High prevalence of incidental brain findings in primary dysmenorrhoea.

BACKGROUND: Primary dysmenorrhoea (PDM) is inexorably common. PDM women suffer from cramping pain in the lower abdomen that starts with menstruation and lasts for 24-72 h. Up to 90% of adolescent girls and more than 50% of menstruating women worldwide report suffering from it. Ten to 20% of PDM women describe their suffering as severe and distressing. However, nothing is known regarding the association of PDM with possible brain anomalies or abnormalities. METHODS: High-resolution T1-weighted anatomical brain magnetic resonance images (MRI) were acquired for each subject and inspected for incidental findings (normal variants and abnormalities) as a routine procedure in our PDM-related multimodal neuroimaging studies. Altogether, 330 right-handed young women [otherwise healthy PDMs = 163; non-PDM healthy controls (HCs) = 167] were enrolled during the period of 2006-2014. Binomial proportion test was performed for between-group comparisons. RESULTS: PDMs demonstrated significantly higher prevalence of overall incidental brain MRI findings (PDMs: n = 18, 11.0%; HCs: n = 6, 3.6%; p = 0.005) that should be ascribed to a preponderance of normal variants (PDMs: n = 16, 9.8%; HCs: n = 3, 1.8%; p = 0.001), especially cavum septum pellucidum. No significant between-group difference of abnormal findings was found (PDMs: n = 2, 1.2%; HCs: n = 3, 1.8%; p = 0.336). CONCLUSIONS: We report here that otherwise healthy PDMs are associated with high prevalence of normal variants but not brain abnormalities. Our observations invite further epidemiological and neuroscientific studies.

Carrier analysis and prenatal diagnosis of congenital adrenal hyperplasia caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency in Chinese.

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a common autosomal recessive disorder mainly caused by defects in the steroid 21-hydroxylase (CYP21) gene. We screened 1,000 healthy people, using a previously developed differential PCR method combined with single-strand conformation polymorphism and amplification-created restriction site methods for the carrier detection of the CYP21 gene deficiency. Our results indicated that the rate of occurrence of the heterozygous CAH carrier was about 12 in 1,000, with a gene frequency of 0.0060 and an incidence frequency of 1 in 28,000 in the Chinese population. In addition, 9 cases of CAH families were performed with prenatal diagnosis. Among them, 3 cases were diagnosed as the severe form, 4 cases carried the heterozygous mutation, and 2 were normal. This is the first report of carrier frequency analysis and prenatal diagnosis of 21-hydroxylase deficiency in Chinese.

Effects of estrogen on cognition, mood, and cerebral blood flow in AD: a controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of estrogen therapy on cognition, mood, and cerebral blood flow in patients with AD. BACKGROUND: Some studies have suggested estrogen may be effective in the treatment of AD. However, most of these studies were not controlled adequately. METHODS: Fifty female AD patients were recruited in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 12-week trial. Each member of the estrogen-treated group received conjugated estrogen (Premarin) 1.25 mg/day. The primary outcome measures were the Cognitive Ability Screening Instrument (CASI), Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), and Clinician Interview-Based Impression of Change (CIBIC-plus). The secondary outcome measures were Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease (BEHAVE-AD), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), and 99mTc hexamethylpropylene amine oxime SPECT of the brain. RESULTS: No meaningful differences were found between the outcome measures (CASI, CDR, CIBIC-plus, BEHAVE-AD, HARS, HDRS, and cerebral blood flow) taken from the estrogen-treated group and those from the control group. CONCLUSION: A 1.25-mg/day dose of Premarin administered for 12 consecutive weeks does not produce a meaningful effect on cognitive performance, dementia severity, behavior, mood, and cerebral perfusion in female AD patients. Because estrogen therapy has been suspected of yielding adverse effects, and its therapeutic effectiveness is in doubt, additional evaluation of its role in AD treatment ought to be conducted.

Syntheses of 9-acridine- and 2-phenanthridinemethanols as potential antimalarials.

alpha-(1-Piperidinylmethyl)-9-acridinemethanol (3), alpha-[(dibutylamino)ethyl]-9-acridanmethanol (4a), and alpha-[(dibutylamino)methyl]-2-phenanthridinemethanol (5) have been made and all are ineffective as antimalarials against Plasmodium berghei in mice. 9-Acridinyloxirane showed no significant mutagenicity for strains TA 98 or TA 100 of Salmonella typhimurium.

Studies of a sperm/placenta cross-reacting antigen, STX-10.

A monoclonal antibody, HSA-10 initially produced against acrosome-reacted human sperm was also shown to cross-react with human placenta/trophoblast. Transmission electron microscopy, as well as indirect immunofluorescent assay, demonstrated that HSA-10 was found to react with antigen on the inner acrosome of human sperm. The cognate antigen, designated as STX-10, was found to exist as an aggregate in the native form when analyzed by Sephacryl S-300 gel filtration chromatography. When purified by HSA-10-immunoaffinity chromatography from human placenta extract, STX-10 was found to be predominantly a group of glycoproteins with a subunit molecular mass in the range of 75 +/- 5 kDa, whereas an additional group of three proteins with subunit molecular mass less than 20 kDa were copurified from human sperm extract. A sandwich enzyme immunoassay was designed to quantitatively determine the immunoactivity of STX-10 in solution, using HSA-10 monoclonal antibody for coating and for signal detection via enzyme conjugation. Based on this assay, it was found that STX-10 could be detected only in human sperm and placenta extract, but not in any other human somatic tissues, such as serum, brain, heart, muscle, kidney and liver. The immunoactivity of STX-10 was found to be sensitive to proteolytic digestion, low pH, in the presence of reducing agent, but resistant to treatment with sodium periodate. This observation suggests that HSA-10 specific epitope is a peptide in nature and not a carbohydrate moiety. Results of antifertility studies revealed that HSA-10 significantly inhibited human sperm penetration to zona-free hamster ova. Thus, the results of this study are consistent with those of WHO Workshop evaluations that seem to suggest that STX-10 is a highly gamete-specific antigen localized on the inner acrosome of human sperm and in human trophoblast/placenta. Therefore, it may play an important role during human fertilization and embryo development.

Use of a long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist for treatment of steroid cell tumors of the ovary.

OBJECTIVE: To report a complete serologic response in a 50-year-old women who received long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-A) therapy for steroid cell tumor of the ovary, not otherwise specified. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: University hospital-based reproductive biology unit. PATIENT(S): A 50-year-old female patient exhibited persistent elevation of T (>2.0 ng/mL) after surgery for steroid cell tumor of the ovary, not otherwise specified, stage IIA for 3 months. This elevation suggested the presence of some residual active tumor. INTERVENTION(S): All tumor evaluations, including those for tumor markers, a thorough physical examination, imaging studies, and evaluations of nuclear medicine studies were negative except for elevated serum T levels. The patient was treated with GnRH-a between the fourth month and sixth month postoperatively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Serum levels of T and tumor survey. RESULT(S): The serum T levels returned to normal limits after administration of the first dose of GnRH-a. Follow-up of tumor survey was negative. The patient was alive and free of disease 26 months after treatment with GnRH-a. CONCLUSION(S): GnRH-a may be an alternative choice as adjuvant therapy for managing a persistent or recurrent hormone-producing steroid cell tumor of the ovary.

Steroid cell tumors of the ovary: clinical, ultrasonic, and MRI diagnosis--a case report.

Steroid cell tumors of the ovary are rare sex-cord neoplasms which account for less than 0.1% of all ovarian tumors. They have been divided into two subtypes according to their cell of origin as follows: stromal luteoma, and Leydig cell tumors, and a third subtype with lineage unknown is a steroid cell tumor, not otherwise specified (NOS). The clinical presentation may take many forms, including pain, abdominal distention and bloating, but perhaps the most interesting and noticeable presentations are those related to the hormonal activity and virilizing properties of the tumor. No radiological features of the steroid cell tumor, NOS have been presented in the literature. This report presents the MRI and ultrasonographic findings of a patient having steroid cell tumor, NOS, of the right ovary with metastasis to the uterus.

Disseminated carcinomatosis after laparoscopic surgery for presumably benign ruptured ovarian teratoma.

The authors reported the intraperitoneal carcinomatosis after laparoscopic surgery for presumably benign ruptured ovarian teratoma in a 28-year-old woman. A 28-year-old female patient exhibited intraperitoneal carcinomatosis after a laparoscopic surgery for ruptured mature teratoma of the ovary with occult malignant transformation. The complication was found two months after initial laparoscopic surgery. Laparoscopic surgery was smooth including oophorectomy, and removing all spilled specimens within the abdominal cavity. At the end of the laparoscopic surgery, cleaning the abdominal cavity and irritating the port site were also performed. Cytology of the abdominal cavity and all removed specimens did not show evidence of malignancy. She followed up regularly and uneventfully except for persistently abdominal fullness and erythematous change of umbilical portal site. Evidence demonstrated intestinal obstruction associated with ascites after a detailed evaluation. Although the patient received supportive treatment the symptom exacerbated. Therefore, the patient was treated with exploratory laparotomy. Pathology proved with intraperitoneal carcinomatosis caused by squamous cell carcinoma. All tumor evaluations including tumor markers, a thorough physical examination, imaging studies and evaluations of the nuclear medicine were negative except of intraperitoneal carcinoma, origin to be determined. The patient is dead 14 months' post-treatment by exploratory laparotomy. Although it was not clear that the laparoscopic approach or the disease itself worsened indeed the prognosis because the disease was already disseminated before the laparoscopy, we still emphasized the possible limitation of laparoscopic surgery if diagnosis at original surgery is impaired, of if excision is incomplete and the delay between the laparoscopic procedure and the carcinomatosis.

Vaginal obliteration after total body irradiation and chemotherapy as treatment for acute myeloid leukemia.

Although radiotherapy is an integral part in the management of certain types of hematological malignancies, its effect on the reproductive system has been well documented. We report a rare complication where a patient had complete vaginal obliteration after receiving a dose of total body irradiation (1575 cGy) as part of her treatment for acute myeloid leukemia. A 37-year-old married woman, G3P2, underwent high-dose cyclophosphamide accompanied by high dose (1575 cGy) total body irradiation (TBI) as part of her treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML: m1) when she was 35 years of age. After TBI, the patient developed ovarian failure and amenorrhea, which was confirmed by hormonal evaluation. Nevertheless, she did not receive any hormonal replacement therapy and stopped her sexual life for two years. Fortunately, no recurrence of AML was noted. The patient visited our clinic due to difficulty in performing coitus. Physical examination showed a 2-cm short and blinded vaginal pouch. She initially received hormonal replacement therapy followed by surgical correction via vaginoplasty and two months of dilatory replacement and frequent coitus with satisfactory result. To our limited knowledge, vaginal obliteration as a complication of condition regimen has never been reported before. In the present case report, it is unclear whether spontaneous vaginal obliteration resulted from chemotherapy, total body irradiation, or another unknown cause such as a concomitant leukemic infiltration of the vaginal wall, severe bacterial and fungal infection before treatment, or from any combination of the above. However, due to this case presentation, we suggest that such patients must receive hormonal replacement therapy and be encouraged to have a normal sexual life to avoid this possible problem.

Laparoscopic surgery for heterotopic pregnancies: a case report and a brief review.

A heterotopic pregnancy is in effect a multiple pregnancy with one or more intrauterine pregnancies coexisting with an ectopic pregnancy and is rarely spontaneous. With the increasing popularity of ovulation induction performed during assisted reproductive techniques, it will not be surprising to observe that this phenomenon has increased significantly. However, diagnosis is often delayed because of its rarity and difficulty. We report a case of a woman with a viable intrauterine pregnancy who had a complication of ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome secondary to ovulation induction following in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, but who, during hospitalization, presented with clinically progressive abdominal pain. An unruptured ectopic pregnancy of the right fallopian tube was diagnosed accidentally by laparoscopy and laparoscopic salpingectomy was immediately performed. Post-operative follow-up revealed that the intrauterine pregnancy continued normally. She delivered a normal female baby at 38 weeks of gestation. The promising neonatal outcome might suggest that laparoscopy might be safely performed to aid differential diagnosis in an uncertain condition during pregnancy: therefore, laparoscopic surgery might be an appropriate method to manage some carefully selected patients with HP. A brief review of the published literature on the role of laparoscopy in the diagnosis and management of heterotopic pregnancy is given.

Rapid progression of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix after hyperbaric oxygenation.

The role of hyperbaric oxygenation in the treatment of radiation-induced sequelae and chronic ulcer is well established. On the contrary, a possible cancer-causing or growth-enhancing effect by hyperbaric oxygenation was highly controversial. Herein, we present a 55-year-old Chinese woman with recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix on her left inguinal area. She received concurrent chemoradiation therapy followed by radical inguinal lymphadenectomy due to persistent tumor mass. The patient was complicated with severe radiation fibrosis and unhealed wounds, so she was treated with hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO). However, the patient died of complications of the disease after completing HBO therapy I month later and autopsy of the patient showed carcinomatosis of the abdominal cavity and lower abdominal wall. Because previous studies have been inconclusive regarding the effect of HBO on tumor cells, we reviewed the possible relation between the HBO and tumor cells.

Severe bleeding from a pregnancy tumor. A case report.

BACKGROUND: Hyperplastic gingivitis and gingival hyperplasia accompanying gestation have been termed "pregnancy gingivitis" and "pregnancy tumor." The condition is benign but, rarely, is complicated by severe bleeding that is difficult to manage. A single case of a pregnancy tumor is reported. CASE: A 28-year-old woman in the third trimester was evaluated for treatment of a pregnancy granuloma with recurrent episodes of severe bleeding for two weeks. Conservative management by firm pressure on gauze packs was applied to control the bleeding, but in vain. Induction of labor was conducted at 37 weeks partially because of term pregnancy and uncontrollable bleeding from the gingiva. An emergency cesarean section was done because of acute fetal distress during induction of labor. A healthy infant was delivered. The gingival bleeding stopped spontaneously five days afterwards. The patient was given thorough dental prophylaxis and oral hygiene instructions. The buccal granulomatous tumor was decreased in size four weeks postpartum. CONCLUSION: Careful oral dental hygiene, removal of dental plaque and debris, and use of soft toothbrushes are important during pregnancy to avoid occurrence of a pregnancy tumor. If uncontrolled bleeding occurs, management should be based on the individual condition and should range from supportive therapy--such as desiccation of bleeders; local, firm compression and oral hygiene to blood transfusion--as well as medication to accelerate fetal lung maturity or even termination of pregnancy to save the patient's life, as with treatment of uncontrollable eclampsia.

Successful pregnancy in a woman with acute myeloid leukemia treated with high-dose whole-body irradiation.

BACKGROUND: Although radiotherapy is an integral part of managing certain types of hematologic malignancies, its effect on the reproductive system are well established. We report a case of successful pregnancy in a patient who received high-dose whole-body irradiation (WBI) (1,575 cGy) as part of her treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). CASE: A 26-year-old woman received high-dose cyclophosphamide accompanied by high-dose (1,575 cGy) WBI as part of her treatment for AML when she was 23 years of age. The patient received oral contraceptives before, during and after treatment. After WBI, the patient developed ovarian failure and amenorrhea, which was confirmed by hormonal evaluation. The amenorrhea persisted for one year. No recurrence of AML was found. The patient was placed on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) because of vasomotor changes. An unexpected pregnancy occurred 14 months later; HRT was discontinued. The patient delivered a normal female infant at 38 weeks of gestation. The infant was followed for eight months; her development appeared to be normal. CONCLUSION: In this case report, it is unclear whether pregnancy resulted from active folliculogenesis remote from radiation therapy or from possible ovarian protection rendered by the use of oral contraceptives. The benefit of oral contraceptives in protecting the ovary from radiation injury is unknown and remains an area for future research.

Acetaminophen poisoning in late pregnancy. A case report.

BACKGROUND: Acetaminophen poisoning is a major cause of hospital admission and has been extensively reviewed. Its occurrence in pregnant women has been reported seldom, and the prognosis has been good except for one case, in which the fetus died. We report on a case of acetaminophen poisoning that resulted in the death of both the mother and the infant. CASE: A 38-year-old woman whose pregnancy was at 31 weeks' gestational age was evaluated for treatment of an acetaminophen overdose. She was admitted more than 26 hours after taking 35 g of acetaminophen. An emergency cesarean section was performed one hour after admission because of acute fetal distress. A grossly normal, 1,620-g, female infant was delivered and had Apgar scores at 1, 5 and 10 minutes of 0, 0 and 1, respectively, despite the initiation of resuscitation immediately following delivery. Acidosis was noted in the mother during the operation; it was followed by acute hepatorenal failure 16 hours after admission. That resulted in the mother's death 40 hours after admission. The infant also died 34 hours after delivery. CONCLUSION: Delays in administering the antidote treatment, N-acetylcysteine, after acetaminophen intoxication significantly increase the risk of mortality in both the mother and infant. The development of acidosis carries a poor prognosis in such patients and may necessitate liver transplantation to save the life of the mother.

Primary malignant lymphoma of the cervix in pregnancy. A case report.

BACKGROUND: Malignant lymphoma arising from the uterine cervix is a very rare entity. Only two such patients have been reported as pregnant at the time of diagnosis. CASE: A 35-year-old woman (negative Pap smear at antenatal clinics) was referred because of the accidental finding of a huge cervical mass during labor. The patient underwent cesarean section because of arrest of cervical dilatation and persistent floating of the fetal head. The final diagnosis of this cervical mass was malignant lymphoma, low grade B cell, after radical abdominal hysterectomy. CONCLUSION: Although labor obstructed by a tumor of the pelvic organs is a relatively rare event and the majority of cases are benign leiomyomas of the uterus or cervix, the risk of pelvic malignancies should be considered. Bimanual examination and pelvic ultrasound and/or color Doppler ultrasound should be applied without hesitancy in any uncertain situation during pregnancy or labor.

Fever of unknown origin in the puerperium. A case report.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum fever is a common problem for obstetricians, but fever of unknown origin (FUO) occurring in the puerperium may be relatively unfamiliar and a challenge to the majority of obstetricians. CASE: A 29-year-old woman had a FUO detected during the puerperium. Despite serial examinations and therapeutic trials, the fever persisted for three weeks without a clinical improvement or definite infection source. The presence of a huge uterine myoma was observed. The patient finally underwent myomectomy, and a pathology review revealed a cellular leiomyoma associated with massive infarction and acute inflammation. The fever subsided substantially on the third day postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Although a uterine leiomyoma as a cause of fever in the puerperium is not new, rarely does it cause prolonged fever. It should be taken into consideration in pregnant women known to have uterine myomas during pregnancy and in the puerperium, especially if FUO develops. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs can be a tool for making the differential diagnosis in such a patient, and exploratory laparotomy can be delayed until an emergency condition occurred, especially important during pregnancy.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix after laparoscopic surgery. A case report.

BACKGROUND: Although more than 50 cases of recurrence at the sites of cannula insertion after laparoscopy for malignant tumors have been reported in the literature, the majority were adenocarcinoma. We report a case of intraperitoneal carcinomatosis and abdominal wall metastases of the trocar site after laparoscopically assisted radical vaginal hysterectomy for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. CASE: A 47-year-old woman underwent curative, laparoscopically assisted radical vaginal hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy for treating squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, stage IB. The postoperative course was uneventful until two months later when abdominal recurrences at the trocar site and diffuse peritoneal carcinomatosis were noted. Pathology proved recurrent intraperitoneal squamous cell carcinoma with invasion of the abdominal port site. CONCLUSION: This case further alerts gynecologic oncologists of the potential risks of laparoscopic surgery for potentially curable gynecologic malignancies.

Ovarian tumors complicating pregnancy. Emergency and elective surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively evaluate the different effects and characteristics of ovarian surgery performed under emergency conditions and electively during pregnancy and to search for risk factors contributing to emergency ovarian surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Between 1980 and 1996, 174 patients undergoing adnexal surgery during pregnancy or the puerperium were reviewed at Veterans General Hospital-Taipei. Of these 174 patients, 32 underwent emergency surgery (group A), while 142 patients underwent elective surgery (group B). In order to search for differences between the emergency and elective operations, patients in both groups were analyzed, with particular emphasis on the characteristics and outcome of pregnancy. RESULTS: In contrast to elective operations, there were five distinct aspects of emergency surgery. First, half of them occurred in the first trimester. Second, they contributed to 75% (9/12) of the total fetal wastage and 85.7% (6/7) of spontaneous fetal loss (P = .00016). Third, tumor sizes (11.1 +/- 4.2 cm) were significantly larger than those found (8.3 +/- 3.76 cm) in the elective surgery group (P < .05). Fourth, tumors less than 5 cm never caused symptoms requiring surgery. Fifth, an increasing incidence of completely extirpative surgery and general anesthesia was noted (P < .005). Incidence of tumors greater than 10 cm during pregnancy increased with malignancy (P = .0295) and before emergency surgery (P = .00001). CONCLUSION: We could remove ovarian tumors greater than 10 cm in diameter or with a teratoma component at earlier stages of pregnancy (after the seventh week of gestation) to avoid unpredictable complications. This reduces the risks of malignancy and emergency surgery. There was no evidence of increasing risk of fetal loss when surgery was performed after the seventh week of gestation.

High-risk gestational trophoblastic disease: analysis of clinical prognoses.

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION: An attempt to better define factors leading to patient survival in the high-risk group of malignant gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD). METHODS: From January 1, 1997 to December 31, 1995 25 cases of malignant high-risk GTD were retrospectively collected to evaluate prognostic factors by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: We identified the presence of liver metastases and/or brain metastases and the presence of intestinal metastases as significant by using univariate analysis. However, only the presence of liver metastases of brain metastases was significant by multivariate analysis (p=0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Although a high-risk group of GTD can be identified according to the modified World Health Organization (WHO) prognostic scoring system, liver metastases were not emphasized (only two points) in this scoring system. We suggested that these risk factors, including brain metastases and liver metastases, should be weighted more than other risk factors.

Prognosis of primary fallopian tube adenocarcinoma: report of 25 patients.

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION: Because of the rarity of primary fallopian tube adenocarcinoma (PFTA), the optimal management has not been well-defined, especially in early-stage disease. Furthermore, prognosis of primary fallopian tube carcinoma has not been fully understood. METHODS: We retrospectively studied patients with proven surgico-pathological stage PFTA and excluded patients without a standard surgicopathological staging procedure. Twenty-five patients from 1970 to 1995 were identified. Eleven were in Stage I, four in Stage II and ten in Stage III and IV. Twenty patients received adjuvant chemotherapy with four to eight courses of CAP or CEP (cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2, adriamycin 50 mg/m2 or epirubicin 50 mg/m2, and cisplatin 50 mg/m2 intravenously, every three weeks) regimen. One patient received two courses of chemotherapy and another received one course of chemotherapy; both followed with radiotherapy due to refusal of further chemotherapy. The remaining three patients did not receive any adjuvant therapy. RESULTS: Accumulative disease-free survival rate in spite of different st ages was 36%. Univariate analysis showed postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, optimal debulking surgery, nulliparity, extent of the disease, and tumor differentiation as significant factors for disease-free survival of patients with PFTA. However, multivariate analysis did not show significance due to the small number of cases. CONCLUSION: Nearly half of the patients (44%) were diagnosed in early stage of PFTA, but patient survival was still disappointing. Understanding possibile risk factors for therapeutic failure and more aggressive and effective multi-modality treatments should be further defined.