Outcomes in Advanced Stage Epithelial Ovarian, Fallopian Tubal, and Peritoneal Cancer after Primary Surgery and Adjuvant Chemotherapies: A Single-Institute Real-World Experience.

Debulking surgery followed by systemic chemotherapy-including three-weekly intravenous paclitaxel and carboplatin (GOG-158)-is the cornerstone for advanced epithelial ovarian, fallopian tubal, and peritoneal cancer (EOC) treatment. In this scenario, Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, cell types, completeness of surgery, lymph nodes (LN) status, adjuvant chemotherapy regimens, survival status, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) of 192 patients diagnosed as having stage IIIA1-IVB EOC over January 2008-December 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. Of them, 100 (52.1%) patients had been debulked optimally. Of all cases, 64.1% and 10.9% demonstrated serous and clear-cell carcinoma. Moreover, the FIGO stage, surgery completeness, and LN status affected recurrence/persistence and mortality (all p < 0.001). Clear cell carcinoma led to shorter survival than serous carcinoma (p = 0.002). Adjuvant chemotherapy regimens were divided into five main groups according to previous clinical trials. However, choice of chemotherapy failed to demonstrate significant differences in patient outcomes. Similar results were found in the sub-analysis of optimally debulked cases, except that intraperitoneal chemotherapy could reduce mortality risk when compared with GOG-158 (p = 0.042). Notably, retroperitoneal LN dissection in all cases or optimally debulked cases reduced risks of recurrence/persistence and mortality, and prolonged PFS and OS significantly (all p < 0.05). Without optimal debulking, LN dissection led to little improvement in outcomes. Various modified chemotherapy regimens did not prolong PFS and OS or reduce recurrence/persistence and mortality risks. LN dissection is strongly recommended to improve the completeness of surgery and patient outcome. Clear cell type has a poorer outcome than serous type, which requires more aggressive treatment and follow-up.

Detection of mosaic 15q11.1-q11.2 deletion encompassing NBEAP1 and POTEB in a fetus with diffuse lymphangiomatosis.

OBJECTIVE: We present cytogenetic and molecular cytogenetic diagnoses of mosaic deletion of chromosome 15q11.1-q11.2 in a fetus with diffuse lymphangiomatosis. CASE REPORT: A 33-year-old woman underwent amniocentesis at 22 weeks of gestation because of fetal diffuse lymphangiomatosis involving left-side chest, abdominal cavity, thigh and vulva, and intrauterine growth restriction. Amniocentesis revealed a karyotype of 46,XX,del(15) (q11.1q11.2)[9]/46,XX[26]. The mother had a karyotype of 46,XX. The father had a karyotype of 46,XY. The parents elected to terminate the pregnancy. A 610-g female fetus was delivered at 23 weeks of gestation with large cystic lymphangioma over the left abdomen, thigh, and vulva. The umbilical cord had a karyotype of 46,XX,del(15)(q11.1q11.2)[24]/ 46,XX[16]. The placental tissue had a karyotype of 46,XX,del(15)(q11.1q11.2)[23]/ 46,XX[17]. Array comparative genomic hybridization analysis of the umbilical cord and placenta revealed a 2.42-Mb deletion of 15q11.1-q11.2 encompassing the genes of NBEAP1 and POTEB. CONCLUSION: Deletion of 15q11.1-q11.2 encompassing NBEAP1 and POTEB may be associated with diffuse lymphangiomatosis.

Comparison of two cervical cerclages for the prevention of preterm birth and neonatal complications.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the outcomes of singleton pregnant women with cervical insufficiency undergoing two different cervical cerclages. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of women who underwent a history- or ultrasound-indicated cerclage (either Shirodkar or McDonald) at a tertiary referral center from 2002 to 2014. Outcome parameters (delivery age, postoperative cervical length, preterm premature rupture of membranes, preterm delivery rate and neonatal complications) were compared between the two cerclage procedures. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to control for significant variables of preterm birth. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to demonstrate delivery age to percentage of term delivery by cerclage type. RESULTS: Ninety-four cases were initially included. After excluding cases not meeting the study criteria, 60 pregnancies (Shirodkar 36 and McDonald 24) were recruited for analysis. The mean delivery age in the Shirodkar group was more advanced than that in the McDonald group (37.1 ± 3.3 versus 34.8 ± 4.9 weeks, p = 0.039). There were significantly fewer deliveries <37 gestational weeks in the Shirodkar group than in the McDonald group (30.6% versus 58.3%, p = 0.033) but no significant differences in deliveries <28, 32 and 34 gestational weeks. No significant differences were found in neonatal complications except for respiratory distress syndrome (5.6% in Shirodkar versus 29.2% in McDonald, p = 0.023). CONCLUSION: In the setting of history-indicated or ultrasound-indicated cerclage, Shirodkar was superior to McDonald in the prevention of late preterm birth and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome.

The reliability of transabdominal cervical length measurement in a low-risk obstetric population: Comparison with transvaginal measurement.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the correlation between transabdominal (TA) and transvaginal (TV) cervical length measurement in a low-risk obstetric population in Taiwan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Women with a singleton pregnancy between 20 weeks and 24 weeks of gestation underwent postvoid TA and TV cervical length measurements. Differences between the measurements obtained using the two methods were evaluated. RESULTS: Two hundred and five women agreed to participate in the study. Paired TA and TV measurements were obtained in 174 women. The mean TA cervical length was 36.0 ± 4.9 mm and the mean TV cervical length was 37.6 ± 5.4 mm. The mean TA cervical length was shorter than the mean TV cervical length by 1.6 mm. The 5(th) percentile of TA and TV cervical length was 29 mm and 29.1 mm, respectively. The discrepancies between the two methods were not significantly correlated with maternal body mass index (BMI). All women with TV cervical length <25 mm had a corresponding TA cervical length <29 mm. CONCLUSION: The TA cervical length could be obtained in the majority of the low-risk pregnant women in the present study, and the TA cervical length was closely correlated with the TV cervical length. The use of TA ultrasound could be an effective initial tool for cervical length screening in low-risk pregnant women. TA cervical length <29 mm (5(th) percentile) could be used as a cut-off value for further TV ultrasound.

Two-year neurological outcome of very-low-birth-weight children with prenatal absent or reversed end-diastolic flow velocity in the umbilical artery.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the 2-year neurological outcome of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) children who had abnormal umbilical blood flow velocity prenatally. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a prospective collection of infants prenatally diagnosed with abnormal umbilical blood flow velocity at a tertiary referral center from January 1, 2001 to September 30, 2005. VLBW children with prenatal absent or reversed end-diastolic flow velocity (AREDV) in the umbilical artery were investigated and compared with two similar demographic control groups of VLBW children without AREDV: one group with fetal growth restriction and the other without it. A follow-up study at 2 years of age for Mental Developmental Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI) of the Bayley Scales among the three groups was analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty-four VLBW children were identified to have AREDV prenatally, of whom four died during the neonatal period. After 2 years, five children were lost to follow-up and 15 were rescued, of whom 11 had absent end-diastolic velocity and four reversed end-diastolic velocity. We compared the remaining 15 children with the two control groups [28 children in the matched control group with intrauterine fetal growth restriction (IUGR), and 38 children in the matched control group without IUGR], and no significant differences were found in MDI (p = 0.938) and PDI (p = 0.496) scores at 2 years of age. However, we also surveyed the children with a gestational age of ≤ 29 weeks and found a significant difference in MDI scores (p = 0.048), but not in PDI scores (p = 0.219), among the three groups. CONCLUSION: VLBW children delivered earlier than 29 gestational weeks with abnormal umbilical blood flow velocity prenatally have greater mental developmental delay at 2 years of age.

Is conization once following by simple hysterectomy sufficient for all clinical stage IA1 cervical squamous cell carcinoma?

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study is to assess the feasibility of simple extrafascial hysterectomy for patients with clinical stage IA1 cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) after once conization regardless of any pathologic risk factor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All cases with T1a1, SCC lesion in their cervical cone specimen were retrospectively collected after chart and pathology review for the period between January 2002 and December 2009. All cases underwent subsequent hysterectomies within a month of diagnosis. Pathologic risk factors of conization, surgical scale of hysterectomy, residual lesion of the uterus, necessity of adjuvant radiation therapy, complications, and survival were analyzed in this study. RESULTS: Eighty-one cases were identified from the registry. Most were managed by simple hysterectomy (SH; 60/81, 74%), and the remaining 21 cases underwent modified radical hysterectomy (MRH). All cases without any risk factors in their cone specimens demonstrated residual lesion ≤T1a1 in both SH and MRH groups, whereas those with existing risk factor were confirmed positive for residual lesions ≤T1a1 [SH, 95.8% (46/48) vs. MRH, 75% (15/20)]. Only two cases in the SH group received adjuvant radiation for residual lesions >T1a1. On the contrary, 15 cases in the MRH group can receive smaller scale surgery than MRH. All cases were recurrence-free without any permanent treatment-related complication by the end of the study. CONCLUSION: Extrafascial simple hysterectomy may be recommended for clinical T1a1 cervical SCC regardless of the pathologic risk factor.

Alteration of vascularization in preeclamptic placentas measured by three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the alteration of vascularization in preeclamptic placentas measured by three-dimensional (3D) power Doppler ultrasound. METHODS: We performed a prospective study of placental vascularization and placental volume in 27 singleton pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia and 41 normal pregnancies from 27 to 39 weeks of gestation. The placental volume was analyzed using the VOCAL imaging analysis program and 3D power histogram was used to calculate the placental vascular indices including vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI) and vascularization flow index (VFI). RESULTS: Of the 27 preeclamptic pregnancies, 9 were complicated by intrauterine growth restriction and 15 were severe preeclampsia. Furthermore, nine of the preeclamptic pregnancies had abnormal end diastolic flow in the umbilical artery. No significant correlation was noted between the placental vascular indices and gestational age in normal pregnancies. The placental vascular indices including VI, FI and VFI were significantly lower in preeclamptic placentas compared with controls (VI, p < 0.001; FI, p = 0.022; VFI, p < 0.001). Preeclamptic placental volume was also decreased compared with that of the controls (p = 0.002). After adjustment for confounding factors, significant differences were observed in VI and placental volume. However, no correlation was found between 3D power Doppler vascular indices and umbilical artery flow velocities, and neither intrauterine growth restriction nor the severity of preeclampsia could be predicted by the vascular indices. CONCLUSION: VI and placental volume are reduced in preeclamptic placenta. Placental vascular indices using 3D power Doppler ultrasound provide insights of placental vascularization in preeclampsia.

Term pregnancy with umbilical cord prolapse.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence, management, and perinatal and long-term outcomes of term pregnancies with umbilical cord prolapse (UCP) at Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, from 1998 to 2007. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this retrospective study, we reviewed the charts, searched a computerized birth database, and contacted the families by telephone to acquire additional follow-up information. RESULTS: A total of 40 cases of UCP were identified among 40,827 term deliveries, an incidence of 0.1%. Twenty-six cases (65%) were delivered by emergency cesarean section (CS). Of the neonates, 18 had an Apgar score of <7 at 1 minute, 10 of these scores being sustained at 5 minutes after birth, and three infants finally died. Eleven UCPs occurred at the vaginal delivery of a second twin, and nine with malpresentation. All of the infants who had good perinatal outcomes also had good long-term outcomes. Poor perinatal outcomes occurred in cases where there was a delayed diagnosis, or an inability to carry out an emergency CS or a prompt vaginal delivery. CONCLUSION: Early detection of UCP and expeditious delivery are crucial to good perinatal outcomes. An emergency CS remains the mainstream management. Multiparous women whose cervixes are nearly fully dilated and who are expecting babies relatively smaller than their elder brothers or sisters born vaginally may still have vaginal deliveries managed by well-experienced birth teams, with good perinatal outcomes. Otherwise, vaginal delivery is not recommended and CS is the wiser choice.

Characteristics of early-onset neonatal sepsis caused by Escherichia coli.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to document the perinatal risk factors associated with early-onset neonatal Escherichia coli sepsis and adverse neonatal outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A case-control study of early-onset E coli sepsis compared with that of non-E coli sepsis was conducted by a retrospective data review of all infants with a diagnosis of sepsis during the first 7 days of life from the pediatric unit of Mackay Memorial Hospital from January 2004 to October 2008. After adjustment for gestational age, each patient with E coli early-onset sepsis was further compared with two gestational age-matched uninfected controls. RESULTS: Compared with infants with non-E coli sepsis (n = 27), infants with E coli sepsis (n = 19) were more likely to have preterm birth, especially at less than 30 weeks of gestation (47% vs. 4%, p < 0.01), very low birth weights (<1500 g; 47% vs. 4%, p < 0.01), intrapartum fever (26% vs. 4%, p = 0.036), preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM; 74% vs. 11%, p < 0.01), prolonged rupture of membranes (>24 hours; 47% vs. 0%, p < 0.01), antibiotic use (63% vs. 15%, p < 0.01), and sepsis onset on the first day of life (63% vs. 15%, p < 0.01). After adjusting for gestational age, intrapartum fever (26% vs. 5%, p = 0.035) and PPROM (74% vs. 39%, p = 0.015) were more common in infants with E coli sepsis. Fifteen of the 19 E coli isolates (79%) were ampicillin-resistant, and three (16%) were gentamicin-resistant. Antepartum and intrapartum antibiotic exposure was associated with ampicillin-resistant E coli sepsis (100% vs. 43%, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Early-onset E coli sepsis is more common in premature and very low birth weight infants and is more likely associated with intrapartum fever, PPROM, and sepsis onset on the first day of life than non-E coli sepsis. Broad-spectrum, multiple antibiotics or longer duration of antibiotic exposure may be associated with antibiotic-resistant pathogen infection.

The effects of absent or reversed end-diastolic umbilical artery Doppler flow velocity.

Abnormal umbilical artery flow with absent or reversed end-diastolic velocity (AREDV) during pregnancy is a strong indication of placental insufficiency. When AREDV occurs prenatally, a close follow-up or expeditious delivery should be contemplated. AREDV in the umbilical artery is associated with intraventricular hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and perinatal mortality. It may be associated with respiratory distress syndrome, necrotizing enterocolitis, and long-term neurodevelopmental impairment. Available data suggest that women with high-risk pregnancies, such as preeclampsia, gestational hypertension and intrauterine growth restriction, should be evaluated with umbilical artery Doppler velocimetry to reduce the possibility of perinatal mortality and morbidity.

Late postpartum hemorrhage after hemostatic square suturing technique: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Hemostatic square suturing is a useful technique for postpartum hemorrhage, but some complications may occasionally occur. CASE: A 36-year-old pregnant woman with placenta previa and percreta at 35 weeks' gestation complicated with massive vaginal bleeding. An emergency cesarean section was performed, and placenta previa with percreta and uterine atony were noted. A hemostatic square suture was placed to compress the uterus and stopped the hemorrhage successfully. The estimated blood loss was approximately 2,200 mL. Thirty-seven days after operation, massive vaginal bleeding developed and the ultrasonography showed a 6.84 x 5.71-cm complex intrauterine mass. The patient was treated with intravenous oxytocin, rectal misoprostol, and blood transfusion. The beta-human chorionic gonadotropin levels returned to normal level on day 70 postoperatively, and ultrasonography revealed no obvious intrauterine mass. CONCLUSION: Late postpartum hemorrhage may result from the use of hemostatic square suture technique.

Are routine interventions necessary in normal birth?

Routine interventions during labor and birth, such as perineal shaving and enemas before vaginal delivery, continuous intrapartum electronic fetal monitoring (EFM), and episiotomy are prevalent in Taiwan, but they may not always be necessary. Numerous studies investigating these interventions have failed to find absolute benefits for women with uncomplicated and low-risk pregnancies. No evidence-based benefits support routine perineal shaving or enemas during labor for reducing the risk of perineal wound infection or neonatal infection. The use of EFM is associated with an increased rate of operative interventions (vacuum, forceps, cesarean delivery) but does not result in a significant decrease in the incidence of perinatal death or cerebral palsy. Routine episiotomy does not have demonstrable advantages over restrictive episiotomy in the frequency or severity of perineal damage or pelvic relaxation.

Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the uterine cervix: A clinicopathologic retrospective study of 31 cases with prognostic implications.

The present study describes 31 clinical cases of neuroendocrine cervical carcinoma (NECC) treated at Mackay Memorial Hospital between January 1, 1991 and October 31, 2003. There are two cases of atypical carcinoid tumor (ACT), four cases of large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC), and 25 cases of small-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SCNEC). Overall survival did not differ significantly in relation to surgery, tumor histology, age, FIGO stages, chemotherapeutic regimens or lymph node involvement. The specimens available did not permit HPV (human papillomavirus)-DNA analysis in 5 cases (5/31, 9.7%). The HPV viral infection was absent in 8 cases (8/31, 26%); 17 cases of HPV-18 (17/31); and 1 case of HPV-16 (1/31). The prognosis between mixed and pure type histologic patterns is not significant. The mean survival time for all patients was 32.3 months. The 2-year and 5-year survival rates were 54.8% and 31.5% for all patients. The results of this study reaffirm the biologically aggressive nature of this rare malignancy, its low survival rate, and its very unpredictable prognostic factors. Effective treatments of neuroendocrine cervical tumor still remain inconclusive. Further efforts are still required to identify prognostic factors for this uncommon disease.

Risk factors for failure of transvaginal sacrospinous uterine suspension in the treatment of uterovaginal prolapse.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the risk factors for failure of transvaginal sacrospinous uterine suspension (SSUS) in the treatment of uterine prolapse and to examine methods for controlling these risk factors. METHODS: Sixty patients with second degree uterine prolapse or greater were included in this 2-stage study, with 33 in the risk factor assessment and 27 in the clinical study of a modified treatment to eliminate identified risk factors. Patients were followed for at least 5 years. The first part of the study evaluated the risk factors for operative failure and the efficacy of the operative procedure. The second part of the study evaluated a modified treatment plan to eliminate risk factors identified in the first part of the study. RESULTS: The failure rate for those with an elongated cervix (3 of 4, 75%) and those with third degree uterine prolapse (3 of 4, 75%) was significantly higher than for patients without either of these risk factors (6.9%, 2/29) [p = 0.007]. Concomitant partial trachelectomy for those with elongated cervix significantly reduced the failure rate from 75% to 0% (0/7) [p = 0.024]. In the risk factor study, SSUS was successful in 84.8% (28/33) of patients. In the clinical study of modified therapy to prevent significant risk factors, the success rate was 96.3% (26/27). CONCLUSIONS: This study found that an elongated cervix and third degree uterine prolapse were the 2 main risk factors for recurrent uterine prolapse after SSUS. Concomitant partial trachelectomy as an adjuvant treatment of SSUS for treatment of uterovaginal prolapse in patients with an elongated cervix significantly reduces the rate of failure in these patients.

Factors implicated in the outcome of pregnancies complicated by acute respiratory failure.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate factors predictive of the outcome of acute respiratory failure during pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: We retrospectively reviewed the records of all pregnant women diagnosed with acute respiratory failure at a tertiary referral center from January 1, 1995, to September 30, 2000. Maternal characteristics, etiology of respiratory failure and treatment were compared between survivors and nonsurvivors. RESULTS: Twenty patients with acute respiratory failure were identified; 16 of them survived (mortality, 20%). Acute respiratory failure was diagnosed in the postpartum period in 16 (80%), and the majority of cases occurred in the first 2 postpartum days (93.8%). There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of patient characteristics, immediate precipitants of acute respiratory failure (including pneumonia, cardiogenic pulmonary edema, acute respiratory distress syndrome, asthma, pulmonary embolism and amniotic fluid embolism) and laboratory characteristics except for pH. However, patients who manifested disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) and sepsis as precipitating causes or complications of the immediate precipitating disease entities as well as initial loss of consciousness were predictive of poor maternal outcome. CONCLUSION: The immediate etiology of acute respiratory failure is not predictive of maternal outcome, but lower pH, initial loss of consciousness, DIC and sepsis are risk factors for maternal mortality.