Endocavitary surgical procedures, an alternative to myomectomy in patients with symptomatic fibroids

Endometrial ablation can be used in heavy menstrual bleeding due to symptomatic submucosal myomas in women without desire of pregnancy. Those methods used alone, lead to an improvement on bleeding but results are not as good as in women without myomas. They can be associated with hysteroscopic myomectomy and, then, the results on bleeding are better than myomectomy alone. Second generation endometrial ablation methods must be used preferentially as they present less surgical complications than first generation methods. As the pregnancies that may occur after endometrial ablation have high risk of complications, a contraceptive mean is highly recommended after surgery. Transcervical sterilisation by intratubal insert (Essure) can also be proposed, but for women with Essure placed before endometrial ablation, only Thermachoice and bipolar resection have proven their safety. Finally, economical outcomes of endometrial ablation in myomas haven't been assessed yet.     

Hematogenous dissemination in epithelial ovarian cancer: case report

Epithelial carcinomas represent 80% of cancers. Dissemination of ovarian epithelial cancers is usually peritoneal and rarely hematogenous. The case at hand concerns the hematogenous transmission of an ovarian epithelial cancer with cystic rectal metastasis. The cytology test shows no evidence of peritoneal carcinomatosis. The immunohistochemistry test confirms the primary ovarian cancer with rectal metastasis and the presence of vascular emboli. This clinical study describes one of the rare forms of dissemination of epithelial cancers. Hematogenous transmission should not be confused with dissemination through accessory lymphatic routes.     

Participation of the general gynecologist in surgical staging of endometrial cancer: analysis of cost and perioperative outcomes

OBJECTIVE: To compare the cost and perioperative outcomes of endometrial cancer staging when the procedure is performed by a gynecologic oncologist alone or when a general gynecologist participates in the procedure. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on a series of women with clinical stage I endometrial cancer treated at a single institution between 1/98 and 12/00. The patients were grouped according to the participation of a general gynecologist in their surgery. The 48 patients in Group 1 underwent surgery with a general gynecologist who consulted a gynecologic oncologist intraoperatively. Group 2 included 77 patients whose procedure was performed completely by a gynecologic oncologist. The two groups were compared with the chi-square, Fisher's exact, and Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Cost analysis included total hospital costs (room, pharmacy, and ancillary services) and total surgical costs (anesthesia, operating room, procedure, and perioperative physician evaluation costs). RESULTS: The groups did not differ in age, type of surgeries performed, distribution of surgical stage, proportion of patients undergoing lymph node sampling (LNS), and length of follow-up. When LNS was performed, Group 2 had a significantly shorter median operative time (170 vs. 180 min; P=0.05) and shorter total time in the operating room (204 vs. 224 min; P=0.02). This group had a lower procedure cost when considered both in terms of payor's cost ($1,414 vs. $2,134; P<0.0001) and physician charge ($7,106 vs. $11,116; P<0.0001). Perioperative physician evaluation was reduced by almost half ($685 vs. $424; P<0.0001) in Group 2. Group 2 had a savings in total surgical cost by payor's cost ($9,142 vs. 10,294; P=0.005) or physician's charge ($14,546 vs. $19,276; P<0.0001), and in combined hospital and surgical cost by payor's cost ($15,664 vs. $17,346; P=0.004) or physician charge ($21,311 vs. $26,328; P<0.0001). Total hospital costs, however, did not differ between groups. CONCLUSION: Operative time and costs increase when general gynecologists participate in the surgical procedure of patients with clinical stage I endometrial cancer. Although perioperative outcomes are similar, the involvement of two surgeons increases the length of the procedure as well as the cost of operating room time and physician reimbursement. The efficient use of limited health care resources must be considered as we plan the surgical approach to endometrial cancer.     

The female gubernaculum: role in the embryology and development of the genital tract and in the possible genesis of malformations

The female gubernaculum is an embryonic structure that gives rise to the uterine round ligament and seems to be important in Müllerian development. In the absence of androgens and anti-Müllerian hormone, the paramesonephric or Müllerian ducts complete their invagination and development, interfering with the connection of the tissue column that begins at the inguinal cone (the gubernaculum) and targets the mesonephric duct and caudal ligament of the gonad. The gubernaculum then grows over the Müllerian ducts, incorporating its muscular fibres. Outside and above this point, the Müllerian ducts give rise to the Fallopian tubes, whereas medially to the point of insertion of the gubernaculum, the Müllerian ducts develop into the normal uterus, the adequate formation of which is also induced by the mesonephric ducts. Diverse human anatomical and physiological characteristics such as the simplex uterus, as well as pathological conditions and certain female genital malformations, could be related to gubernaculum dysfunction.The main conclusions in this article are: (1) The female gubernaculum is the origin of the uterine round ligament but probably not of the uteroovarian ligament. Gubernacula are composed of muscular fibres that probably derive from the abdominal wall and that, when fixed and fused with the Müllerian ducts, allow or induce, together with the mesonephric ducts, the adequate development and formation of the uterus. (2) The female gubernaculum seems to be responsible for many of the specific human characteristics of Müllerian development, including the uterus simplex, the anteflexion and low intra-abdominal position of the uterus, and the disposition of uterine muscular fibres. (3) The female gubernaculum seems to be related to pathologies arising from the round ligaments and inguinal hernia. Likewise, certain uterine malformations (e.g., didelphys uterus, Rokitansky syndrome) and accessory and cavitated uterine masses might be related to gubernaculum dysfunction.     

The effect of the levonorgestrel releasing intrauterine system on endometrial hyperplasia: An Australian study and systematic review

Background: The levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) provides effective contraception and treatment for menorrhagia and is used to prevent endometrial hyperplasia (EH) in women taking unopposed oestrogens.
Aims: The aim of this study was to assess whether the LNG-IUS was also a safe and effective treatment for EH and to conduct a systematic review of the literature.
Methods: A retrospective record review was undertaken in a private gynaecology practice in Brisbane, Australia, and included all women with EH treated with hysterectomy, oral progestins or LNG-IUS between January 2004 and April 2007. Histopathological findings from hysterectomy specimens or endometrial biopsies were used to calculate rates of regression of the EH.
Results: Twenty-one women elected to have a hysterectomy and seven of those (33%) had no persisting hyperplasia at surgery. Twenty-six women had a LNG-IUS inserted at initial hysteroscopy dilatation and curettage or shortly afterwards; seven of those elected to proceed to hysterectomy when their diagnosis was known. Among ten women who used oral progestin treatment, 90% showed initial regression; two with recurrent EH were subsequently treated successfully with LNG-IUS. All 21 women (100%), including one with atypia, treated with LNG-IUS for more than seven weeks had normal endometrial histology on subsequent assessment. No women developed endometrial cancer. Pooled analysis of the published literature gave a 96% regression rate for non-atypical EH treated with LNG-IUS.
Conclusions: These data contribute further evidence that LNG-IUS is a safe and effective method for treating non-atypical EH. Whether LNG-IUS could provide a safe and cost-effective alternative to hysterectomy for atypical EH warrants further examination.     

The efficacy of hysteroscopy for endometrial pathology: the experience of a university clinic on diagnostic accuracy and the comparison with the other methods

Hysteroscopy procedures were retrospectively reviewed in order to reveal the diagnostic accuracy and the efficiency of the diagnostic procedures (transvaginal ultrasonography/TvUsg, saline infusion sonography/SIS, hysteroscopy) for an educational institution in the management of abnormal uterine bleeding. The study was completed in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of the Istanbul University Cerrahpaa School of Medicine by reviewing the hospital records of the patients on whom hysteroscopy had been performed between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2002. The records of 385 patients were eligible. The sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values for saline infusion sonography and hysteroscopy were calculated for specific histopathological diagnoses. The sensitivity and specificity of hysteroscopy for the detection of endometrial polyps were calculated as 83.9 and 63.0%, respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 74.6% and negative predictive value (NPV) 75.2%. The sensitivity and specificity of saline infusion sonography for the detection of endometrial polyps were found to be 87.2 and 33.3%, respectively. PPV was 71.4% and NPV was 57.6% for SIS. The sensitivity and specificity of hysteroscopy for the detection of submucosal leiomyoma were determined to be 80.0 and 92.4%, respectively. PPV was 43.2% and NPV was 98.0%. The sensitivity and specificity of SIS for the detection of submucosal leiomyoma were 71.4 and 92.3%, respectively. PPV was calculated as 52.6% and NPV as 75.2% for SIS. Due to its high diagnostic accuracy and lower complication rate even in the educational setting, we believe that hysteroscopy will retain its place as the gold standard procedure for the investigation of endometrial pathology.     

子宫内膜癌中错配修复(MMR)蛋白表达缺失筛查Lynch综合征及其临床病理特点

目的:通过分析比较子宫内膜癌患者的错配修复(MMR)蛋白表达缺失的情况,研究其与临床标准诊断之间的关系,以及MMR蛋白表达缺失者的临床病理特征。方法:收集北京大学第一医院2011年12月至2015年7月收治的313例子宫内膜癌患者的临床资料,免疫组化法分析子宫内膜癌组织中MMR蛋白(MLH1/MSH2/MSH6/PMS2)表达情况。结果:临床诊断或可疑的Lynch综合征22例(7.0%),存在MMR表达缺失者49例(15.7%)。临床诊断或可疑Lynch的患者中,存在MMR表达缺失者的比例明显升高(P=0.011),其中主要是MSH6表达缺失存在差异(P=0.004)。MSH2表达缺失和MSH6表达缺失的患者中合并高血压的比例更低(P=0.002,P=0.045)、淋巴结转移的比例更高(P=0.025,P=0.020)、肿瘤分化差(P=0.030,P=0.010);MSH6表达缺失的患者,相对年龄更小(P=0.021)。结论:免疫组化检测MMR蛋白表达缺失在诊断或可疑Lynch综合征患者中的比例更高,可用于辅助进行Lynch综合征的筛查及诊断。MMR蛋白表达缺失与患者低龄、存在淋巴结转移、肿瘤分化不良等临床病理特征相关。     

The diagnostic accuracy of 3D ultrasound compared to 2D ultrasound and MRI in the assessment of deep myometrial invasion in endometrial cancer patients: A systematic review

Endometrial cancer is a common malignancy in women worldwide, with myometrial invasion (MI) being an important prognostic factor, usually assessed via imaging techniques. The aim of this review is to compare the diagnostic accuracy of 3D transvaginal ultrasound (3D-TVUS), a relatively new imaging modality, to that of 2D transvaginal ultrasound (2D-TVUS) and MRI in the prediction of deep myometrial invasion. Relevant articles were sought on MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Wiley Online Library databases. Articles were included if they were primary studies comparing 3D-TVUS to 2D-TVUS and/or MRI in adult endometrial cancer patients, with histopathological confirmation of MI as a reference standard. Ultimately, 7 studies were included, with 714 participants, 242 with deep MI and a mean age of approximately 60 years. 3D-TVUS, 2D-TVUS, MRI and 3D-TVUS-MRI co-evaluation had a pooled sensitivity of 80.4%, 77.6%, 80.7% and 94.6% respectively and a specificity range of 82.8%, 81.6%, 87% and 69.1% respectively. Overall, no statistically significant differences were found in sensitivity and specificity among 3D-TVUS and the other methods, except for a significant increase in sensitivity (p = 0.038) when combined with MRI. This shows that 3D-TVUS is comparable to MRI as far as diagnostic accuracy is concerned, however remains cheaper, less time-consuming and more tolerable, while offering some advantages over 2D-TVUS as well. Therefore 3D-TVUS application in MI assessment seems promising, although more research is required to further assess this finding and ascertain 3D-TVUS's place in endometrial cancer MI assessment.