Nitrous Oxide Use for Intrauterine System Placement in Adolescents.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of nitrous oxide on patient-reported pain for placement of intrauterine systems (IUSs) in adolescents STUDY DESIGN: : Prospective observational study SETTING: : IUS placement in an ambulatory clinic compared with placement with nitrous oxide in a hospital-based sedation unit PARTICIPANTS: : English-speaking adolescents aged 12 to 20 presenting to a pediatric and adolescent gynecologist with a medical indication for IUS placement MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: : Patient-reported procedural pain measured on a visual analog scale 2 minutes post IUS insertion procedure. Secondary outcome measurement of likelihood of recommending an IUS to a peer. RESULTS: Seventy-four patients agreed to participate. Forty-five patients underwent IUS placement in the clinic. Controlling for age, history of dysmenorrhea, and body mass index, a significant time (change in reported pain scores pre- vs post IUS insertion) by treatment (nitrous oxide vs standard of care) interaction was observed for patient-reported pain (b = -29.32 mm, P < 0.01). Patients receiving nitrous oxide were more likely to recommend an intrauterine placement than patients who received the current standard of care for pain management (b = 0.47, P = 0.02) after controlling for age, baseline pain score, and dysmenorrhea history. CONCLUSION: Patient-reported pain was attenuated for patients who received nitrous oxide relative to those who received standard IUS placement. Patient-reported satisfaction was higher for patients who received nitrous oxide relative to those who received standard IUS placement.

Ovarian Histopathology in Transmasculine Persons on Testosterone: A Multicenter Case Series.

BACKGROUND: As transmasculine persons utilize androgen gender affirming hormone therapy as a part of transition, guidance has been lacking on the effects of the therapy on the ovaries, especially for those who may desire retention. AIM: To describe the ovarian histopathology of transmasculine persons on testosterone therapy following oophorectomy at the time of hysterectomy performed for gender affirmation. METHODS: This was a multicenter case series study of transmasculine patients on testosterone therapy who underwent hysterectomy with oophorectomy for gender affirmation between January 2015 and December 2017 at 5 tertiary care referral centers. Patients were identified by their current procedural and International Classification of Diseases codes. OUTCOMES: Pre-, perioperative, and pathologic data were obtained from the electronic medical records and ovarian tissue descriptions from pathology reports were grouped into the following classifications: (i) simple/follicular cysts; (ii) polycystic ovaries; (iii) complex cysts; (iv) endometriomas; (v) other masses; (vi) atrophy; and (vii) normal. RESULTS: 85 patients were included in the study. At the time of oophorectomy, the mean age and body mass index of the cohort were 30.4 ± 8.4 years and 30.2 ± 7.3 kg/m2, respectively, and the average interval from the initiation of testosterone to oophorectomy was 36 0.3 ± 37.9 months. On examination of ovarian histopathology, 49.4% (42) of specimens were found to have follicular/simple cysts, 5.9% (5) were polycystic, and 38.8% (33) had normal pathology. For those specimens with volume documented (n = 41), the median volume was 9.6 (range 1.5-82.5) cm3. There was no association between the duration of testosterone therapy or body mass index and the presence of cysts in the ovaries. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The results of this study reported benign histopathology in ovaries of a large cohort of transmasculine persons on testosterone which should be included when counseling patients on ovarian retention, as transmasculine patients may choose to retain their ovaries while on testosterone for a variety of reasons (including no desire to undergo surgery, desire for backup sex steroids, and potential use for future fertility). STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: This is a large multicenter study seeking to address the uncertainty in present counseling surrounding ovarian conservation in transmasculine persons on testosterone therapy. Its limitations included its retrospective nature and inability to address ovarian function after testosterone discontinuance. CONCLUSION: In this cohort of transmasculine patients on testosterone therapy undergoing hysterectomy with oophorectomy for gender affirmation, ovarian histopathology was benign in all the specimens. Grimstad FW, Fowler KG, New EP, et al. Ovarian Histopathology in Transmasculine Persons on Testosterone: A Multicenter Case Series. J Sex Med 2020;17:1807-1818.

Uterine pathology in transmasculine persons on testosterone: a retrospective multicenter case series.

BACKGROUND: As part of transition, transmasculine persons often use testosterone gender-affirming hormone therapy; however, there is limited data on its long-term effects. The impact of exogenous testosterone on uterine pathology remains unclear. While testosterone achieves amenorrhea in the majority of this population, persistence of abnormal uterine bleeding can be difficult to manage. Excess androgens in cisgender females are associated with pathologic uterine processes such as polycystic ovary syndrome, endometrial hyperplasia, or cancer. There are no guidelines for management of abnormal uterine bleeding or endometrial surveillance in this population. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of uterine pathology after the initiation of testosterone in transmasculine persons. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective, multicenter case series was performed. Uterine pathology reports of transmasculine persons who received testosterone and subsequently underwent hysterectomy were reviewed. The endometrial phase and endometrial thickness were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 94 subjects met search criteria. The mean age of participants was 30 ± 8.6 years, and the mean interval from initiation of testosterone to hysterectomy was 36.7 ± 36.6 months. Active endometrium was found in the majority of patients (n = 65; 69.1%). One patient had complex hyperplasia without atypia. There were no cases of endometrial cancer. CONCLUSION: Despite amenorrhea in the majority of transmasculine persons on testosterone, endometrial activity persists with predominantly proliferative endometrium on histopathology. Individualized counseling for abnormal uterine bleeding is encouraged in this patient population.

Foley Catheter as a Vaginal Stent in a Toddler with Vaginal Rhabdomyosarcoma.

BACKGROUND: Sarcoma botryoides is a variant of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma with cure rates exceeding 90%. Vaginal presentation is rare and treatment includes chemotherapy and local radiation. Sequelae of vaginal radiation in this age group have not been well defined. However, vaginal stenosis is a known result of pelvic radiation in adult women with vaginal dilation as the primary method of prevention and treatment. CASE: An 18-month-old child was diagnosed with vaginal rhabdomyosarcoma and underwent chemotherapy and vaginal brachytherapy radiation treatment. Six weeks after completion of radiation, vaginoscopy was performed with placement of a nonlatex Foley catheter to prevent vaginal stricture. When removed, vaginal patency was normal with no vaginal erosion. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION: Use of a soft, flexible, nonlatex catheter might prevent vaginal stricture in a young child.