Contribution of referent pathologists to the quality of trophoblastic diseases diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the contribution of referent pathologists (RPs) to the quality of diagnosis of trophoblastic diseases and to study the level of diagnostic agreement between the initial pathologists and the RPs. METHODS: This observational retrospective study was carried between 1 November 1999 and 11 January 2011 using the database of the French Trophoblastic Disease Reference Centre in Lyon. All files for hydatiform moles (HMs), trophoblastic tumours and non-molar pregnancies for which there was an initial suspicion of trophoblastic disease were included, whenever there was rereading of the slides by an RP. A total of 1851 HMs and 150 gestational trophoblastic tumours were analysed. RESULTS: When the initial pathologist diagnosed a complete mole, the RP confirmed the diagnosis in 96% of cases. When the initial pathologist diagnosed a partial mole, the RP confirmed the diagnosis in only 64% of cases. For trophoblastic tumours, when the initial pathologist diagnosed a choriocarcinoma, the RP confirmed the diagnosis in 86% of cases. When the initial anatomopathology suggested an invasive mole, the diagnosis was confirmed in 96% of cases. Finally, when the initial diagnosis was a placental site trophoblastic tumour or an epithelioid trophoblastic tumour, the RP confirmed the diagnosis in 60 and 100% of cases, respectively. CONCLUSION: A systematic policy of rereading of slides for all suspicious moles improves the quality of management of trophoblastic diseases at a national level.

Axillary lymph node dissection in the case of sentinel lymph node micrometastatic invasion: evaluation of three predictive models.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate three predictive risk models of non-sentinel lymph node (NSLN) involvement in the case of micrometastatic sentinel node (SLN) involvement for breast cancer. STUDY DESIGN: This retrospective study included 72 successive patients with micrometastatic SLN involvement who had surgery between March 1996 and October 2007. All patients had undergone immediate or delayed axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) nomogram, the Stanford nomogram and the Tenon score were applied to the population to calculate the probability of NSLN involvement. RESULTS: For the MSKCC nomogram with a threshold value of 10%, sensitivity was 50%, specificity was 70% and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 89%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.6 (significant). Use of this nomogram would have avoided ALND in 49 out of 72 (68%) patients, but five out of 10 (50%) patients with NSLN involvement would not have been detected. With a threshold value of 7%, the AUC was 0.69, sensitivity was 90% and NPV was 97%. ALND would have been avoided in 31 out of 72 (43%) patients, with a 3% chance of leaving metastases when abstaining from ALND. For the Tenon score with a threshold value of 3.5, sensitivity was 50%, specificity was 72% and the AUC was 0.62. This was not clinically applicable because eight out of 10 (80%) patients with NSLN involvement would not have been detected. For the Stanford nomogram, the results could not be interpreted because the AUC was not significant. CONCLUSION: None of the tested models are sufficiently reliable for use in daily practice. The MSKCC nomogram showed the most encouraging results, especially for a threshold value of 7%, but this has not been validated in the literature. Complete axillary dissection should be performed in the case of micrometastatic SLN involvement until more data become available.

Does forceps training on a birth simulator allow obstetricians to improve forceps blade placement?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether forceps training on a birth simulator allows obstetricians to improve forceps blade placement. STUDY DESIGN: Analysis was based on 600 forceps blade placements performed by ten trainees on a simulator. The trajectories used by the trainees were assessed using reference spheres that reflected an optimal bimalar placement. Three definitions of success were used: small-sphere success, medium-sphere success and large-sphere success were respectively defined by the forceps blade tip being within 5, 10 or 15mm of the center of the sphere (the small-sphere being nested within the medium-sphere and the small and medium being nested within the large-sphere). Wilcoxon paired analysis was performed to compare the first (50 trajectories) and final (50 trajectories) sets of five forceps placements. Graphical representation and linear regression were used to visualize the learning process. RESULTS: 596 trajectories were available for analysis. During the last set of five forceps the success rate was respectively 28%, 72% and 86% for small-sphere, medium-sphere and large-sphere success with the right blade and 8%, 32% and 70% for the left blade. Wilcoxon analysis showed a highly significant improvement for all kinds of success in the right blade and for large-sphere success in the left blade. Linear regression slopes were significant. Using a projection, the theoretical numbers of placements needed to achieve a 100% success rate for small-sphere, medium-sphere and large-sphere were respectively 80, 45 and 35. CONCLUSION: These results strongly suggest that performing forceps blade placement on birth simulator allows obstetricians to improve their skills.