Improved quantification of tumor adhesion in meningiomas using MR elastography-based slip interface imaging.

Meningiomas, the most prevalent primary benign intracranial tumors, often exhibit complicated levels of adhesion to adjacent normal tissues, significantly influencing resection and causing postoperative complications. Surgery remains the primary therapeutic approach, and when combined with adjuvant radiotherapy, it effectively controls residual tumors and reduces tumor recurrence when complete removal may cause a neurologic deficit. Previous studies have indicated that slip interface imaging (SII) techniques based on MR elastography (MRE) have promise as a method for sensitively determining the presence of tumor-brain adhesion. In this study, we developed and tested an improved algorithm for assessing tumor-brain adhesion, based on recognition of patterns in MRE-derived normalized octahedral shear strain (NOSS) images. The primary goal was to quantify the tumor interfaces at higher risk for adhesion, offering a precise and objective method to assess meningioma adhesions in 52 meningioma patients. We also investigated the predictive value of MRE-assessed tumor adhesion in meningioma recurrence. Our findings highlight the effectiveness of the improved SII technique in distinguishing the adhesion degrees, particularly complete adhesion. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in adhesion percentages between complete and partial adherent tumors (p = 0.005), and complete and non-adherent tumors (p<0.001). The improved technique demonstrated superior discriminatory ability in identifying tumor adhesion patterns compared to the previously described algorithm, with an AUC of 0.86 vs. 0.72 for distinguishing complete adhesion from others (p = 0.037), and an AUC of 0.72 vs. 0.67 for non-adherent and others. Aggressive tumors exhibiting atypical features showed significantly higher adhesion percentages in recurrence group compared to non-recurrence group (p = 0.042). This study validates the efficacy of the improved SII technique in quantifying meningioma adhesions and demonstrates its potential to affect clinical decision-making. The reliability of the technique, coupled with potential to help predict meningioma recurrence, particularly in aggressive tumor subsets, highlights its promise in guiding treatment strategies.

Diagnostic accuracy of preoperative adhesion mapping by ultrasonography for laparoscopic surgery in patients with past abdominal surgery with special reference to loose adhesion.

PURPOSE: Endoscopic surgery is widely accepted for both elective and emergent abdominal surgery. This study was performed to assess the accuracy of preoperative adhesion mapping by abdominal ultrasonography (US). METHODS: Intra-abdominal intestinal adhesions on the abdominal wall in 50 patients with a history of abdominal surgery were prospectively assessed by the visceral slide test with US before laparoscopic surgery from 2019 to 2022. Adhesion was assessed in six separate abdominal zones during US. Actual adhesion on the abdominal wall was confirmed during laparoscopic surgery. RESULTS: The sliding distances in upper right, upper central, upper left, lower right, lower central, and lower left zones in patients with versus without intestinal adhesion were 4.4 versus 1.4 cm (P = .004), 3.4 versus 2.5 cm, 4.3 versus 1.3 cm (P = .011), 3.1 versus 1.5 cm (P = .0014), 3.3 versus 1.1 cm (P = .013), and 3.4 versus 0.8 cm (P = .0061), respectively. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed the optimal value of sliding distance as 2.5 cm and the area under the curve as 0.86. The specificity of US assessment of adhesion was lower in the central zone than in lateral zones. Loose adhesion mostly seen around the scar was attributed to either filmy tissue or omental adhesion, leading to visceral sliding during US. CONCLUSION: This study revealed the reason for insufficient accuracy of preoperative US assessment of intestinal adhesion around the scar area because of loose adhesion. The upper lateral area might be optimal for first port insertion.

Multimodal learning system integrating electronic medical records and hysteroscopic images for reproductive outcome prediction and risk stratification of endometrial injury: a multicenter diagnostic study.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a multimodal learning application system that integrates electronic medical records (EMR) and hysteroscopic images for reproductive outcome prediction and risk stratification of patients with intrauterine adhesions (IUAs) resulting from endometrial injuries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: EMR and 5014 revisited hysteroscopic images of 753 post hysteroscopic adhesiolysis patients from the multicenter IUA database we established were randomly allocated to training, validation, and test datasets. The respective datasets were used for model development, tuning, and testing of the multimodal learning application. MobilenetV3 was employed for image feature extraction, and XGBoost for EMR and image feature ensemble learning. The performance of the application was compared against the single-modal approaches (EMR or hysteroscopic images), DeepSurv and ElasticNet models, along with the clinical scoring systems. The primary outcome was the 1-year conception prediction accuracy, and the secondary outcome was the assisted reproductive technology (ART) benefit ratio after risk stratification. RESULTS: The multimodal learning system exhibited superior performance in predicting conception within 1-year, achieving areas under the curves of 0.967 (95% CI: 0.950-0.985), 0.936 (95% CI: 0.883-0.989), and 0.965 (95% CI: 0.935-0.994) in the training, validation, and test datasets, respectively, surpassing single-modal approaches, other models and clinical scoring systems (all P<0.05). The application of the model operated seamlessly on the hysteroscopic platform, with an average analysis time of 3.7±0.8 s per patient. By employing the application's conception probability-based risk stratification, mid-high-risk patients demonstrated a significant ART benefit (odds ratio=6, 95% CI: 1.27-27.8, P=0.02), while low-risk patients exhibited good natural conception potential, with no significant increase in conception rates from ART treatment (P=1). CONCLUSIONS: The multimodal learning system using hysteroscopic images and EMR demonstrates promise in accurately predicting the natural conception of patients with IUAs and providing effective postoperative stratification, potentially contributing to ART triage after IUA procedures.

Safe and Accurate Laparoscopic Total Gastrectomy for Remnant Gastric Cancer With Severe Adhesions Using Indocyanine Green Fluorescence Imaging: Guidance in Detection of the Accurate Dissection Layer to Avoid Organ Injury.

Laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) for remnant gastric cancer (RGC) requires advanced techniques due to severe postoperative adhesions and anatomic changes. We performed LTG in 2 patients with RGC using intraoperative indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging. Both cases previously underwent distal gastrectomy with Billroth-I reconstruction for gastric cancer and were subsequently diagnosed with early-stage gastric cancer of the remnant stomach. Indocyanine green (2.5 mg/body) was administered intravenously during surgery. The liver and common bile duct were clearly visualized during surgery using near-infrared fluorescence laparoscopy, and the adhesions between the hepatobiliary organs and remnant stomach were safely dissected. Laparoscopic total gastrectomy was successfully performed without complications, and the postoperative course was uneventful in both cases. Intraoperative real-time ICG fluorescence imaging allows clear visualization of the liver and common bile duct and can be useful in LTG for RGC with severe adhesions.

Contrast-enhanced CT rim sign may predict vestibular schwannoma adhesion and postoperative complications.

AIM: To investigate the clinical and radiological features to predict adhesion between vestibular schwannoma (VS) and brain tissue which is a critical risk factor for postoperative infarction and residual tumour. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred and seven consecutive VS surgeries were analysed. After excluding cases without contrast-enhanced (CE) computed tomography (CT), Koos grades 1 and 2, and cases with incomplete clinical data, 44 patients were finally included in the study. Enhancement of the tumour capsule on the brainstem side on CE-CT was defined as the CE-CT rim sign, which was analysed along with clinical characteristics, including tumour adhesion and postoperative complications. RESULTS: Eight patients exhibited CE-CT rim signs; 17 had tumour adhesions. Four patients had postoperative infarction at the ipsilateral middle cerebellar peduncle; 18 exhibited postoperative infarction and/or residual tumour at the middle cerebellar peduncle. The CE-CT rim sign significantly correlated with tumour adhesion, postoperative infarction, and postoperative infarction and/or residual tumour in the cerebellar peduncle. Univariate regression analysis revealed that the CE-CT rim sign significantly correlated with tumour adhesion (odds ratio [OR] 6.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-39.25, p=0.032) and postoperative infarction and/or residual tumour at the cerebellar peduncle (OR 6.00, 95% CI 1.04-34.31, p=0.044). CONCLUSION: The CE-CT rim sign was identified in 18.2% of patients with VS and significantly correlated with tumour adhesion and postoperative complications, such as postoperative infarction and residual tumour. This study highlights the importance of the preoperative CE-CT rim sign in VS, which is predictive of tumour adhesion and postoperative complications.

THE WATER-SOLUBLE CONTRAST FOR ADHESIVE SMALL BOWEL OBSTRUCTION: ARE THERE ADVANTAGES?

BACKGROUND: Adhesive small bowel obstruction is one of the most common causes of surgical emergencies, representing about 15% of hospital admissions. Defining the need and timing of surgical intervention still remains a challenge. AIMS: To report the experience of using meglumine-based water-soluble contrast in a tertiary hospital in southern Brazil, comparing with the world literature. METHODS: Patients suspected of having adhesive small bowel obstruction, according to their clinical conditions, underwent an established protocol, consisting of the administration of water-soluble contrast, followed by plain abdominal radiograph within 12 hours and by a new clinical evaluation. The protocol was initiated after starting conservative management, including fasting and placement of a nasogastric tube, as well as intravenous fluid reposition. RESULTS: A total of 126 patients were submitted to the protocol. The water-soluble contrast test sensitivity and specificity after the first radiograph were 94.6 and 91.0%, respectively; after the second radiograph, these values were 92.3 and 100%. The general test values for sensitivity and specificity were 91.9 and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The measure parameters evaluated in this study were similar to those found in the literature, contributing to endorse the importance of this test in the evaluation of patients with adhesive small bowel obstruction. The particular relevance of this study was the similar results that were found using a different type of meglumine-based contrast, which is available in Brazil.

Evaluation of the Preoperative Slide Test in the Prediction of Intra-Abdominal Adhesions: A Single-Center, Double-Blinded, Prospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy of the preoperative ultrasonographic sliding sign in predicting intra-abdominal adhesions. METHODS: This was a single-center, double-blinded, prospective observational study undertaken from March and September 2021 on 110 patients with a history of previous abdominal surgery. All patients who were scheduled for laparoscopy underwent slide test in 5 zones of abdomen: right lower quadrant, left lower quadrant, previous operation site, vesicouterine pouch, and rectovaginal pouch. Adhesions were assessed by the same gynecologic surgeon using ultrasonography before the surgery and by gynecological surgeons during surgery, and by a third gynecologic surgeon to compare the preoperative slide test findings and laparoscopic findings after the surgery. RESULTS: Seventy-three (66.4%) patients underwent laparoscopic surgery, and 37 (33.6%) patients underwent laparotomy. The mean age of patients was 46.9 ± 1.0 years. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of preoperative ultrasonography in predicting adhesions were 89.5%, 91.7%, 97.5%, and 71.0%, respectively. The accuracy of the slide test was calculated as 90.0%. It was found that as the total number of cesarean sections increased the estimates of vesicouterine adhesions and actual adhesions increased (P = .008). Also, the prediction of intra-abdominal adhesions and actual adhesions significantly increased as the total number of surgical operations increased (P = .002). CONCLUSIONS: Intra-abdominal adhesions can be detected with the slide test, which is a non-invasive and well-tolerated procedure. Slide test can guide the physician before the elective operation in patients with previous abdominal surgery and may assist in counseling patients.

MRI for Diagnosing Intrauterine Adhesions.

OBJECTIVES: To prospectively assess the diagnostic accuracy of MRI and transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) as well as the prognostic value of MRI for intrauterine adhesions (IUAs), using hysteroscopy as the reference standard. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. SETTING: Tertiary medical centre. PATIENT(S): Ninety-two women with amenorrhea, hypomenorrhea, subfertility, or recurrent pregnancy loss who underwent MRI and in whom Asherman's syndrome was suspected upon TVS. INTERVENTION(S): MRI and TVS were conducted approximately 1 week before hysteroscopy. METHODS: Ninety-two patients suspected of having Asherman's syndrome were examined by MRI and TVS within 7 days of an upcoming hysteroscopy. All hysteroscopy procedures were performed during the early proliferative phase of the menstrual cycle. All hysteroscopic diagnoses were performed by an experienced expert. All MRIs were read by 2 experienced, blinded radiologists. RESULTS: MRI was highly accurate (94.57%), sensitive (98.8%), and specific (42.9%) for diagnosing IUAs with a positive predictive value of 95.5% and a negative predictive value of 75%. The diagnostic values of MRI and TVS were significantly different according to McNemar tests. Junctional zone signal and junctional zone alterations correlated with the stage of IUAs. CONCLUSION: MRI is markedly superior to TVS in terms of diagnostic accuracy for IUAs, with total agreement with hysteroscopic findings. However, the main advantage of MRI is that, unlike TVS and hysterosalpingography, it can be used to assess the risk of hysteroscopy and to predict postoperative recovery and future pregnancy based on the uterine junctional zone.

The effectiveness of preoperative diagnostic methods in predicting intra-abdominal adhesions before repeat cesarean section delivery.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of skin appearance, striae gravidarum severity, and ultrasonographic "sliding sign" in predicting preoperative adhesions before repeat cesarean section delivery on the same patient and find the most useful one. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study conducted on pregnant women with a history of cesarean section delivery. Davey's scoring system was used for stria evaluation. The scar was assessed using their visual appearance, and transabdominal ultrasonography was applied to detect sliding sign existence. Surgeons blinded to preoperative assessment graded the severity of intra-abdominal adhesions intraoperatively using Nair's scoring system. RESULTS: Of the 164 pregnant women with at least one previous cesarean section delivery, 73 (44.5%) had filmy or dense intra-abdominal adhesions. Statistically significant association was found between three groups regarding parity, previous cesarean number, scar appearance, total stria score, and sliding sign existence. Negative sliding sign had a likelihood ratio of 4.198 (95%CI 1.178-14.964) for the detection of intra-abdominal adhesions. Stria score and scar appearance were also valuable for detection adhesions with likelihood ratios of 1.518 (95%CI 1.045-2.205) and 2.405 (95%CI 0.851-6.796), respectively. After receiver operator characteristics curve analysis, striae score cutoff value in adhesion prediction was determined as 3.5. CONCLUSION: Stria score, scar appearance, and sliding sign are all significant predictors for intraperitoneal adhesions, and sliding sign, as an easy-to-apply, inexpensive, useful sonographic marker, is the most effective adhesion predictor before repeat cesarean section delivery compared to other known adhesion markers.

The preoperative assessment of thoracic wall adhesions using four-dimensional computed tomography.

OBJECTIVE: Pleural adhesions are challenging during lung cancer surgery and may be associated with a long surgery time and excessive blood loss due to pleural adhesiolysis. We used preoperative four-dimensional computed tomography to quantitatively assess parietal pleural adhesions and determine its diagnostic accuracy. METHODS: A total of 216 patients with lung cancer underwent four-dimensional computed tomography during the study period. Pleural adhesions were subsequently confirmed by surgery in 85 of these patients, whereas 126 patients had no adhesions. The movements of the tumor or target vessels (α) was tracked. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis was used to identify the relationship between adhesions and (α). RESULTS: The movement of (α) was smaller in patients with adhesions than in those without adhesions. The greater the adhesion, the shorter the movement distance (p < 0.001). Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated an area under the curve for the moving (α) point at 0.71 (95% confidence interval: 0.62-0.80) in the upper lung field and at 0.75 (95% confidence interval: 0.64-0.85) in the lower field. To identify adhesions, a cut off of 11.3 mm (sensitivity = 43.6%, specificity = 93.2%) in the upper lung field and a cut off of 41.2 mm (sensitivity = 71.4%, specificity = 66.0%) in the lower lung field were established. CONCLUSIONS: Four-dimensional computed tomography is a novel and helpful modality for predicting the presence of parietal pleural adhesions. To obtain robust evidence, further accumulation of cases and re-examination of the analysis methods are needed.

The Angers CT Score is a Risk Factor for the Failure of the Conservative Management of Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction: A Prospective Observational Multicentric Study.

BACKGROUND: Identifying the 30% of adhesive small bowel obstructions (aSBO) for which conservative management will require surgery is essential. The association between the previously described radiological score and failure of the conservative management of aSBO remains to be confirmed in a large prospective multicentric cohort. Our aim was to assess the risk factors of failure of the conservative management of aSBO considering the radiological score. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This prospective observational study took place in 15 French centers over 3 months. Consecutive patients experiencing aSBO with no early surgery were included. The six radiological features from the Angers radiological computed tomography (CT) score were noted (beak sign, closed loop, focal or diffuse intraperitoneal liquid, focal or diffuse mesenteric haziness, focal or diffuse mesenteric liquid, and diameter of the most dilated small bowel loop > 40 mm). RESULTS: Two hundred and seventy nine patients with aSBO were screened. Sixty patients (21.5%) underwent early surgery, and 219 (78.5%) had primary conservative management. In the end, 218 patients were included in the analysis of the risk factors for conservative treatment failure. Among them, 162 (74.3%) had had successful management while for 56 (25.7%) management had failed. In multivariate analysis, a history of surgery was not a significant risk factor for the failure of conservative treatment (OR = 0.11; 95%CI = 0-1.23). A previous episode of aSBO was protective against the failure of conservative treatment (OR = 0.36; 95%CI = 0.15-0.85) and an Angers CT score ≥ 5 as the only individual risk factor (OR = 2.39; 95%CI = 1.01-5.69). CONCLUSION: The radiological score of aSBO is a promising tool in improving the management of aSBO patients. A first episode of aSBO and/or a radiological score ≥5 should lead physicians to consider early surgical management.

Preoperative sonographic sliding sign for prediction of intra-abdominal adhesions before repeat cesarean delivery.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of the uterine sliding sign for predicting intra-abdominal adhesions in women undergoing repeat cesarean section (CS) and the association of the sliding sign with other operative and neonatal outcomes. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted among pregnant women with at least one previous CS. Transabdominal ultrasonography was performed and classified as a positive or negative sliding sign. Surgeons blinded to the sonographic results assessed intra-abdominal adhesions. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated. Operative and neonatal outcomes of the positive and negative sliding sign groups were compared. Factors associated with intraoperative adhesions were also analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 380 women were recruited. The sensitivity and specificity of the uterine sliding sign to detect moderate-to-thick adhesions were 60.6% and 91.9%, respectively. A negative sliding sign was significantly associated with a higher incidence of adhesions, longer skin-to-delivery time, longer total operative time, and lower 5-min APGAR score in newborns. A negative sliding sign and history of two or more previous CS were significant predictors of moderate-to-thick adhesions. CONCLUSION: The uterine sliding sign is an independent predictor of intraoperative adhesions, with acceptable sensitivity and high specificity and negative predictive value.

The use of ultrasound sliding sign for prediction of adhesions in women undergoing repeated caesarean section.

We carried out this study to validate the use of ultrasound sliding sign to predict intraperitoneal adhesions in women undergoing repeated caesarean section (CS). A cross-section study was performed in women with at least one CS scheduled for an elective CS. We used the sliding sign of the uterus against the anterior abdominal wall to assess intraperitoneal adhesions, positive sliding sign if uterus moved freely and a negative sliding sign if limited mobility. The obstetrician was blind to the ultrasound results, asked to report if adhesions were absent or present during CS to validate accuracy of the sliding sign. We examined 120 women, negative sliding was reported in 54 patients, positive sliding in 66 women. The presence of intra-abdominal adhesions was confirmed in 44/54 cases assigned to the high-risk group, while the prediction of low risk for adhesions confirmed in 66/66 patients with a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 86.84%. Sliding sign is an effective method to detect intra-abdominal adhesions in women with a history of repeated caesarean delivery.Impact statementWhat is already known on this subject? There has been a dramatic increase in the caesarean section (CS) rate worldwide; repeated CSs may be associated with intraperitoneal adhesions that result in difficulty during the procedure and may be related to bowel or bladder injuries and neonatal morbidities.What do the results of this study add? The sliding sign by ultrasound has a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 86.84%, a positive predictive value of 81.5, a negative predictive value of 100, and accuracy of 91.67, considering it rapid, easy and reliable method for prediction of intraperitoneal adhesions.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or future research? The use of sliding sign by ultrasound in cases with repeated CSs offers a good predictor tool for presence of intraperitoneal adhesions and subsequently avoid severe sequels during surgery and good preparation.

Ultrasonographic diagnosis of adhesions, quantification of uterine wall and managerial perspectives of uterine torsion in buffaloes.

The present study aimed to diagnose uterine adhesion using ultrasonography to decide the treatment approach for better survival of buffaloes suffering from uterine torsion. The peculiar visceral slide against the other abdominal organs induced by breathing was considered an absence of uterine adhesion, while the total absence of visceral slide was considered the presence of uterine adhesions on ultrasonographic examination. The 59 Mehsana buffaloes suffering from uterine torsion were divided into two groups based on the presence (Group I; n = 27) or absence (group II; n = 32) of adhesions. The mean pixel values (MPV) and thickness of uterine wall were also quantified in both the groups. In group I, severe type adhesions (n = 16/27) were directly subjected to caesarean section (CS), while fibrinous adhesions (n = 11/27) were subject to rolling by Sharma's modified Schaffer's method, and if rolling failed were further, subjected to CS and adhesions were confirm during CS. In Group II, 28 buffaloes were subjected to rolling by Sharma's modified Schaffer's method and 4 buffaloes were directly subjected to CS because of longer duration of illness (≥3 days), higher degree (≥180°) and previous field handling. The incidence of adhesions was 45.76 per cent (27/59) in buffaloes with uterine torsion. The degenerative changes such as oedematous (hyperoedema-hypoechoic with anechoic trabeculae) or thin (homogenous hypoechoic), sloughing of serosa and wall separation were observed in the uterine wall. The significantly thinner uterine wall (p = .017) and higher MPV (p = .001) were evident in group I than in group II. The weak negative non-significant correlation between uterine wall thickness and MPV was observed in group I (r = -.250, p = .147) and group II (r = -.235, p = .089). The dam survival rate was 48.15 per cent (13/27) in group I and 81.25% (26/32) in group II. There was a significant (p = .04) association between the treatment approach and dam survival. Ultrasonography has synergistic diagnostic value for uterine adhesions by evaluating uterine surfaces beyond the reach of obstetricians during a manual clinical examination. Thereby, avoiding futile efforts to relieve uterine torsion by rolling might help to improve dam survival by planning a better obstetrical manoeuvre to salvage buffaloes suffering from uterine torsion.

Preoperative evaluation of pleural adhesions with dynamic chest radiography: a retrospective study of 146 patients with lung cancer.

AIM: To assess the utility of dynamic chest radiography (DCR) during the preoperative evaluation of pleural adhesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sequential chest radiographs of 146 patients with lung cancer were acquired during forced respiration using a DCR system. The presence of pleural adhesions and their grades were determined by retrospective surgery video assessment (absent: 121, present: 25). The maximum inspiration to expiration lung area ratio was used as an index for air intake volume. A ratio of ≥0.65 was regarded as insufficient respiration. Two radiologists assessed the images for pleural adhesions based on motion findings. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were compared for each adhesion grade and patient group (patients with sufficient/insufficient respiration). Pearson's chi-squared test compared the group. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. RESULTS: DCR correctly identified 22/25 patients with pleural adhesions, with 20 false-positive results (sensitivity, 88%; specificity, 83.5%; PPV, 52.4%; NPV, 97.12%). Although the diagnostic performances for the various adhesion grades were similar, specificity in patients with sufficient respiration increased to 93.9% (31/33), identifying all cases except for those with loose adhesions. CONCLUSIONS: DCR images revealed restricted and/or distorted motions in lung structures and structural tension in patients with pleural adhesions. DCR could be a useful technique for routine preoperative evaluation of pleural adhesions. Further development of computerised methods can assist in the quantitative assessment of abnormal motion findings.

Hysteroscopic and ultrasound evaluation of a novel degradable polymer film for the prevention of intrauterine adhesion formation after hysteroscopic surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To collect information on the application and behavior of a novel degradable polymeric film (DPF) developed to prevent intra-uterine adhesions (IUAs) after hysteroscopic surgery. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective observational study conducted in a university hospital in Naples, Italy. Women undergoing hysteroscopic myomectomy, metroplasty or adhesiolysis, were eligible for the study. Women had their uterine cavity assessed by transvaginal ultrasound scan before their hysteroscopic surgery, which was followed by the DPF insertion. Ultrasonographic and hysteroscopic assessments were undertaken immediately after insertion then at 2 h, 2-5 days, and 6 weeks postoperative. The main outcome of interest was to assess the behavior of the DPF, from insertion to degradation, by ultrasound and hysteroscopy. Other outcomes included ease of DPF insertion, any patient reported adverse events and the presence of IUAs at 6 weeks. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 15 patients were enrolled into the study. The DPF insertion was reported to be very easy in almost all the cases and was visualized immediately and 2 h after insertion in all patients. At the 2-5 day follow-up 5 and 2 of the 15 participants still had the entire or partially hydrolyzed film respectively. By 6 weeks there was no evidence of the DPF in all women. No adverse events were reported at the time of insertion or follow-up. None of the study participants had IUAs at the 6-week assessment. CONCLUSIONS: According to this pilot study, the solid degradable polymer film, Womed Leaf, is a promising, easy to apply and well tolerated novel option for the prevention of intrauterine adhesion formation after hysteroscopic surgery.

Clinical Effect of Intrauterine 3-Dimensional Ultrasound on the Function of the Intrauterine Cavity of Puerpera With Intrauterine Adhesions and Safety of Pregnancy.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to analyze the diagnostic value of intrauterine 3-dimensional ultrasound and the functional characteristics of the intrauterine cavity for puerpera with intrauterine adhesions, and to explore the safety of pregnancy after treatment. A total of 102 puerperas with intrauterine adhesions were randomly selected, and intrauterine 3-dimensional ultrasound and 2-dimensional ultrasound were performed, respectively. Patients were followed up for 3 years to observe the pregnancy outcome and safety. The overall accuracy of diagnosing intrauterine adhesions through intrauterine 3-dimensional ultrasound was significantly higher than that through 2-dimensional ultrasound, and the accuracy of detecting mild intrauterine adhesions was significantly higher than that through 2-dimensional ultrasound, with statistically significant difference ( P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the accuracy between intrauterine 3-dimensional and 2-dimensional ultrasound in detecting moderate and severe intrauterine adhesions ( P > 0.05). The difference in missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis rates between the 2 methods was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). All patients received hysteroscopic surgery, and 78 cases (76.47%) were naturally fertilized during postoperative follow-up, including 24 cases of mature delivery, 45 cases of cesarean delivery, and 9 cases of spontaneous abortion. The intrauterine 3-dimensional ultrasound examination of the intrauterine cavity will provide intuitive and comprehensive diagnostic information for a parturient with intrauterine adhesion. Its detection accuracy is higher, and the clinical application is noninvasive and safe, which has certain guiding significance for treatment.

A Novel Nomogram Based on 3-dimensional Transvaginal Ultrasound for Differential Diagnosis Between Severe and Mild-to-Moderate Intrauterine Adhesions.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a nomogram for differentiating severe intrauterine adhesions (IUAs) from mild-to-moderate IUAs preoperatively on the basis of 3-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound (3D-TVUS). DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. SETTING: University-affiliated hospital. PATIENTS: A dataset of 413 patients who had undergone hysteroscopic adhesiolysis and 3D-TVUS examination before hysteroscopic adhesiolysis between March 2019 and December 2020. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 212 patients with mild-to-moderate IUAs and 201 patients with severe IUAs were enrolled. Intercornual distance, endometrial thickness, number of visible fallopian tubal ostia, echoes of the endometrial-myometrial junction zone, and endometrial blood flow grade differed significantly between the severe and mild-to-moderate IUAs groups. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the nomogram was 0.880 (95% confidence interval, 0.843-0.918) in the training set and 0.878 (95% confidence interval, 0.818-0.939) in the validation set, revealing reliable discrimination. The calibration curve and Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed strong calibration, and decision curve analysis indicated that the nomogram had a high net benefit and a wide range of threshold probabilities. CONCLUSION: This nomogram, which was developed on the basis of 3D-TVUS, can accurately distinguish severe IUAs from mild-to-moderate IUAs preoperatively.

Correlation of arthroscopic findings with clinical-radiological signs and symptoms of temporomandibular joint dysfunction: retrospective study of 829 joints.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthroscopic findings are difficult to predict based on clinical criteria. Few studies have attempted to correlate signs, symptoms, and characteristics of patients with the final arthroscopic findings. The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between clinical-radiological signs and symptoms and arthroscopic findings in patients with TMJ dysfunction undergoing arthroscopy. A retrospective study was performed involving 487 patients (829 joints) with TMJ dysfunction who underwent TMJ arthroscopy between 2000 and 2019. The clinical-radiological variables recorded were pain, maximum mouth opening, joint noises, Wilkes classification, and disc displacement. The arthroscopic findings evaluated were synovitis, chondromalacia, adhesions, disc perforation, disc displacement, and roofing. Pain symptoms were significantly associated with the intensity of synovitis (P = 0.005) and disc displacement evaluated arthroscopically (P < 0.001). A statistically significant relationship was observed between Wilkes stage and the level of synovitis (P < 0.001) and chondromalacia (P < 0.001). Mouth opening was negatively correlated with adhesions (P < 0.001). Based on this study, pain symptomatology was associated with the intensity of synovitis and disc displacement evaluated arthroscopically, the Wilkes stage was a good predictor of the severity of synovitis and chondromalacia, and mouth opening was negatively correlated with adhesions.

Diagnosis of single adhesive bands versus matted adhesions in small bowel obstructions: a radiological predictive score.

PURPOSE: The objective was to develop a radiological score obtained from multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) to differentiate between single band adhesion (SBA) and matted adhesions (MA) as the etiology of small bowel obstruction (SBO). METHODS: All consecutive patients who underwent surgery from January 2013 to June 2018 for adhesion-induced SBO were retrospectively included. RESULTS: Among the 193 patients having surgery for SBO, 119 (61.6%) had SBA and 74 (38.4%) had MA surgically proven. In multivariate analysis, the presence of a beak sign (OR = 3.47, CI [1.26; 9.53], p = 0.02), a closed loop (OR = 11.37, CI [1.84; 70.39], p = 0.009), focal mesenteric haziness (OR = 3.71, CI [1.33; 10.34], p = 0.01) and focal and diffuse peritoneal fluid (OR = 4.30, CI [1.45; 12.73], p = 0.009 and OR = 6.34, CI [1.77; 22.59], p = 0.004, respectively) were significantly associated with SBA. Conversely, the presence of diffuse mesenteric fluid without focal fluid (OR = 0.23, CI [0.06; 0.92], p = 0.04) and an increase of the diameter of the most dilated loop (OR = 0.94, CI [0.90; 0.99], p = 0.02) were inversely associated with SBA. Using the significant predictive factors of SBA, we built a composite score to radiologically predict the etiology of SBO. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the score was 0.8274. For a cut-off score of -0.523, sensitivity, specificity and the percentage of patients correctly classified were 78.4%, 84.6% and 80%, respectively. If the score is ≥ 7, the probability that the mechanism of SBO is not SBA was 100%. CONCLUSIONS: The present score, validated in a different population, could be a significant tool in the decision for surgical management.