Treatment of parturition-induced rupture of pubic symphysis after spontaneous vaginal delivery.

Parturition-induced rupture of pubic symphysis is an uncommon but severe complication of delivery. Characteristic symptoms are an immediate onset of suprapubic and/or sacroiliac pain within the first 24 hours postpartum, often accompanied by an audible crack. Diagnosis can be confirmed by imaging including X-ray, Magnet Resonance Imaging (MRI), and ultrasound. However, there is no consensus on the optimal therapy. Conservative treatment is predominantly used. It has been reported that, in cases of extreme symphyseal rupture with pelvic instability or persisting pain after conservative therapy, operative treatment achieves a successful outcome. In this report, we present a case of a twenty-year-old primigravida who developed suprapubic pain after a nonoperative vaginal birth with shoulder dystocia. A rupture of pubic symphysis with a gap of 60 mm was confirmed by means of X-ray and MRI. Simultaneously, other pelvic joint injuries could be excluded. Operative treatment by an open reduction and internal plate fixation yielded excellent results.

Heterogeneous expression of serine protease inhibitor maspin in ovarian cancer.

UNLABELLED: Ovarian cancer (OC) is a disease with poor prognosis, and molecular markers are needed to improve understanding of disease progression and resultant treatment. Only limited data concerning the expression of maspin, a serine protease inhibitor, in ovarian cancer (OC) are available. This study investigates the prognostic value of maspin expression (ME) in various OC cell lines and clinical tissue specimens from OC patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Tumour purified mouse anti-human maspin monoclonal antibody was applied to tissue specimens from 87 OC patients. ME was recorded by an immunoreactive score, which was correlated with grading, stage, histopathological subtypes and overall survival. Additionally ME was evaluated in established ovarian cancer cell lines (HEY, SKOV3, OVCAR3/8) and paclitaxel- and docetaxel-resistant HEY cells by QRT-PCR. RESULTS: There was significant correlation between cytoplasmatic ME and overall survival (p<0.05). OC patients with high levels of ME had a median survival of 28 vs. 57 months for those with low levels. Significant differential ME was detected between benign, borderline ovarian lesions and OC, as well as among different tumour gradings. Normal ovarian epithelial cells expressed less maspin than ovarian cancer cells as measured by QRT-PCR. Docetaxel- and paclitaxel-resistant ovarian cell lines showed an even higher level of ME, suggesting an unfavourable role of ME in OC cell lines. CONCLUSION: Maspin is expressed differentially in OC, and low expression levels of maspin are correlated with a longer survival.

[Benign and borderline tumors of the ovary]. / Benigne und Borderline-Tumoren des Ovars.

Alterations of the ovaries easily cause diagnostic uncertainty about relevance and consequence. Palpable or sonographic ovarian tumors are reason for various differential diagnoses. Therefore the clarification of ovarian lesions is one of the main duties in daily gynaecological practice. Although diagnostic procedures might be supplemented by CT-Scan or MRI techniques, classical bimanual examination and vaginal ultrasound scan will determine the diagnosis in most cases comparably accurate. The suspected diagnosis concerning benign or malignant lesions, should take the palpable and sonographic feature, as well as the information from the patients medical history (e.g. family history of malignant diseases (BRCA 1/2 mutations) into account. In this regard, there are no other additional parameters established. Serum tumormarkers (CA 12.5) or sonographic examinations (including Doppler) have low sensitivity and specificity. Clinical diagnostic experience seems to be crucial. Cystic lesions mostly occur in premenopausal women and commonly relapse. They are mostly normal follicle cysts, but may also be a tumor of low malignant potential (LMP-tumor) or even an invasive cancerous lesion. 20-30% of all ovarian tumors are malignant and by the time of primary diagnosis already in a about 60-70% incurable due to intraabdominal dissemination. Benign or malignant lesions may occur in every age group. Ovarian tumors at infantile age are malignant in about 15%. Most malignant tumors occur between the age of 50 to 70. The LMP-tumors occur in average 10 years earlier. Malignant ovarian lesions represent about 15-30% of all genital malignant tumors. Hormonal contraceptives, pregnancy and breast feeding seem to be protective. The persistence of ovarian cysts and tumors will be mostly examined by laparoscopic surgery. In that respect the diagnosis of LMP-tumors might be incidentally and will then have a substantial impact on the extent of the surgery and the follow up. This compilation overviews the spectrum of benign and low malignant potential tumors of the ovary and their different tissues of origin.