Postpartum blues: relationship between not-protein bound steroid hormones in plasma and postpartum mood changes.

The relationship between non-bound steroid hormone levels in plasma and the occurrence of postpartum mood changes was investigated in 26 newly delivered mothers throughout the first 5 days postpartum. Studies with saliva samples had reported higher concentrations of 17 beta-estradiol and progesterone on the days of symptoms in women experiencing postpartum blues. As there had been a controversy as to how far saliva concentrations reflect free hormone levels in plasma, free hormone levels of 17 beta-estradiol and progesterone were determined in plasma using ultrafiltration.

Post partum blues: depressive disease or pseudoneurasthenic syndrome.

Depressive mood disorders following childbirth can be quantified with self-rating and observer-rating scales. During two months, in the period from November 1989 to March 1990, women admitted to the obstetric unit of the University of Würzburg were examined on days 3 and 5 post-partum with the Hamilton Psychiatric Rating Scale for Depression, the Montgomery-Asberg-Depression-Rating-Scale and the Befindlichkeits-Scale by von Zerssen. Results reveal that during the early puerperium, scores on these scales rarely reach the same severity as in major depressive disorder.

[Malignant germ cell tumor in XY gonadal dysgenesis (Swyer syndrome)].

Unlabelled: Case of a 20-year-old patient with severe abdominal pain, right adnexal mass, positive beta-HCG titre and free fluid in the abdominal cavity, as diagnosed by ultrasound. Laparotomy resulted in a ruptured ovarian tumour (chorionic carcinoma). Despite chemotherapy, the tumour developed fulminant metastases with a follow-up of 3 months.

Hysteroscopy for gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT).

Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) is performed currently using laparoscopy. We report on a pilot-study from 1.1.

[The effect of maternal dexamethasone treatment after the 12th week of pregnancy on fetal genital development in adrenogenital syndrome with 21-hydroxylase deficiency].

Prenatal treatment with dexamethasone starting with gestation week 5 has been proposed to prevent virilization of female fetuses with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. We report dexamethasone treatment in a mother during her third pregnancy; this treatment could not be started before the 12th week of gestation. The second child (index case) had a simple virilizing 21-hydroxylase deficiency CAH and Prader IV genitalia.