Vaginal (Crinone 8%) gel vs. intramuscular progesterone in oil for luteal phase support in in vitro fertilization: a large prospective trial.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of intravaginal and IMP for luteal phase support in IVF cycles.

Design: Prospective trial.

Setting: Tertiary care private practice.

Estrogen replacement enhances EDHF-mediated vasodilation of mesenteric and uterine resistance arteries: role of endothelial cell Ca2+.

Endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) plays an important role in the regulation of vascular microcirculatory tone. This study explores the role of estrogen in controlling EDHF-mediated vasodilation of uterine resistance arteries of the rat and also analyzes the contribution of endothelial cell (EC) Ca(2+) signaling to this process. A parallel study was also performed with mesenteric arteries to provide comparison with a nonreproductive vasculature.

Insulin resistance with hormone replacement therapy: associations with markers of inflammation and adiposity.

Objective: This study was undertaken to determine whether insulin resistance associated with combination hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is mediated by changes in serum markers of inflammation or in serum adipocyte hormones.

Study Design: Forty-five postmenopausal women, aged 55 +/- 7 years, were examined from a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial evaluating the effect of HRT on insulin-stimulated glucose disposal and body composition. Volunteers were randomly assigned to conjugated estrogens 0.

Lithopedion: laparoscopic diagnosis and removal.

A lithopedion is an exceedingly rare obstetric phenomenon where the contents of an abdominal pregnancy calcify and become preserved. We present the case of a young woman undergoing laparoscopy for infertility during which a lithopedion was discovered.