Myometrial myxoidosis: a report of 2 cases of a distinctive type of secondary myometrial hypertrophy in patients with lupus erythematosus.

Myxoid mesenchymal lesions of the uterus are generally restricted to tumors, but non-neoplastic myxoid mesenchymal lesions of the uterus have not received much attention in the literature. We analyzed the clinicopathologic features of 2 patients with lupus erythematosus (ages 43 and 52 yr, respectively) in whom myometrial myxoidosis produced a markedly enlarged uterus with myometrial thickening ("secondary myometrial hypertrophy"). Both patients underwent a hysterectomy for presumed leiomyomas, and intraoperatively an enlarged uterus was noted.

Bilateral ureteric obstruction of a partially duplicated collecting system improves after surgical correction of procidentia: a case report.

Background: Although the association between pelvic organ prolapse and upper urinary tract dilation has been documented, the causal relationship between the two has not been established. We report an improvement in severe hydronephrosis and hydroureter of a partially duplicated urinary collecting system after surgical correction of procidentia.

Case: A 52-year-old woman presented with radiologic evidence of a partially duplicated right collecting system with right-sided hydronephrosis and bilateral hydroureter in the setting of stage IV uterovaginal prolapse.

Regulation of elastolytic proteases in the mouse vagina during pregnancy, parturition, and puerperium.

Recent evidence indicates that failure of elastic fiber assembly and synthesis is involved in the pathophysiology of pelvic organ prolapse in mice. It has been long been hypothesized that parturition-induced activation of proteases in the vaginal wall and its supportive tissues may contribute to pelvic organ prolapse in women. In this investigation, we determined the expression of matrix metalloproteases with elastase activity (matrix metalloproteinase [MMP] 2, MMP9, and MMP12) and their inhibitors in the vaginal wall of nonpregnant, pregnant, and postpartum mice.

Pelvic organ prolapse in fibulin-5 knockout mice: pregnancy-induced changes in elastic fiber homeostasis in mouse vagina.

Pelvic organ prolapse is strongly associated with a history of vaginal delivery. The mechanisms by which pregnancy and parturition lead to failure of pelvic organ support, however, are not known. Recently, it was reported that mice with null mutations in lysyl oxidase-like 1 (LOXL1) develop pelvic organ prolapse.

Anatomical path of the tension-free vaginal tape: reassessing current teachings.

Objective: The objective of the study was to revisit the anatomical path of the tension-free vaginal tape and better describe its relationship to the perineal membrane and other important anatomic landmarks.

Study Design: Dissections of the anterior perineal triangle, periurethral, and retropubic spaces were performed in 24 unembalmed female cadavers following placement of the tension-free vaginal tape to identify the sling's relationship to the perineal membrane, periurethral muscles, and the arcus tendineus fascia pelvis.

Results: In 100% of specimens, the device passed cephalad to the perineal membrane.

Vascular anatomy of the presacral space in unembalmed female cadavers.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to characterize the vascular anatomy of the female presacral space (PSS) and to correlate findings to the abdominal sacrocolpopexy.

Study Design: Detailed dissections of the PSS were performed in 52 unembalmed female cadavers.

Results: The closest cephalad vessel to the mid sacral promontory (MSP) was the left common iliac vein (LCIV), mean distance 27 mm (9-52 mm).

Vascular anatomy over the superior pubic rami in female cadavers.

Objective: The objective of the study was to characterize the vascular anatomy over the superior pubic ramus.

Study Design: Detailed dissections of the retropubic space were performed in 15 fresh female cadavers. Vessels crossing the superior pubic rami were inspected for width, course, communications, and relationship to the midline of the pubic symphysis and the obturator canal.