and combination of treatment proved to be significant factors affecting survival in women with CC.

Endometrial cancer and hyperplasia rate in women before menopause with abnormal uterine bleeding undergoing endometrial sampling.

Introduction: Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is the most common symptom of endometrial cancer (EC) and endometrial hyperplasia with (AH) or without (EH) atypia. Risk of malignancy and hyperplasia is significantly lower in premenopausal than in postmenopausal women. Only 10% of EC occurs before menopause. Obesity and age are well-recognized risk factors of endometrial cancer. Endometrial sampling is recommended in women at high risk of endometrial malignancy. The primary objective was to determine the incidence of EC, AH and EH in premenopausal women undergoing dilation and curettage (D&C) because of AUB. Additional objective of the study was to estimate the risk of EC and AH in overweight and obese women with two types of AUB: heavy menstrual bleeding (AUB-HMB) and intermenstrual bleeding (AUB-IMB), according to PALM-COEIN classification. Material and Methods: Retrospective study in the population of women undergoing D&C in tertiary hospital because of AUB between Jan-2016 and Dec-2016. The incidence of EC, AH, EH was established. The influence of the variables: age, BMI, AUBHMB/ AUB-IMB on the occurrence of abnormal histology (EC, AH, EH) was evaluated. Finally, the model built by using backward stepwise regression and mechanism of v-fold cross-validation, showed no statistically significant relationship. Results: EC was detected in 2/213 cases (0.9%; 95% CI 0.0003 to 0.036), AH in 3/213 cases (1.4%), giving a total of 5/213 (2.3%) women with AH or EC. EH was detected in 16/213 (7.5%) women. High BMI raises the chance of AH diagnosis: OR 1.16 (95% CI 1.05- 1.28). The presence of HMB compared to IMB reduces the chance of EH: OR 0.24 (95% CI 0.07-0.9). IMB increases the chance for the diagnosis of EH 4.11 times compared to HMB (OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.1-14.9; p = 0.016). Conclusions: EC in premenopausal women with AUB undergoing D&C is rare. There is a need to search for more effective methods of selection of patients than commonly used. Age and BMI do not seem to be factors that should be used to select patients.

[The level of implementation of the prevention program of group B Streptococcal infection during pregnancy and in newborns in accordance to the recommendations of the Polish Gynaecological Society - questionnaire survey].

Background: Maternal colonization of Streptococcus agalactiae in pregnancy constitute an important clinical problem, that may result in serious consequences, especially for the newborn. Streptococcus agalactiae is a gram-positive beta-hemolytic streptococci belonging to the serological group B (GBS). According to recent data the GBS is found in 10-30% of healthy women, and the carriage of pathogen is usually asymptomatic. In order to minimize the risk of vertical transmission of the infection to the newborn during the labor, the Polish Society of Gynecology (PTG) has introduced the guidelines of GBS colonization screening for all pregnant women. Objectives: In this paper, the level of implementation of the screening tests in accordance to the recommendations of the PTG was evaluated. We also assessed the level of knowledge and awareness of pregnant women in detection of GBS colonization during the pregnancy and the prevention of infection in newborn. Material and method: The survey was conducted among the 172 women hospitalized in hospital maternity wards in the first days of postpartum. Results: Despite the introduction of the Polish Society of Gynecology guidelines, there are still cases of improper screening methods and medical interventions in the event of positive test results. Biological material was collected in 86% of patients (swabs from the genital tract, anus or urine culture). A positive result was found in 22% of patients. In 54% of patients swabs were taken at the recommended period of 35-37 weeks. The recommended collection of the material both from vagina and anus was taken only in 39% of patients. The majority of participated women described their knowledge of the risk associated with group B Streptococcal colonization as good, however only half of them found acquired information sufficient. Despite the implementation of guidelines Polish Gynaecological Society the incorrect conduct of the prevention against GBS is still performed in some cases. Conclusion: It is appropriate to perform consciousnessraising campaigns on screening of GBS among patients and doctors.

Markers of implantation in ectopic and high-risk early eutopic pregnancies.

INTRODUCTION: This study focused on the assessment of HSP-10, HSP-27 and PSG-11 which are one of the first detectable serum pregnancy proteins. Contrary to ultrasound imaging, biochemical methods allow to clarify the pathogenesis and pathomechanism of high-risk pregnancies, fetal anomalies, and abnormal fetal implantation. Early serum concentration estimation of HSP-10, HSP-27 and PSG-11 may be very useful not only in prognosis of pregnancies of unknown localization (PUL), but also as markers of ectopic pregnancies. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the expression of HSP-10, HSP-27, PSG-11 implantation proteins in ectopic and eutopic pregnancies, and their mutual correlations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study involved 42 healthy women who were hospitalized, due to symptoms of imminent miscarriage, risk of spontaneous abortion, or the diagnosis of an ectopic pregnancy. The subjects were subdivided into two equal groups of 21 women who consented to participate in this clinical trial. Biochemical assays were performed involving PSG-11, HSP-27, and HSP-10 serum concentration. RESULTS: Serum concentration levels of HSP-10, HSP-27, and PSG-11 were significantly higher in pregnancies at risk of spontaneous abortion as compared to ectopic pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study indicate high value of PSG-11, HSP-27 and HSP-10 serum concentrations as predictors of correct implantation site. This may be very useful in prognosis of pregnancies of unknown localization (PUL) and early conservative/surgical ectopic pregnancies treatment if necessary to preserve maximum fertility.

[The assessment of the dependence between antigen CA 125 and nicotinism in patients with benign ovarian tumors including endometrial cysts]. / Ocena zaleznosci poziomu antygenu Ca 125 od nikotynizmu u pacjentek z lagodnymi guzami jajników, w tym z torbielami endometrialnymi.

UNLABELLED: Cancer antigen CA-125 is a marker that is primarily used to differentiate benign from malignant tumors as well as to monitor response to ovarian cancer treatment. Taken as a separate marker, it displays low sensitivity and specificity in ovarian cancer diagnosis; however, in combination with other markers it may be successfully applied especially in postmenopausal women. Elevated CA-125 levels in blood serum indicate cancerous as well as non-cancerous diseases. Research aiming to determine environmental factors that may have influence on antigen CA-125 level, and thus on the assessment of this marker's application in gynecological and oncological diseases continues. OBJECTIVES: the aim of the present research is an attempt to estimate the influence of nicotinism on antigen CA-125 in blood serum in patients with diagnosed benign ovarian tumors including endometrial cysts. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 174 women aged 16-85 years with diagnosed benign ovarian tumor were qualified for the study. In all patients level of antigen CA-125 in blood serum was assessed preoperatively and nicotinism history was taken. Also transvaginal ultrasound was performed to obtain preliminary diagnosis. Smoking and non-smoking patients were classified into two groups, namely of those with histopathologically confirmed cysts of endometrial type and those with non-endometrial benign ovarian tumors. RESULTS: statistical analysis did not prove any dependence between the CS-125 antigen level and nicotinism in any of these groups. Also additional analysis with division into premenopausal and postmenopausal patients did not determine any statistically significant dependence. CONCLUSION: Nicotinism does not significantly influence the CA-125 antigen level in patients with benign However, the connection between the addiction severity and its influence on antigen CA-125 in blood serum cannot be excluded. ovarian tumors or endometrial cysts.