Short-term estrogen test for cytodiagnosis in postmenopausal women

A short-term estrogen test was used to obtain a correct cytologic diagnosis in 73 patients with an equivocal atrophic cellular pattern. Overestimation in cytodiagnosis was markedly eliminated, and the correct cytologic diagnosis was made in 81% of the cell samples after the estrogen test. The purpose of this study was not only to confirm the usefulness of the short-term estrogen test, but also to observe the cytomorphologic changes before and after the test. Thick cytoplasm, vacuoles in the cytoplasm, and a distinct cell border increased, while the amorphous chromatin pattern was eliminated after the estrogen test. Maturation of atypical cells in cases of dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, and invasive squamous-cell carcinoma was investigated before and after the estrogen test. Although malignant cells were not influenced by estrogen, maturation of dysplastic cells was induced after the test.     

Mature teratoma of the uterine corpus with thyroid differentiation

A case of a clinically silent mature teratoma of the uterine corpus is reported. A 55-year-old woman presented with multiple uterine leiomyomas. The discovery was incidental, because the patient was asymptomatic. Macroscopically, a colloid-hemorrhagic-looking nodule was present. Histologic and immunohistochemical studies showed that this tumor was a small thyroid mass. Key words:,     

Bacterial colonization of the uterine cervix and success rate in assisted reproduction: results of a prospective survey

BACKGROUND: Overgrowth of bacteria in the birth canal is associated with an increased risk of late miscarriage, preterm labour, post-partum endometritis and low birthweight. Conception rates in assisted reproduction treatments (ART) remain frustratingly low. We examined whether the nature of bacterial flora, found in the uterine cervical canal at embryo transfer, is associated with the rate of conception in ART. METHODS: We sampled for bacteriological culture the cervical canal of 204 patients who underwent embryo transfer. Of these, 139 (68%) were of fresh embryos, following recent vaginal oocyte retrieval and prophylactic antibiotic therapy, and 65 (32%) of frozen-thawed embryos, without any vaginal intervention in the preceding days. Bacteriological work-up included identification, colony count and antibiotic susceptibility profile. Conception was correlated with bacterial type and colony count. RESULTS: In 75 patients (36.8%) sterile cervical cultures or lactobacillus were recorded. Of these 75 patients, 23 (30.7%) conceived, whereas among the 129 in whom any pathogenic micro-organism was recovered only 21 (16.3%) conceived (P = 0.002). No difference in colonization was found between women who underwent frozen-thawed versus fresh embryo transfer (57 and 67% respectively). Any Gram-negative colonization was associated with no conception. All Gram-positive, and 90% of the Gram-negative bacteria, were sensitive to augmentin. CONCLUSIONS: Failure to conceive in ART is significantly associated with bacterial colonization of the uterine cervix.     

Operative morbidity and reproductive outcome in secondary myomectomy: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: This prospective study was designed to evaluate the operative morbidity and reproductive outcome in patients who had secondary myomectomy for recurrent symptomatic uterine fibroids. METHODS: A total of 58 women were subjected to a secondary myomectomy via the abdominal route. The operative morbidity such as blood loss, presence of adhesions and febrile index were estimated and the pregnancy outcome over a 2-4 year period of follow-up. RESULTS: The mean age and standard deviation (+/- SD) of the women was 35 (+/- 2.4) years. Nineteen patients (33%) had a postoperative temperature vertical line 100 degrees F and the estimated blood loss ranged from 159-2500 ml (median 700 ml). Seven patients (12%) required blood transfusion and one had a hysterectomy due to haemorrhage. Nine women (15.5%) became pregnant but only five (56%) had live births. Those with successful pregnancies tended to be younger with a mean age of 31.8 (+/- 2.6) years versus 35 (+/- 1.8) years, (P = 0.08, non-significant) and had fewer uterine leiomyomata; median with range values, 2 (1-6) versus 7 (6-15). The variables which best predicted the postoperative likelihood of pregnancy were; age, presence of tubal adhesions and the number of uterine fibroids. CONCLUSION: This prospective study showed a high operative morbidity and a poor fertility outcome after a repeat myomectomy. The factors affecting successful outcome in a logistic regression model were age, tubal adhesions and number of uterine fibroids.     

A dominant ovarian follicle induces unilateral changes in the origin of the blood supply to the tubal corner of the uterus

BACKGROUND: The blood supply to the tubal corner of the uterus may originate from the uterine and ovarian arteries. The border of supply from the arteries has been found to move in young women; the change seemed dependent on ovarian steroid production. The present work investigated whether the border of supply could differ between the two sides of the uterus in the same woman having one dominant follicle (>10 mm). METHODS: Vagina was flushed with saline of room temperature in 15 women with a dominant follicle >10 mm. The temperature was measured in the mid-uterine lumen and in the tubal corner of the uterus at 2, 5 and 7 min after starting cooling. The investigation was repeated 30 min later measuring the temperature in the other tubal corner. RESULTS: The temperature decrease was, as found in previous investigations, more pronounced in the uterine cavity than in the tubal corners. However, a difference was found between the two tubal corners. At all measurement times the decrease was significantly smaller in the tubal corner corresponding to the dominant follicle than in the contralateral side. CONCLUSIONS: In our model, 'cold' is transferred from the vaginal venous blood to the uterine artery and the cooling defines the supply area of the uterine artery. Therefore, the results indicate that the area of supply from the ovarian artery in the tubal corner ipsilateral to the dominant follicle is greater than that in the contralateral side. It is possible to speculate that this difference is related to the hormonal production of the dominant follicle.     

Genetics of the low density lipoprotein receptor:

Fibroblast association (plasma membrane binding plus intracellular accumulation) and degradation of radioiodinated low density lipoprotein (125I-LDL) index plasma membrane LDL receptor activity. Cultured fibroblasts from 23 subjects affected with familial hypercholesterolemia (HC) and from 95 subjects without HC (non-HCs) were tested for 125I-LDL association and degradation. Both LDL receptor activity indices were twice as high in non-HC and HC heterozygous cell strains. This is compatible with a major gene effect on LDL receptor activity. However, a considerable overlap between non-HC and HC heterozygous values was found in the 125I-LDL association assay [median (range) 970 (330-2500), and 450 (250-490), respectively] and in the degradation assay [median (range) 810 (280-2020), and 470 (160-790), respectively]. The values are expressed as ng 125I-LDL X mg cell protein-1 X 4.5 h-1. These great overlaps in the LDL receptor activity indices support the view that the influence of LDL receptor activity on the HC phenotype may be smaller than believed previously. Furthermore, for the diagnosis of HC, these LDL receptor activity assays are far more expensive and have less sensitivity and specificity than simple serum cholesterol determination. The LDL receptor-dependent 125I-LDL association values for the HC heterozygous individuals clustered into four groups. Family data supported the hypothesis that this variation could be due to four different LDL receptor variants, each coded for by different alleles at the LDL receptor locus. If confirmed, this finding may have implications for the understanding of the variable expression of HC and also of the genetic impact on lipoprotein metabolism and susceptibility to atherosclerosis in non-HCs.     

Pyogenic granuloma: an unrecognized cause of gastrointestinal bleeding

Pyogenic granuloma is a lobular capillary hemangioma that mostly occurs on the skin, but it is also encountered on the mucosal surface of the oral cavity. Only a few cases in other parts of the digestive tract have been reported in Japanese patients. In this report, two Caucasian patients are described, who presented with gastrointestinal bleeding due to the presence of a pyogenic granuloma. One was located in the distal esophagus and could be treated with local excision and laser-photocoagulation therapy. The other one was located in the small intestine and was removed by surgical resection. Although extremely rare, pyogenic granuloma as a cause of gastrointestinal bleeding needs consideration. The lesion is benign, presumably reactive and can be adequately treated by excision or laser photocoagulation. Immunohistochemistry and/or polymerase chain reaction for herpesvirus 8 can reliably distinguish pyogenic granuloma from Kaposis sarcoma, an important differential diagnosis.     

睡眠信念与态度量表在失眠患者健康教育中的应用

目的: 采用睡眠个人信念与态度量表探索患者睡眠障碍与哪些歪曲的信念有关,针对歪曲的信念进行睡眠实践教育,达到促进睡眠的目的.方法: 连续收集62例以失眠为主诉的患者,随机分成试验组与对照组,各31例,两组均在药物治疗及心理治疗基础上进行睡眠健康教育.试验组针对患者自身存在的歪曲信念态度进行健康教育,而对照组只进行常规的健康宣教.入组前及入组后每周,应用睡眠个人信念与态度量表(Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale,DBAS)、匹茨堡睡眠指数量表(Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index,PSQI)对两组进行测评,同时让患者评价睡眠时间、睡眠质量、睡眠效果和对健康教育接受程度.结果: 健康教育4周后试验组和对照组DBAS得分均高于人组时[(111.0±8.7)vs.(88.9±12.3)、(93.5±17.2)vs.(81.3±19.2),P:0.001、0.010],而PSQI得分均低于入组时[(5.5±2.1)vs.(10.9±4.4)、(9.0 ±2.1)vs.(11.5±3.6),均P=0.001];健康教育4周后对照组的DBAS得分低于实验组,而PSQI得分高于实验组.健康教育后试验组对睡眠时间、睡眠质量、睡眠效果满意的比例均明显提高,睡眠时间满意的比例由18/31到30/31,对睡眠质量满意比例由8/31变为23/31,对睡眠效果满意比例由8/31到21/31(均P＜0.05).试验组对睡眠时间满意的比例明显高于对照组(30/31 vs.14/31,P＜0.01),对健康教育的接受程度也明显高于对照组(18/31 vs.5/31,P＜0.05).结论: 试验组健康教育后患者的睡眠信念有了明显的改善,睡眠质量有了提高.     

Uterine contractility decreases at the time of blastocyst transfers

High-frequency uterine contractions at the time of non-cavitating embryo transfer influence adversely IVF-embryo transfer outcome. This prompted us to quantify prospectively the possible decline in uterine contraction frequency occurring during later stages of the luteal phase of ovarian stimulation, up to the time of blastocyst transfers, in 43 IVF-embryo transfer candidates. Contractility was assessed on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) administration, 4 days after HCG (non-cavitating embryo transfer; HCG + 4), and 7 days after HCG (blastocyst transfers; HCG + 7). For this, 2 min sagittal uterine scans were obtained by ultrasound and digitized with a computerized system for the assessment of uterine contraction frequency. Our results indicated that a slight, yet significant, decrease in uterine contraction frequency, observed from the day of HCG (4.4 +/- 0.2 contractions/min) to HCG + 4 (3.5 + 0.2 contractions/min), was followed by a more pronounced, additional decrease between HCG + 4 and HCG + 7 (1.5 +/- 0.2 contractions/min; P < 0.001). In conclusion, during the luteal phase of ovarian stimulation, uterine contractility decreases progressively, and reaches a nearly quiescent status 7 days after HCG administration, at the time of blastocyst transfers. It is possible that such a uterine relaxation assists blastocyst implantation.     

The measurement of CA 125 and placental protein 14 in uterine flushings in women with recurrent miscarriage; relation to endometrial morphology

The concentrations of CA 125 and placental protein 14 (PP14)were measured in uterine flushings obtained throughout the lutealphase of the cycle from eight normal fertile women. The concentrationsof both proteins increased in a similar pattern throughout theluteal phase of the cycle, with the most dramatic increase occurring6 days after their luteinizing hormone surge (day LH +6). However,a greater variation in CA 125 concentrations was seen comparedto that seen for PP14. The concentrations were compared to thoseobtained on day LH + 7 of the cycle from a group (n equals;35) of women with recurrent miscarriage. The ranges in concentrationof PP14 and CA 125 in the flushings of fertile and recurrentmiscarriage patients were very similar. However, a greater proportionof women with recurrent miscarriage (55%) had low concentrations(<5 ng/ml) of PP14 than in the control group (12.5%) andthe concentrations of PP14 in the uterine flushings were significantlyless (P < 0.05) in women with recurrent miscarriage comparedto the normal fertile group. There was no significant differencein the concentrationof CA 125 in the uterine flushings betweenthe two groups. Histological observation of the endometrialbiopsy samples from recurrent miscarriage patients gave menstrualcycle datings that ranged from day LH +2.5 to LH +6.5 with retardedendometrium (;day LH +5) in 12 of 35 (34%) patients. Of these12 patients, 10 (83%) had low PP14 concentrations and six (50%)had low CA 125 concentrations in their uterine flushings. Inthe recurrent miscarriage patients with histologically normal(sequals; day LH +5) endometrial development, 10 out of 23 (43%)also had low PP14 concentrations and 8 out of 23 (35%) had lowCA 125 in their uterine flushings. The results suggest thatPP14 is better than CA 125 as a marker for endometrial functionin this group of women. In some cases (52%) the low concentrationsof PP14 in the uterine flushings couldbe explained by retardedendometrial development but for the others the reduction inPP14 concentration in the uterine flushing was not associatedwith retardation of endometrial development.