Evaluation of patients' satisfaction of cervical ripening using dinoprostone by either intravaginal gel or pessary: an open-label, randomized, prospective study.

Objective: To evaluate patient satisfaction of cervical ripening using dinoprostone (PGE2) by either intravaginal gel or pessary.

Study Design: A group of 173 nulliparous women requiring cervical ripening were recruited in the study and randomized to receive either intravaginal gel (Prepidil, Upjohn, Milan, Italy [group A]) or intravaginal pessary (Propess, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Malmö, Sweden [group B]). Before administration of PGE2 and after delivery, the patients answered a questionnaire investigating the anxiety and discomfort caused by cervical ripening.

[Oncoplastic surgery for the treatment of breast cancer].

Surgery is still the gold standard in breast cancer. Also if the elective treatment, thanks to the adjuvant therapy, ha became more conservative than once was, breast surgery remains, in the mind of the woman affected by breast cancer, a demolitive surgery. The collaboration bet-ween the breast surgeon and the plastic surgeon has to be closer than it is, in order to obtain the total asportation of the tumor and an esthetic result that limits the psychological trauma to the woman.

Diagnosis of vulvar lesions by non-invasive optical analysis: a pilot study.

A procedure that could allow an early in vivo and non-invasive detection of vulvar lesions would be extremely useful. We tested an innovative optical method (Optiprobe), which uses a harmless, visible light source for the in vivo, on-line detection of minimal alterations in the structure of vulvar epithelium. A group of 3 female volunteers without gynecological symptoms were first screened to evaluate optical properties of normal vulvar tissue.

Primary breast lymphomas.

The diagnosis, prognostic factors, and optimal management of primary breast lymphomas (PBL) is difficult. Seven patients recorded at the Geneva Cancer Registry between 1973-1998 were reviewed. Five patient had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, one a follicular lymphoma and one a MALT-lymphoma.

Hysterectomy and women satisfaction: total versus subtotal technique.

Introduction: The impact of different surgical procedures on women's satisfaction after hysterectomy is a topical issue. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of sub-total and total hysterectomy on women's satisfaction, evaluated with questionnaire assessment of sexual activity, body image, and health status.

Materials And Methods: A prospective, randomized, non-blind study was conducted.

Induction of dendritic cell migration upon Toxoplasma gondii infection potentiates parasite dissemination.

The processes leading to systemic dissemination of the obligate intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii remain unelucidated. In vitro studies on human and murine dendritic cells (DC) revealed that active invasion of DC by Toxoplasma induces a state of hypermotility in DC, enabling transmigration of infected DC across endothelial cell monolayers in the absence of chemotactic stimuli. Infected DC exhibited upregulation of maturation markers and co-stimulatory molecules.

Dissemination of Toxoplasma gondii to immunoprivileged organs and role of Toll/interleukin-1 receptor signalling for host resistance assessed by in vivo bioluminescence imaging.

Toxoplasma gondii infection can lead to life-threatening systemic disease in the immunocompromised individual and in the developing fetus. Despite intensive investigation in animal models of toxoplasmosis, the processes leading to systemic dissemination remain poorly characterized. In the present study, in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI) was applied to the Toxoplasma mouse model to study the dynamics of infection in real time.