A Ketogenic Diet Followed by Gradual Carbohydrate Reintroduction Restores Menstrual Cycles in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome with Oligomenorrhea Independent of Body Weight Loss: Results from a Single-Center, One-Arm, Pilot Study.

: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in women of fertile age. Some studies suggest that a ketogenic diet (KD) may have a role in treating PCOS. We aimed to demonstrate the long-term effectiveness of a KD in PCOS.

Counselling in Fetal Medicine: Uncomplicated Twin Pregnancies.

Twin pregnancies account for 3% of all pregnancies and they are burdened by higher morbidity and mortality compared to singletons. The role of ultrasound in the screening, diagnosis and management of possible complications of twin pregnancies has been widely investigated in the current literature. However, despite the progress that have been made in the last decades regarding treatment and evidence-based management of complications, twin pregnancies remain at higher risk of adverse outcomes, requiring therefore dedicated surveillance.

Counselling in Fetal Medicine: Complications of Monochorionic Diamniotic Twin Pregnancies.

Twin pregnancies are at increased risk of morbidity and mortality compared to singletons. Among all twins, monochorionic pregnancies are at higher risk of specific and non-specific complications compared to dichorionic pregnancies. Therefore, it is of great importance to properly counsel future parents with monochorionic pregnancies regarding the risks of adverse outcomes and the modalities of monitoring and intervention of the potential complications.

The Effect of Endometriosis on In Vitro Fertilization Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of endometriosis on various outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF), including live birth rates, clinical pregnancy rates, fertilization rates, and implantation rates, through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: Systematic searches were carried out using PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, EMBASE, and Web of Science from January 2010 to November 2023. Studies comparing IVF outcomes in women with and without endometriosis were included.

Effect of rapid maxillary expansion on nasomaxillary structure and sleep disordered breathing in children with obstructive sleep apnoea.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of RME on upper airway structure and its relationship to improvements in sleep disordered breathing.

Methods: The study was carried out in 23 children with malocclusion and OSA. Clinical assessment visits, daytime sleepiness questionnaire, polysomnography and orthognatodontic examination were performed before (T0) and 4 (T1) and 12 (T2) months after RME.

Intravoxel incoherent motion MRI to assess feto-placental diffusion and perfusion properties in small fetuses.

Objectives: To investigate the use of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) to study microperfusion and microstructural characteristics of lungs, brain, and placenta in normal and small fetuses.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 30 small fetuses and 82 normal pregnancies who underwent a 1.5-T MRI examination using an IVIM-DWI.

Outcomes of twin pregnancies complicated by prelabor rupture of membranes before 26 weeks of gestation: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To investigate the rate of obstetric and perinatal outcomes of premature rupture of membranes (PROM) occurring before 26 weeks in twin pregnancies.

Data Source: Medline, Embase, Cinahl and Web of Science databases were searched electronically up to January 2024.

Study Eligibility Criteria: The selection criteria included both prospective and retrospective studies of twin pregnancies with PROM before 26 weeks of gestation.

Seroprevalence and age-related susceptibility of TORCH infections in childbearing age women: A 5-year cross-sectional retrospective study and a literature review.

Background: Serodiagnosis of TORCH infections should be performed in pre-pregnancy and reproductive-age women to prevent vertical transmission. Herein, we conducted a 5-year cross-sectional retrospective study in childbearing age women to provide prevalence data. Also, stratifying the cohort into three age groups, we identified those most susceptible to acute TORCH infections.

The New Frontiers of Fetal Imaging: MRI Insights into Cardiovascular and Thoracic Structures.

Fetal magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) represents a second-line imaging modality that provides multiparametric and multiplanar views that are crucial for confirming diagnoses, detecting associated pathologies, and resolving inconclusive ultrasound findings. The introduction of high-field magnets and new imaging sequences has expanded MRI's role in pregnancy management. Recent innovations in ECG-gating techniques have revolutionized the prenatal evaluation of congenital heart disease by synchronizing imaging with the fetal heartbeat, thus addressing traditional challenges in cardiac imaging.

Control of anterior anchorage with miniscrews and sliding mechanics in an adolescent with missing second premolars: A clinical report with biomechanical validation.

Congenital missing second premolars in growing patients should be accurately evaluated in order to establish a suitable treatment plan. Concerning the decision of whether to close or maintain spaces in the dental arches, it shall also be based on biomechanical aspects and the aesthetic traits of individual patients. Accordingly, the option of closing tooth spaces requires an adequate application of biomechanical principles aimed at avoiding detrimental effects on dental arches and facial profile.

Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and viral intra- and inter-host evolution in COVID-19 hospitalized patients.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) persistence in COVID-19 patients could play a key role in the emergence of variants of concern. The rapid intra-host evolution of SARS-CoV-2 may result in an increased transmissibility, immune and therapeutic escape which could be a direct consequence of COVID-19 epidemic currents. In this context, a longitudinal retrospective study on eight consecutive COVID-19 patients with persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection, from January 2022 to March 2023, was conducted.

Outcome of prelabor rupture of membranes before or at the limit of viability: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Counseling of pregnancies complicated by pre- and periviable premature rupture of membranes to reach shared decision-making is challenging, and the current limited evidence hampers the robustness of the information provided. This study aimed to elucidate the rate of obstetrical and neonatal outcomes after expectant management for premature rupture of membranes occurring before or at the limit of viability.

Data Sources: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases were searched electronically up to September 2023.

Safety and efficacy of a class II medical device based on highly purified and standardized plant extracts in the management of post-menopausal patients with vulvar and vaginal atrophy: a single-center prospective observational study.

Background: Despite the gold standard treatment for genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) is based on the use of local or systemic estrogen-containing products, the typical long-term side effects of hormonal treatments and, most importantly, the contraindications in patients with history of breast and endometrial neoplasms do limit in some extent its use. As hyaluronic acid and some highly purified botanicals have clearly demonstrated their anti-inflammatory and mucosa-protecting properties, we have tested, in women with GSM, a class II vaginal medical device containing hyaluronate gel and a mucoadhesive active enriched with purified alkylamides from Zanthoxylum bungeanum, triterpenes from Centella asiatica and high molecular weight polysaccharides from Tamarindus indica.

Methods: Our single-center, open-label, prospective and observational study was conducted on 50 menopausal women enrolled at the Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Umberto I Polyclinic Hospital in Rome, Italy.

Counseling in fetal medicine: Congenital cytomegalovirus infection.

Although the clinical work-up of CMV in pregnancy has gradually become more accurate, counseling for CMV is still challenging. Despite the potential feasibility of universal prenatal serological screening, its introduction in prenatal diagnosis continues to raise concerns related to its real cost-effectiveness. Contextually, anticipating the confirmation of fetal infection earlier in pregnancy is one of the most pressing issues to reduce the parental psychological burden.

Use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in pregnancy and oligohydramnios: a review.

Objective: The aim of this review is to evaluate the relationship between the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) during last trimesters of the pregnancy and the reduction of amniotic fluid.

Methods: Electronic databases were searched (PubMed, Medline, and Scopus). Selection criteria included studies reporting the relationship between oligohydramnios and use of NSAID during pregnancy.

Diffusion-sensitized magnetic resonance imaging highlights placental microstructural damage in patients with previous SARS-CoV-2 pregnancy infection.

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been a major global health problem since December 2019. This work aimed to investigate whether pregnant women's mild and moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with microstructural and vascular changes in the placenta observable in vivo by Intravoxel Incoherent Motion (IVIM) at different gestational ages (GA).

Methods: This was a retrospective, nested case-control of pregnant women during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (COVID-19 group, n = 14) compared to pre-pandemic healthy controls (n = 19).

Cellular mediators in human leishmaniasis: Critical determinants in parasite killing or disease progression.

Data on cellular immunity mediators in the early phase of human leishmaniasis are still limited and controversial. In order to mimic the changes of humoral mediators during the early phase of human natural infection, some Th1, Th2, Treg, and Breg cytokines, MCP-1, and the nitric oxide (NO) from human PBMC, stimulated by Leishmania infantum, Leishmania major, Leishmania donovani and Leishmania tropica infective metacyclic promastigotes, were determined. After 4 h of L.

Obstetrical outcomes following amniocentesis performed after 24 weeks of gestation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

To evaluate obstetrical outcomes for women having late amniocentesis (on or after 24 weeks). Electronic databases were searched from inception to January 1st, 2023. The obstetrical outcomes evaluated were gestational age at delivery, preterm birth (PTB) < 37 weeks, PTB within 1 week from amniocentesis, premature prelabor rupture of membranes (pPROM), chorionamnionitis, placental abruption, intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) and termination of pregnancy (TOP).

Are aligners effective and efficient in growing patients?

Background: Proper development of deciduous and mixed dentition is essential to the oral health of growing patients, and early interceptive orthopedic or orthodontic treatments are indicated in specific clinical situations. Nowadays, orthodontists are subjected to a lot of pressure from growing patients and their parents about the orthodontic appliances that should be used. The aim of this article is to indicate how, when and why it is possible to effectively use aligners in growing patients.

Hyperechogenic fetal bowel: Current evidence-based prenatal diagnosis and management.

Echogenic fetal bowel (EB) is a prenatal ultrasound finding (0.2%-1.4% of all pregnancies) defined as bowel of similar or greater echogenicity than surrounding bone.

Uterine Arteriovenous Malformations.

Uterine arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are an abnormal presence of shunts between myometrial arteries and veins within the myometrium that usually occurs after a traumatic event on the uterus and it is often diagnosed after a miscarriage. In this case report, we propone the case of a woman, gravida 3 para 2, admitted at the emergency department presenting deep vaginal bleeding and suspicion of incomplete miscarriage at 11 weeks of pregnancy. The suspect of AVM was made with noninvasive procedure; transvaginal ultrasound examination with the advantage of color Doppler showed a myometrial hypervascular lesion of the posterior wall.

Removal versus retention of cervical cerclage with preterm prelabor rupture of membranes: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To evaluate maternal and perinatal outcomes of removal versus retention of cervical cerclage after premature preterm rupture of membranes (pPROM).

Study Design: Medline, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched electronically on February 2023 utilizing combinations of the relevant medical subject heading (MeSH) terms, keywords, and word variants that were considered suitable for the topic. Either prospective or retrospective trials were considered suitable for the inclusion.

A Rare Complication of Ascariasis: A Case of Acute Interstitial Nephritis.

Acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) due to helminths is a rare cause of acute kidney injury (AKI). Helminthiases often progresses insidiously, making diagnosis difficult. This was the case of a 72-year-old man, who presented with renal failure, itching and diarrhoea.