Endometriosis is a common chronic disease characterized by growth of the endometrial
gland and stroma outside the uterus. Symptoms affect physical, mental and social well-being.
Extrapelvic location ...of endometriosis is very rare. Abdominal wall endometriosis occurs in 0.03%-2%
of women with a previous cesarean section or other abdominopelvic operation. The leading symptoms
are abdominal nodular mass, pain and cyclic symptomatology. The number of cesarean sections is
increasing and so is the incidence of abdominal wall endometriosis as a potential complication of the
procedure. There are cases of malignant transformation of abdominal wall endometriosis. Therefore, it
is important to recognize this condition and treat it surgically. We report a case of a 37-year-old
woman with abdominal wall endometriosis 11 years after cesarean section. She had low abdominal
pain related to menstrual cycle, which intensified at the end of menstrual bleeding. A nodule painful
to palpation was found in the medial part of previous Pfannenstiel incision. Ultrasound guided biopsy
was performed and the diagnosis of endometriosis confirmed. Surgery is the treatment of choice for
abdominal wall endometriosis. Excision with histologically proven free surgical margins of 1 cm is
mandatory to prevent recurrence. A wide spectrum of mimicking conditions is the main reason for late
diagnosis and treatment of abdominal wall endometriosis. In our case, the symptoms lasted for eight
years and had intensified in the last six months prior to surgery.
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a rare and potentially life-threatening complication of infertility treatment occurring during either the luteal phase or early pregnancy. An increasing ...number of thromboembolic complications associated with the increased use of assisted reproductive techniques have been reported in the literature. Identification of the risk factors is crucial for prevention of thromboembolic events in OHSS patients. Alterations in the hemostatic system cause hypercoagulability in women affected by severe OHSS. Coexistence of inherited hypercoagulable conditions increases the risk of thromboembolism. The role of clinical parameters that can help predict development of thrombosis is controversial. Patients with a personal or family history of thrombosis undergoing infertility treatment should be considered for thrombophilia screening, while routine examination of inherited thrombophilic mutations is not indicated in infertile patients. Antithrombotic primary prevention is not indicated in healthy women undergoing assisted reproductive procedures or in women with thrombophilia. Anticoagulant therapy is indicted if there is clinical evidence of thrombosis or laboratory evidence of hypercoagulability. In this review, the risks of hypercoagulability in the OHSS are discussed.
Abdominal wall endometriosis, also known as scar endometrioma, is a rare condition, in most cases occurring after previous cesarean section or pelvic surgery. The incidence of scar endometrioma is ...estimated to 0.03%-1.5% of all women with previous cesarean delivery. The predominant clinical picture is cyclic pain. Due to a wide range of mimicking conditions and a relative rarity, a significant delay is often observed from the onset of symptoms to proper treatment. We report on a case of a 36-year-old patient with scar endometrioma after two previous cesarean deliveries. The possible diagnostic pitfalls and treatment options are discussed.
We have observed that sperm quality parameters indicative of spermatozoa hyperactivation such are lower "linearity" and "straightness", and as showed by this research "elongation", were more ...pronounced in patients with normal spermiogram compared to the group of men with reduced sperm motility who were undergoing routine in vitro fertilisation. The research encompassed 97 men diagnosed with normozoospermia (n = 20), asthenozoospermia (n = 54) and oligoasthenozoospermia (n = 23). The findings indicate that sperm quality of patients with normal spermiogram diagnosed according to WHO criteria, may be compromised by showing premature spontaneous hyperactivation which can decrease the chances of natural conception. We assessed synergistic effects of multiple chemical elements in ejaculated semen to find if premature spontaneous hyperactivation of spermatozoa can be a sign of imbalanced semen composition especially of elements K, Ca, Cu and Zn. Human semen samples showing low or high baseline status of chemical elements concentrations were found in samples from all three diagnostic groups. However, correlation of K/Ca and Cu/Zn ratios, taking into account samples from all three groups of men, were negative at statistical significance level p = 0.01. We tested if the negative correlation between K/Ca and Cu/Zn ratio works for greater number of semen samples. We found the negative correlation to be valid for 175 semen samples at statistical significance of p = 0.00002. The ratio of K/Ca and Cu/Zn, i.e. increased concentrations of K and Zn in comparison to concentrations of Ca and Cu, were associated with a decrease of "straightness" in the group of men with normal spermiogram and pronounced spontaneous hyperactivation of spermatozoa, implying that these elements act in synergy and that the balance of elements and not their absolute concentrations plays the major role in premature spermatozoa hyperactivation in ejaculated semen.
SAŽETAK
Bolesti srca i krvožilnog sustava najučestaliji su uzrok smrtnosti u Europi. Prema najnovijim podatcima, čak 10% više smrtnosti od kardiovaskularnih bolesti zastupljeno je kod žena u odnosu ...na muškarce, što znači da u Europi zbog kardiovaskularnih razloga godišnje umire 300.000 žena više nego muškaraca. U većini istraživanja menopauza je istaknuta kao primarni čimbenik koji doprinosi povećanju kardiovaskularnog rizika u žena, usprkos metodološkim ograničenjima u obliku razdvajanja kronološkog starenja i menopauze. Proaterogene promjene u lipidogramu tijekom menopauzalne tranzicije smatraju se najsnažnijom poveznicom između nastupa menopauze i porasta kardiovaskularnog rizika. Kohortne studije nisu našle uzročnu povezanost nastupa menopauze s promjenama krvnog tlaka te homeostazom glukoze i inzulina, odnosno s rizikom razvoja šećerne bolesti. Uloga estrogena u očuvanju kardiovaskularnog zdravlja, uza sve gore opisane izravne učinke na srce i krvne žile, uključuje mehanizme kojima se regulira profil lipida, inzulinska osjetljivost te monocitno-makrofagni sustav, a čiji ispadi funkcije doprinose multifaktorijalnom procesu ateroskleroze koji u znatnoj mjeri modulira kardiovaskularni rizik. Sinteza brojnih istraživanja o molekularnim mehanizmima ističe da je estrogenska protekcija krvožilja i srca posljedica neposrednog učinka estrogena na vazodilataciju, angiogenezu, unaprjeđenje mitohondrijalne funkcije i sniženje razine oksidativnog stresa te supresiju fibroze. Promatrajući sve znanstvene spoznaje o utjecajima hormonskog nadomjesnog liječenja na profil kardiovaskularnog rizika, bitno je znati da je razvoj HNL-a bitno proširio mogućnost optimizacije i individualizacije terapije, a time su dodatno reducirani potencijalni rizici. Uz transdermalni put primjene, terapijske režime s niskim i ultraniskim dozama hormona te primjenu prirodnoga mikroniziranog progesterona i didrogesterona, kardiovaskularno zdravlje žena u menopauzi može biti značajno unaprijeđeno.
Management of cervical premalignant lesions starts with abnormal Pap smear. Regular screening of asymptomatic women (the Pap smear) allows us to diagnose and treat preinvasive lesions before they ...progress to cervical cancer. There is a wide variety of ablative and destructive methods used in treatment of cervical premalignant lesions. In this study we have compared follow-up cytology results in patient groups treated by LLETZ (Large Loop Excision of the Transformation Zone), Cold Knife Conization (CKC) and Semm's cold coagulation (Electrocoagulation, ECG) according to CIN on target biopsy specimen, and definite therapeutic approach according to patient age, parity and lesion grading. The aim was to evaluate therapeutic success in all three patient groups on the basis of control cytology findings. Normal cytology findings after treatment were recorded in 43 women in LLETZ group (88%), 22 women in CKC group (73%) and in 22 women from the Semm's cold coagulation group (73%). The importance of the use of diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines and regular follow up is emphasized, bearing in mind primarily the young female population with severe preinvasive lesions of uterine cervix. Treating cervical preinvasive lesions offers an excellent opportunity to prevent the occurrence of cervical cancer in the large majority of women with abnormal cervical smears.
Obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASIS) includes the third and fourth degree of perineal injury. The risk for OASIS is about 1% of all vaginal deliveries. If not recognised and treated properly, ...obstetric anal sphincter injury can have serious consequences for reproductive age woman.
We have retrospectively gathered and analysed data on obstetric anal sphincter injury in a four-year period at our department. The control group in this study included vaginal deliveries in 2012.
We recorded 0.34% third and fourth degree of perineal injury in all vaginal deliveries, and 87.9% of those patients were primiparae. Episiotomy was performed in 57.6% of all women with obstetric anal sphincter injury. In 30.3% of cases, newborns were large for gestational age. Gestational diabetes was found in 9.1% of OASIS cases, occipitoposterior position was found in 9.1% of cases. Induced labour took place in 39.4%, and oxytocin infusion was applied in 60.6% of OASIS cases. Vacuum extraction was performed in 12.1% of deliveries with OASIS. The average BMI in 3a and 3b injuries was 29.9. In 3c degree it was 28.0, and in the fourth degree, it was 32.1. In 27.0% of OASIS cases due to the extent of the injury surgeon engagement was necessary. When compared with vaginal deliveries in 2012 we found a significant increase in OASIS in primiparas, large for gestational age, occipitoposterior position, induced labour, vacuum extraction and hypertension (P < 0.01). There is also increased incidence of OASIS in episiotomy and oxytocin use group (P < 0.05).
Low incidence of OASIS in our department is a result of active management of delivery, manual perineal protection and timely episiotomy.
Chloasma--the mask of pregnancy Bolanca, Ivan; Bolanca, Zeljana; Kuna, Krunoslav ...
Collegium antropologicum
32 Suppl 2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Chloasma is a required hypermelanosis of sun-exposed areas occurred during pregnancy and it can affect 50-70% of pregnant women. It presents as symmetric hyperpigmented macules, which can confluent ...or punctuate. The most common locations are the cheeks, the upper lip, the chin and the forehead. The exact mechanism by which pregnancy affects the process of melanogenesis is unknown. Estrogen, progesterone, and melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) levels are normally increased during the third trimester of pregnancy. However, nulliparous patients with chloasma have no increased levels of estrogen or MSH. In addition, the occurrence of melasma with estrogen- and progesterone-containing oral contraceptive pills has been reported. The observation that postmenopausal woman who are given progesterone develop melasma, while those who are given only estrogen do not, implicates progesterone as playing a critical role in the development of melasma. UV-B, UV-A, and visible light are all capable of stimulating melanogenesis. The condition is self-limited; however spontaneous resolution is time-consuming and may take months to resolve normal pigmentation. Therefore, it is worthwhile to prevent the onset of chloasma, by strict photoprotection. Prudent measures to avoid sun exposure include hats and other forms of shade combined with the application of a broad-spectrum sunscreen at least daily. Sunscreens containing physical blockers, such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, are preferred over chemical blockers because of their broader protection. Chloasma can be difficult to treat. Quick fixes with destructive modalities (eg, cryotherapy, medium-depth chemical peels, lasers) yield unpredictable results and are associated with a number of potential adverse effects. The mainstay of treatment remains topical depigmenting agents. Hydroquinone (HQ) is most commonly used.
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