Artificial intelligence (AI) in the detection of rectosigmoid deep endometriosis.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of seven classical Machine Learning (ML) models trained with ultrasound (US) soft markers to raise suspicion of endometriotic bowel involvement.

Materials And Methods: Input data to the models was retrieved from a database of a previously published study on bowel endometriosis performed on 333 patients. The following models have been tested: k-nearest neighbors algorithm (k-NN), Naive Bayes, Neural Networks (NNET-neuralnet), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Decision Tree, Random Forest, and Logistic Regression.

The Reproducibility of Ultrasonographic Findings of Rectosigmoid Endometriosis Among Examiners With Different Level of Expertise.

Objective: To analyze the reproducibility of ultrasonographic (US) findings of rectosigmoid endometriosis among examiners with different level of expertise using stored three-dimensional (3D) volumes of the posterior compartment of the pelvis as a part of SANABA (Sardinia-Navarra-Barcelona) collaborative study.

Materials And Methods: Six examiners in 3 academic Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, with different levels of experience and blinded to each other, evaluated 60 stored 3D volumes from the posterior compartment of the pelvis and looked for the presence or absence of features of rectosigmoid endometriotic lesions defined as an irregular hypoechoic nodule with or without hypoechoic foci at the level of the muscularis propria of the anterior wall rectum sigma. Multiplanar view and virtual navigation were used.

Oocyte competence is independent of the ovulation trigger adopted: a large observational study in a setting that entails vitrified-warmed single euploid blastocyst transfer.

Purpose: To assess whether the GnRH-agonist or urinary-hCG ovulation triggers affect oocyte competence in a setting entailing vitrified-warmed euploid blastocyst transfer.

Methods: Observational study (April 2013-July 2018) including 2104 patients (1015 and 1089 in the GnRH-a and u-hCG group, respectively) collecting ≥1 cumulus-oocyte-complex (COC) and undergoing ICSI with ejaculated sperm, blastocyst culture, trophectoderm biopsy, comprehensive-chromosome-testing, and vitrified-warmed transfers at a private clinic. The primary outcome measure was the euploid-blastocyst-rate per inseminated oocytes.

Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction and the six w's: Who, How, Why, When, What, and Where to diagnose and operate?

Background And Aims: Approximately 75% of patients admitted with small bowel obstruction have intra-abdominal adhesions as their cause (adhesive small bowel obstruction). Up to 70% of adhesive small bowel obstruction cases, in the absence of strangulation and bowel ischemia, can be successfully treated with conservative management. However, emerging evidence shows that surgery performed early during the first episode of adhesive small bowel obstruction is highly effective.

Transvaginal Strain Elastosonography in the Differential Diagnosis of Rectal Endometriosis: Some Potentials and Limits.

We sincerely thank Szabó et al [...

Parathyroid Carcinoma in the Setting of Tertiary Hyperparathyroidism: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Introduction: Parathyroid carcinoma is one of the rarest cancers in normal population, and it is extremely uncommon in the setting of tertiary hyperparathyroidism. Indeed, only 24 cases have been reported in the literature. .

Introducing immunotherapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients: Too early or too fast?

Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent liver cancer. Immunotherapy has been explored in this disease in order to improve survival outcomes. Nowadays, scientific research is focusing especially on immune checkpoint inhibitors, in particular anti-PD1, anti-PD-L1 and anti-CTLA4 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), as single-agent or in combination with other immunotherapy agents, target therapies, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and other agents targeting specific molecular pathways.

Correction to: Angiogenesis Genotyping and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Receiving Sorafenib: The ALICE‑2 Study.

The listing of the author names and affiliations, which previously read.

Can thyroidectomy be considered safe in obese patients? A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Obesity is a growing public health concern in most western countries. More and more patients with high body mass index (BMI) are undergoing surgical procedures of all kinds and, in this context, obese patients are undergoing thyroid surgery more than ever before. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether thyroidectomy can be considered safe in obese patients.

Differential Diagnosis of Endometriosis by Ultrasound: A Rising Challenge.

Ultrasound is an effective tool to detect and characterize endometriosis lesions. Variances in endometriosis lesions' appearance and distorted anatomy secondary to adhesions and fibrosis present as major difficulties during the complete sonographic evaluation of pelvic endometriosis. Currently, differential diagnosis of endometriosis to distinguish it from other diseases represents the hardest challenge and affects subsequent treatment.

Italian consensus conference on management of uterine sarcomas on behalf of S.I.G.O. (Societa' italiana di Ginecologia E Ostetricia).

Background: Uterine sarcomas are very rare tumours with different histotypes, molecular features and clinical outcomes; therefore, it is difficult to carry out prospective clinical trials, and this often results in heterogeneous management of patients in the clinical practice.

Aim: We planned to set up an Italian consensus conference on these diseases in order to provide recommendations on treatments and quality of care in our country.

Results: Early-stage uterine sarcomas are managed by hysterectomy + bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy according to menopausal status and histology; lymphadenectomy is not indicated in patients without bulky nodes, and morcellation must be avoided.

Vessel morphology depicted by three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound as second-stage test in adnexal tumors that are difficult to classify: prospective diagnostic accuracy study.

Objectives: To assess whether vessel morphology depicted by three-dimensional (3D) power Doppler ultrasound improves discrimination between benignity and malignancy if used as a second-stage test in adnexal masses that are difficult to classify.

Methods: This was a prospective observational international multicenter diagnostic accuracy study. Consecutive patients with an adnexal mass underwent standardized transvaginal two-dimensional (2D) grayscale and color or power Doppler and 3D power Doppler ultrasound examination by an experienced examiner, and those with a 'difficult' tumor were included in the current analysis.

Thyroidectomy with energy-based devices: surgical outcomes and complications-comparison between Harmonic Focus, LigaSure Small Jaw and Thunderbeat Open Fine Jaw.

Background: Being the thyroid gland a highly vascularized organ, achieving a meticulous hemostasis is essential to avoid serious complications. Currently, energy-based devices are widely used in thyroid surgery. The aim of this study was to compare Harmonic Focus (HF), LigaSure Small Jaw (LSJ) and Thunderbeat Open Fine Jaw (TB) in terms of surgical outcomes and complications.

Validation of models to diagnose ovarian cancer in patients managed surgically or conservatively: multicentre cohort study.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of diagnostic prediction models for ovarian malignancy in all patients with an ovarian mass managed surgically or conservatively.

Design: Multicentre cohort study.

Setting: 36 oncology referral centres (tertiary centres with a specific gynaecological oncology unit) or other types of centre.

Two-dimensional transvaginal sonography vs saline contrast sonohysterography for diagnosing endometrial polyps: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To compare the diagnostic performance of two-dimensional transvaginal sonography (TVS) and saline contrast sonohysterography (SCSH) for the diagnosis of endometrial polyps in studies that used both tests in the same group of patients.

Methods: This was a systematic review and meta-analysis. An extensive search was conducted of Medline (PubMed), Cochrane Library and Web of Science, for studies comparing the diagnostic performance of TVS and SCSH for identifying endometrial polyps, published between January 1990 and December 2019, that reported a definition of endometrial polyp on TVS and SCSH and used pathologic analysis as the reference standard.

Pain Management During Office Hysteroscopy: A Survey of Hysteroscopists.

Objective: Outpatient hysteroscopy can be a painful procedure for some patients and there is still no consensus regarding analgesia use. We evaluated which types and modalities of analgesia are most commonly used in a select group of hysteroscopists.

Study Design: A 15-item questionnaire was created to assess the use of routine analgesia during office hysteroscopy.

Two-dimensional hysterosalpingo-contrast-sonography compared to three/four-dimensional hysterosalpingo-contrast-sonography for the assessment of tubal occlusion in women with infertility/subfertility: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

In this meta-analysis, we aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of 2D- and 3D/4D-HyCoSy for the assessment of tubal occlusion in women with infertility, using a laparoscopic tubal chromoperturbation dye test as the reference standard. Studies assessing 2D- and 3D/4D-HyCoSy for the assessment of tubal occlusion in women with infertility were searched from January 1990 to April 2019 using Medline and Web of Science databases by three of the authors, using the terms: 'hysterosalpingo-contrast-sonography', 'sonohysterosalpingography', 'HyCoSy', 'HyFoSy', 'three-dimensional', 'four-dimensional', 'ultrasound', 'tubal patency' and 'tubal occlusion'. Data quality was determined using the QUADAS-2 tool.

Ultrasonography and Atypical Sites of Endometriosis.

In the present pictorial we show the ultrasonographic appearances of endometriosis in atypical sites. Scar endometriosis may present as a hypoechoic solid nodule with hyperechoic spots while umbilical endometriosis may appear as solid or partially cystic areas with ill-defined margins. In the case of endometriosis of the rectus muscle, ultrasonography usually demonstrates a heterogeneous hypoechogenic formation with indistinct edges.

DuoStim - a reproducible strategy to obtain more oocytes and competent embryos in a short time-frame aimed at fertility preservation and IVF purposes. A systematic review.

Recent evidence suggests that follicular development occurs in a wave-like model during the ovarian cycle, where up to three cohorts of follicles are recruited to complete folliculogenesis. This understanding overtakes the previous dogma stating that follicles grow only during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Therefore, in fertilization (IVF), novel protocols regarding ovarian stimulation have been theorized based on the use of gonadotrophins to prompt the growth of antral follicles at any stage of the menstrual cycle.

Imaging in gynecological disease (17): ultrasound features of malignant ovarian yolk sac tumors (endodermal sinus tumors).

Objective: To describe the clinical and sonographic characteristics of malignant ovarian yolk sac tumors (YSTs).

Methods: In this retrospective multicenter study, we included 21 patients with a histological diagnosis of ovarian YST and available transvaginal ultrasound images and/or videoclips and/or a detailed ultrasound report. Ten patients identified from the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) studies had undergone a standardized preoperative ultrasound examination, by an experienced ultrasound examiner, between 1999 and 2016.

Angiogenesis Genotyping and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Receiving Sorafenib: The ALICE-2 Study.

Background: Sorafenib represents one of the therapeutic strongholds for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but unfortunately, predictive factors are lacking. We previously reported that the VEGF single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs2010963 and rs4604006 might correlate with clinical outcomes in sorafenib-treated HCC patients.

Objective: The objective of the ALICE-2 study is to define a prognostic angiogenesis profile to better identify HCC patients who are more likely to benefit from sorafenib treatment.