Dienogest suppresses cellular proliferation status of endometrial polyps and acts differently depending on the morphological type.

Administration of Dienogest prior to hysteroscopic polypectomy is empirically performed, but the physiological effects of Dienogest on endometrial polyps are unclear. We aimed to investigate the effects of Dienogest on the proliferation and inflammation of endometrial polyps. We conducted a retrospective case study on 40 menstruating women who underwent hysteroscopic polypectomy at our hospital. We collected clinical data, and the polyps were divided by morphological appearance. The specimens obtained were immunostained for Ki67 as a marker of cellar proliferation and CD138 as a marker of plasmacytes, which are a hallmark of chronic endometritis. Dienogest significantly suppressed the proliferation status of EPs because Dienogest treatment prior to the operation significantly reduced the Ki67 index (41.25 ± 16.85 vs 7.18 ± 9.82, p < 0.01). We found that sessile-type polyps showed a significantly lower Ki67 index than the pedunculated type (12.28 ± 11.12 vs 2.09 ± 2.73, p = 0.026). The presence of CD138-positive cells was more pronounced in sessile-type polyps than in pedunculated polyps (p = 0.018). However, Dienogest treatment showed no apparent effect on inflammation status, as detected by CD138-positive cells. We revealed that Dienogest suppressed cellular proliferation, and morphological classification of endometrial polyps could be used to predict the responsiveness to Dienogest. However, Dienogest might not affect cellular inflammation.

Computer vision for total laparoscopic hysterectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic surgery is widely performed in various surgical fields, but this technique requires time for surgeons to master. However, at the same time, there are many advantages in visualizing the operative field through a camera. In other words, we can visualize what we cannot see with our own eyes by using augmented reality and computer vision. Therefore, we investigated the possibilities and usefulness of computer vision in total laparoscopic hysterectomy. METHODS: This study was approved by the Mitsui Memorial Hospital ethics committee. Patients who underwent total laparoscopic hysterectomy at Mitsui Memorial Hospital from January 2015 to December 2015 were enrolled. We evaluated 19 cases in which total laparoscopic hysterectomy was performed by the same operator and assistant. We used the Open Source Computer Vision Library for computer vision analysis. The development platform used in this study was a computer operating on Mac OS X 10.11.3. RESULTS: We created panoramic images by matching features with the AKAZE algorithm. Noise reduction methods improved haziness caused by using energy devices. By abstracting the color of the suture string, we succeeded in abstracting the suture string from movies. We could not achieve satisfactory results in detecting ureters, and we expect that creative ideas for ureter detection may arise from collaborations between surgeons and medical engineers. CONCLUSIONS: Although this was a preliminary study, the results suggest the utility of computer vision in assisting laparoscopic surgery.

Gynecologists May Underestimate the Amount of Blood Loss during Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy.

BACKGROUND: We considered the possibility of underestimation of the amount of bleeding during laparoscopic surgery, and we investigated comparing the amount of bleeding between laparoscopic surgery and open surgery by considering the concentration of hemoglobin before and after surgery as indicators. METHODS: The following procedures were included: A, surgery for ovarian tumor; B, myomectomy; and C, hysterectomy either by laparoscopic surgery or open surgery. Patients who underwent the above procedures in between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2017, were enrolled. We identified 1749 cases (A: 90, B: 105, and C: 325 of open surgery and A: 667, B: 437, and C: 125 of laparoscopic surgery). We considered the sum as an estimation of blood loss during surgery and the change in the value of hemoglobin in laboratory testing one day before and after surgery. RESULTS: During laparoscopic surgery, the measurements of blood loss included the following: A: 59.8 ml; B: 168.6 ml; and C: 206.8 ml. During open surgery, measurements of blood loss included the following: A: 130.7 ml; B: 236.7 ml; and C; 280.9 ml. The reduction of hemoglobin after surgery compared with that before surgery was less in laparoscopic surgery than that in open surgery in A and B; however, this reduction was not significantly different in C. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the estimation of the bleeding in A and B was appropriate; however, the estimation might be underestimated in C during laparoscopic surgery.