: The rapidly increasing rate of obesity has become an extremely important public health problem, particularly in developed countries. Obesity is associated with a range of health problems, often referred to as the metabolic syndrome. Adipose tissue is now regarded as an endocrine organ responsible for the hormonal secretion of adipokines, which are cytokines involved in various physiological processes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol
December 2024
Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) have an indispensable role in guiding the selection of treatments for menopause. Variations in guidelines can impact treatments and health outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess CPGs on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for menopause, systematically reviewing their quality and compiling recommendations for HRT usage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSmooth Muscle Tumor of Uncertain Malignant Potential (STUMP) is a rare uterine tumor primarily affecting perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, typically aged between 45 and 55 years. Characterized by ambiguous histological features, STUMPs present diagnostic challenges as they cannot be definitively classified as benign or malignant based on morphology alone. This systematic review aims to elucidate the clinical, pathological, immunohistochemical, and treatment-related characteristics of STUMPs through an analysis of the literature from the past 20 years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEndometriosis is known to be a chronic, debilitating disease. The pathophysiological mechanisms of endometriosis development include local chronic inflammation and a certain degree of local immune deficit. We investigated the relationship between the endometriosis severity, IL-8, IL-10, BDNF, VEGF-A serum and tissue levels, patient-related pain, and physical activity in a cohort of 46 patients diagnosed with endometriosis who underwent surgery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDisseminated peritoneal leiomyomatosis (DPL) is a rare condition marked by multiple leiomyomas in the peritoneal cavity, predominantly affecting women of reproductive age. Although typically benign, DPL can present significant diagnostic challenges and, in rare cases, may progress to malignancy. A primary contributing factor to DPL is iatrogenic, particularly due to surgical interventions such as morcellation during myomectomy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Obesity, characterized by an excess of adipose tissue, has become a significant global health issue. The prevalence of obesity has increased markedly in recent decades worldwide, with a sharp rise also observed in developing countries, particularly in urban areas. Addressing obesity during pregnancy is crucial for several reasons and presents challenges for specialists in obstetrics and gynecology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPerinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) profoundly impact maternal and infant health, affecting women worldwide during pregnancy and postpartum. This review synthesizes current research on the neurobiological effects of PMADs, particularly their influence on brain structure, function, and corresponding cognitive, behavioral, and mental health outcomes in mothers. A literature search across PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar yielded studies utilizing neuroimaging (MRI, fMRI) and cognitive assessments to explore brain changes in PMADs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Med (Lausanne)
September 2023
Introduction: Vaginal vault prolapse, also known as apical prolapse, is a distressing condition that may affect women following hysterectomy, necessitating surgical intervention when conservative measures prove ineffective. The surgical management of apical compartment prolapse includes procedures such as laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (LSCP), abdominal sacrocolpopexy (ASCP) or vaginal reconstructive procedures (VRP). This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to compare the outcomes of these interventions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Transvaginal and transabdominal ultrasonography has become a widely used investigative method in the diagnostic workup of endometriosis, as well as for the postoperative follow-up. The variety of lesions, the distorted anatomy caused by adhesions and the fibrosis process represent the main challenges of the ultrasound evaluation. Regarding the recurrence of endometriosis, the diagnostic criteria are being imprecise, being adjusted according to the development of ultrasound techniques.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMedicina (Kaunas)
January 2023
Abdominal cystic masses are diagnosed during the intrauterine period and have a relatively low incidence. Fetal ovarian cysts are the most common form diagnosed prenatally or immediately after birth. The pathophysiology of the development of these types of tumors is not fully elucidated, with ovarian hyperstimulation caused by maternal and placental hormones being the most accepted hypothesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: A fetus identified to be at risk for chromosomal abnormalities may benefit from identification of genetic defects through amniocentesis. Although the risks associated with amniocentesis are considered to be minimal, being an invasive procedure it is not completely without complications.
Background And Objectives: The current study aims to identify correlations between blood contamination of samples collected during amniocentesis and certain factors dependent on the instruments used (thickness of the needle used to aspirate the fluid), the location of the placenta, and uterine vascularity (more pronounced in multiparous patients).
: Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women in terms of prevalence and mortality. Cervical cancer has some particularities that distinguish it from any other oncologic pathology: first, it is completely preventable by prompt detection of its precursor, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN); second, the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a known etiological agent; third, the mean age at diagnosis is much lower than in other oncologic conditions, as a consequence of the sexually-transmitted HPV. : We evaluated the expression level of several long noncoding RNAs and a microRNA in samples from 30 patients with CIN, 9 with cervical cancer and 38 normal samples using qRT-PCR technology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Late first-stage or second-stage cesarean section is commonly associated with fetal head impaction, leading to maternal and neonatal complications. This situation requires safe delivery techniques, but the optimal management remains controversial. The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with delivery techniques via cesarean section.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: To analyse the intra- and interobserver variability of two elastographic methods of quantification available on the same machine, the technical factors that may influence variability as well as the intra- and interobserver variability for the same indices between two different ultrasound machines in an in vitro experimental setting.
Material And Methods: Three different types of silicone experimental devices (ED) were conceived for the purpose of this study. Two observers performed repeated measurements on two ultrasound machines.
Ovarian endometriosis is a frequent chronic gynecological disease with an uncertain evolution regarding its progression or association with ovarian malignant lesions. The present review summarized the histological aspects, gene expression and microRNA (miRNA/miR) alterations associated with ovarian endometriosis and cancer and their possible interaction. The endometriosis-ovarian cancer interaction has been proposed by certain researchers as a single entity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: Spontaneous heterotopic pregnancy (SHP) is a rare condition represented by the synchronous coexistence of an intrauterine and an ectopic pregnancy. It rarely occurs with natural conception and is usually a consequence of assisted reproductive techniques. Diagnosis of SHP can be a challenge for the clinician.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn spite of being a preventable disease, cervical cancer (CC) remains at high incidence, and it has a significant mortality rate. Although hijacking of the host cellular pathway is fundamental for developing a better understanding of the human papillomavirus (HPV) pathogenesis, a major obstacle is identifying the central molecular targets involved in HPV-driven CC. The aim of this study is to investigate transcriptomic patterns of HPV-infected and normal tissues to identify novel prognostic markers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: To revise the current literature about the usefulness of elastography in cervical cancer (CC) and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), from methods and technical limitations, to diagnosis, staging and the ability of predicting the response to oncologic treatment.
Methods: An electronic database search was performed (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science) with the data range from January 2000 until May 2020. All studies, fully-available in English, assessing elastography of the uterine cervix in CC and CIN were selected.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of first trimester uterine artery Doppler ultrasonography for the early prediction of preeclampsia (PE), in at-risk pregnant women. This was a prospective longitudinal study, including 120 Caucasian pregnant women with risk factors for PE. The potential of pulsatility indexes (PI) and notch was assessed as a tool for preeclampsia screening.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: In overactive bladder (OAB) research, different biomarkers have been proposed as diagnostic tools and may be used to create individual patient profiles. Assessing the diagnostic performance of biomarkers would better outline their utility. Therefore, our aim was to investigate the diagnostic value of four urinary biomarkers: human brain derived neurotrophic factor (hBDNF), malondialdehyde (MDA), h nerve growth factor (hNGF) and h 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine in women with OAB.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: To assess the usefulness of real time elastography (RTE) strain ratio (SR) in diagnosing cervical cancer (CC) and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), using a synthetic experimental device (ED) as reference material.
Material And Methods: Seventy-nine participants were enrolled, divided in three groups: Group 1 - benign cervix (n=39); Group 2 - CIN (n=32); Group 3 - CC (n=8). Transvaginal RTE was performed, with SR determination, as the ratio between the ED and the cervical tissue.
Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the implications of toxic exposure on pregnancy, by exploring the oxidant-antioxidant balance and the histopathological (HP) changes of fetal organs.
Materials And Methods: Our study was performed on fetuses of gestating rats exposed to ethanol, nicotine and caffeine. HP tissue analysis of fetuses' brain and lung samples were performed.
: As pelvic floor disorders are often difficult to assess thoroughly based on clinical examination alone, the use of imaging as a complementary technique is helpful. This study's aim was to investigate by transperineal ultrasound (US) if there was any significant difference in the mobility of the bladder neck in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) without a cystocele and in those with SUI and an associated cystocele. The study also investigated whether the number of vaginal births and/or the heaviest newborn's birth weight was correlated with the bladder neck mobility.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDoppler ultrasound of umbilical and fetal vessels is useful for monitoring fetal well-being, fetal anemia, intrauterine growth retardation, and other perinatal outcomes. The adverse perinatal outcome and circulatory changes can be reflected in fetal Doppler studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of increased pressure exerted on the maternal abdominal wall during routine ultrasound on the middle cerebral artery (MCA), resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), and peak systolic velocity (PSV).
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