Denonvilliers' fascia as a potential nerve-course marker for the female urinary bladder.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the relationship between Denonvilliers' fascia (DF) and the pelvic plexus branches in women and explored the possibility of using the DF as a positional marker in nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy (RH). METHODS: This study included eight female cadavers. The DF, its lateral border, and the pelvic autonomic nerves running lateral to the DF were dissected and examined. The pelvis was cut into two along the mid-sagittal line. The uterine artery, deep uterine veins, vesical veins, and nerve branches to the pelvic organs were carefully dissected. RESULTS: The nerves ran sagitally, while the DF ran perpendicularly to them. The rectovaginal ligament was continuous with the DF, forming a single structure. The DF attached perpendicularly and seamlessly to the pelvic plexus. The pelvic plexus branches were classified into a ventral part branching to the bladder, uterus, and upper vagina and a dorsal part branching to the lower vagina and rectum as well as into four courses. Nerves were attached to the rectovaginal ligament and ran on its surface to the bladder ventral to the DF. The uterine branches split from the common trunk of these nerves. The most dorsal branch to the bladder primarily had a common trunk with the uterine branch, which is the most important and should be preserved in nerve-sparing Okabayashi RH. CONCLUSION: The DF can be used as a marker for nerve course, particularly in one of the bladder branches running directly superior to the DF, which can be preserved in nerve-sparing Okabayashi RH.

Why don't we follow influencers in obstetrics and gynaecology on Twitter to obtain information on the most recent international congresses?

We proposed following influencers in obstetrics and gynecology on Twitter. We believe that the use of Twitter may help obstetrics and gynecology doctors in low-income countries as well as stimulate fellows and residents by following actual discussions at international conferences.

Piperacillin/tazobactam-induced sudden severe thrombocytopenia in a patient with a pressure ulcer: a case report.

The standard treatment for an infected pressure ulcer (PU) with osteomyelitis is debridement, wound coverage and antibiotic administration. However, systemic administration of antibiotics in patients with osteomyelitis is controversial, and the optimal treatment duration for chronic osteomyelitis has not been standardised. We report a case of sudden severe thrombocytopenia induced by piperacillin/tazobactam (PIPC/TAZ) in a patient with PU-related osteomyelitis. A 57-year-old male patient with paraplegia, using a wheelchair full-time, presented to our plastic surgery department with infection of a stage IV hard-to-heal ischial PU. We surgically debrided the necrotising tissue and raised an ipsilateral biceps femoris musculocutaneous propeller flap for wound coverage. Polymicrobial infections, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were detected in the bone biopsy sample; therefore, systemic PIPC/TAZ was administered for the osteomyelitis. Unexpectedly, during the next 12 days of antibiotic administration, the patient's platelet count acutely dropped to 1×103/µl over three days. Based on a series of examinations, PIPC/TAZ was suspected to be the most likely cause of the severe thrombocytopenia. After drug discontinuation, the thrombocytopenia gradually improved. PIPC/TAZ is one of the most widely used antibiotic combinations in the plastic surgery field; it is conventionally administered for hard-to-heal wounds such as PUs and diabetic foot. The present case suggests that surgeons must take special precautions for patients undergoing PIPC/TAZ treatment. In this report, PIPC/TAZ-induced thrombocytopenia and the efficacy of antibiotic treatment for PU-related osteomyelitis are discussed in light of the available literature.

A cystectomic technique with low risk of rupture for women with benign ovarian cyst.

The majority of patients with benign ovarian cysts undergo laparoscopic surgery using both cystectomy and stripping techniques. However, these techniques have difficulty correctly identifying cleavage planes and are prone to cyst rupture. We present a surgical cystectomy technique that correctly identifies the cleavage plane with a low risk of ovarian cyst rupture, even in patients with multicystic ovarian cysts. Cystectomy was performed using Maryland forceps with gentle open and close dissecting motions only. Both the surgeon and assistant handled the ovarian cortex and cyst wall, and soft traction between the cortex and cyst wall as far as the nearby dissection plane without grasping the cyst wall was essential. In patients with multicystic ovarian cysts, making a plane at the notch between cysts decreases the risk of cyst rupture. This technique allows the correct identification of the cleavage plane for dissection and avoids the risk of cyst rupture.Impact StatementWhat is already known on this subject? The majority of patients with benign ovarian cysts undergo laparoscopic surgery using both cystectomy and stripping techniques. These techniques have difficulty correctly identifying cleavage planes and are prone to cyst rupture.What do the results of this study add? This technique allows the correct identification of the cleavage plane for dissection and avoids the risk of cyst rupture.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Our technique might be useful for the preservation of the ovarian reserve because patients in this study had a low proportion of ovarian follicles in the surgical specimen.

Placental mesenchymal dysplasia with a good outcome: A case report.

Placental mesenchymal dysplasia (PMD), characterized by an enlarged and thickened placenta with multiple hypoechoic cystic spaces, frequently leads to a poor infantile/fetal outcome. Here, we describe a case of PMD involving an infant delivered at term with a good outcome. The fetus was male, and the proportion of the PMD lesion to the entire placenta remained constant: the PMD lesion did not enlarge. Given what is known about the pathogenesis of PMD with its association with vascular endothelial growth factor-D (VEGF-D) encoded by an X-linked gene and androgenetic/biparental mosaicism, which is consistent with female dominancy and a poor outcome, we suggest that a male sex of the fetus and non-progressing PMD may have been associated with this good outcome.

Calculating probability of requiring allogeneic blood transfusion using three preoperative risk factors on cesarean section for placenta previa.

PURPOSE: To construct a model to calculating probability of requiring allogeneic blood transfusion on cesarean section (CS) for placenta previa (PP). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study involving all 205 patients with PP who underwent CS in our institute. We determined the relationship between allogeneic blood transfusion and nine preoperative factors: (1) maternal age, (2) parity, (3) uterine myoma, (4) previous CS, (5) the placenta covering the previous CS scar (referred to as "scar covering"), (6) degree of previa, (7) ultrasound finding of lacunae, (8) preoperative anemia, and (9) preparation of autologous blood. Independent risk factors of allogeneic blood transfusion were identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis. These significant factors were included in the final model, and, the probability of allogeneic blood transfusion was calculated. RESULTS: Independent risk factors of allogeneic blood transfusion were scar covering, previous CS without scar covering, and lacunae. These three factors were used to create a predictive model. The model revealed that patients with scar covering and lacunae had the highest probability (0.73), while those with no risk factors had the lowest probability (0.02). CONCLUSION: This simple model may be useful to calculate probability of requiring allogeneic blood transfusion on CS for placenta previa.

Human exosomal placenta-associated miR-517a-3p modulates the expression of PRKG1 mRNA in Jurkat cells.

During pregnancy, human placenta-associated microRNAs (miRNAs) derived from the miRNA cluster in human chromosome 19 are expressed in villous trophoblasts and secreted into maternal circulation via exosomes; however, little is known about whether circulating placenta-associated miRNAs are transferred into maternal immune cells via exosomes, and modulate expression of target genes in the recipient cells. We employed an in vitro model of trophoblast-immune cell communication using BeWo cells (a human trophoblast cell line) and Jurkat cells (a human leukemic T-cell line) and investigated whether BeWo exosomal placenta-associated miRNAs can suppress expression of target genes in the recipient Jurkat cells. Using this system, we identified PRKG1 as a target gene of placenta-associated miRNA miR-517a-3p. Moreover, we demonstrated that BeWo exosomal miR-517a-3p was internalized into Jurkat cells and subsequently suppressed the expression of PRKG1 in recipient Jurkat cells. Furthermore, using peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cells in vivo, we confirmed that circulating miR-517a-3p was delivered into maternal NK cells as it was into Jurkat cells in vitro. Placenta-associated miR-517a-3p was incorporated into maternal NK cells in the third trimester, and it was rapidly cleared after delivery. Expression levels of miR-517a-3p and its target mRNA PRKG1 were inversely correlated in NK cells before and after delivery. These in vitro and in vivo results suggest that exosome-mediated transfer of placenta-associated miRNAs and subsequent modulation of their target genes occur in maternal NK cells. The present study provides novel insight into our understanding of placenta-maternal communication.

Maternal manifestation of Ballantyne's syndrome occurring concomitantly with the development of fetal congenital mesoblastic nephroma.

Various fetal or placental disorders cause Ballantyne's (mirror) syndrome. For the first time, we report a maternal manifestation of Ballantyne's syndrome occurring concomitantly with the development of fetal congenital mesoblastic nephroma (CMN). In a pregnant woman with a CMN fetus, lung edema, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, and high serum human chorionic gonadotrophin level occurred, all of which characterize maternal manifestation of Ballantyne's syndrome. The fetus and placenta were devoid of 'edema', lacking 'triple edema', and thus this condition was not diagnosed as Ballantyne's syndrome; however, we considered this condition as the maternal manifestation of Ballantyne's syndrome. We performed emergent cesarean section at 28 weeks. Delivery acutely ameliorated maternal symptoms. Tumor was resected and was confirmed as CMN. Maternal manifestations of Ballantyne's syndrome, such as lung edema and hypertension, can occur in a mother with fetal CMN even without fetal and/or placental edema. The clinical course of this patient may suggest an etiology of Ballantyne's syndrome.

Changes in expression of vascular endothelial growth factor D-related genes in placental mesenchymal dysplasia.

A recent report indicated that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-D, regulating cell proliferation and/or differentiation, may be associated with the development of placental mesenchymal dysplasia (PMD), a disorder characterized by cell proliferation/differentiation. In PMD placenta, we examined the expression of five cell-proliferation/differentiation-associated genes, namely, Wnt3a, Wnt5a, ß-catenin, VEGF-D and Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1). In PMD, expressions of Wnt3a, Wnt5a and ß-catenin were decreased, whereas those of VEGF-D and DKK-1 were increased. These abnormal expressions suggest a relationship between these genes and PMD pathogenesis/pathophysiology.

Anterior placentation as a risk factor for massive hemorrhage during cesarean section in patients with placenta previa.

AIM: In placenta previa (PP), anterior placentation, compared with posterior placentation, is reported to more frequently cause massive hemorrhage during cesarean section (CS). Whether this is due to the high incidence of placenta accreta, previous CS, or a transplacental approach in anterior placenta is unclear. We attempted to clarify this issue. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the relation between the bleeding amount during CS for PP and various factors that may cause massive hemorrhage (>2400 mL) (n = 205) in a tertiary center. If the preoperatively ultrasound-measured distance from the internal cervical ostium to the placental edge was longer in the uterine anterior wall than in the posterior wall, we defined it as anterior previa, and vice versa. RESULTS: Patients with accreta, previous CS, total previa, and anterior placentation bled significantly more than their counterparts. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that accreta (odds ratio [OR] 12.6), previous CS (OR 4.7), total previa (OR 4.1), and anterior placentation (OR 3.5) were independent risk factors of massive hemorrhage. CONCLUSIONS: Anterior placentation, namely, the placenta with a longer os-placental edge distance in the anterior wall than in the posterior wall, was a risk of massive hemorrhage during CS for PP.

Uterine artery pseudoaneurysm: not a rare condition occurring after non-traumatic delivery or non-traumatic abortion.

PURPOSE: Uterine artery pseudoaneurysm (UAP) is considered a rare disorder after traumatic delivery or traumatic pregnancy termination such as cesarean section or dilatation and curettage, initially manifesting as genital hemorrhage. Our clinical impression contradicts these three assumptions; after traumatic delivery/termination, hemorrhage, and its rarity. Thus, we attempted to clarify these three issues. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 22 UAP cases treated at our institute over a 6-year period. RESULTS: Uterine artery pseudoaneurysm occurred in 2-3/1,000 deliveries. Of 22 cases, half occurred after non-traumatic deliveries or non-traumatic pregnancy termination. Fifty-five percent (12/22) showed no hemorrhage; ultrasound or color Doppler revealed UAP. Thus, half of UAP occurred after non-traumatic deliveries or non-traumatic pregnancy termination and showed no hemorrhage at the time of their diagnoses. All patients received transarterial embolization, which stopped blood flow into UAP or achieved hemostasis. CONCLUSION: We must be aware that UAP may not be so rare and it may be present in patients after non-traumatic deliveries/pregnancy termination and without postpartum or postabortal hemorrhage.

A novel 'uterine sandwich' for haemorrhage at caesarean section for placenta praevia.

Although massive haemorrhage at caesarean section (CS) for placenta praevia is a serious concern, effective treatment is not yet determined. We performed a new uterine sandwich to achieve haemostasis at CS for total placenta praevia in five consecutive cases in whom the placenta reached up to >5 cm from the internal cervical os in all directions of an uterine wall. A Matsubara-Yano (MY) uterine compression suture was placed, followed by placement of an intrauterine balloon. Haemostasis was achieved in all five cases with median blood loss of 1618 mL. No short-term adverse events were observed. The MY sandwich can be used to achieve haemostasis at CS for placenta praevia.