Saline Infusion Sonography Can Improve Outcome in Subsequent ICSI Cycles When No Intrauterine Pathology Is Detected.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the benefits of saline infusion sonography (SIS).due to its endometrial injury effect on outcomes of subsequent intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. STUDY DESIGN: This study is a retrospective anal- ysis of 398 patients under- going ICSI cycles. The bio- chemical and clinical preg- nancy rates of 45 patients who underwent SIS prior to starting an ICSI cycle were compared to those of controls. RESULTS: Endometrial thickness was significantly higher in patients who underwent SIS (p=0.016). The biochemical pregnancy rate was statistically significant- ly higher in the SIS group than in the control group (p=0.040). The clinical pregnancy rate was 55.56% in patients who underwent SIS, while it was only 39.09% in the control group. The difference was statistically sig- nificant (p=0.037). CONCLUSION: .SIS can be used to assess the endome- trial cavity prior to ICSI cycle; moreover, SIS might be associated with improved outcomes when no intrauterine pathology is detected. Confirmation of this finding via future robust randomized trials is needed and would be useful to further guide clinical practice.

Ovarian morphology and prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome in reproductive aged women with or without mild acne.

BACKGROUND: Acne and hirsutism are common manifestations of hyperandrogenemia. They may also be a sign of underlying severe diseases. Aim To compare ovarian morphology and prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in reproductive aged women with or without mild acne and hirsutism. METHODS: 52 women with mild acne and 59 age-matched controls were included in this study. Main outcome measures were the prevalence of PCOS, ovarian morphology, and ovarian stromal thickness in both groups, and acne and hirsutism subgroups. Patients in both groups were taking no hormonal therapy at that time. Androgen profiles were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The prevalence of PCOS was 17.1% (19/111) in all women included in this study. In the acne group, the prevalence of PCOS was 26.9% (14/52), and significantly more prevalent than in control group [8.4% (5/59), P = 0.001]. Total ovarian volume was significantly larger and stromal thickness of the ovary was thicker in women with acne than women without acne. There were no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and 17-hydroxyprogesterone, respectively, while serum total testosterone levels were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in women with acne than those women in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Acne and hirsutism may not only cause cosmetic concern but may also be a sign of underlying PCOS. Therefore, women presenting with acne and/or hirsutism should be evaluated in terms of PCOS.

Pimecrolimus 1% cream for pruritus in postmenopausal diabetic women with vulvar lichen simplex chronicus: a prospective non-controlled case series.

BACKGROUND: Pruritus vulvae may have a variety of causes, such as infections, dermatologic disorders or non-neoplastic/neoplastic vulvar diseases. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy and side effects of topical pimecrolimus 1% cream for pruritus vulvae. METHODS: Twelve postmenopausal diabetic women with vulvar lichen simplex chronicus were enrolled in this trial. Each patient was treated with pimecrolimus 1% cream which was applied twice daily in a thin layer to the vulvae for 3 months. Clinical examination and recording of patients' symptoms using a scoring system was performed by the same physician before, after 4 weeks and after 3 months of therapy. RESULTS: All of the patients completed the study. A substantial decrease in pruritus after treatment was reported by the patients at the 4th week (2.17+/-0.72, p<0.01) and 3rd month of treatment (0.42+/-0.92, p<0.001) when compared with the baseline score (3.75+/-0.45). Follow-up of the patients after 3 months of treatment showed that complete cure occurred in 10 patients (83.3%) and the pruritus was improved in two (16.7%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Pimecrolimus 1% cream seems to be an effective and safe treatment modality for pruritus in postmenopausal women with vulvar lichen simplex chronicus.