Imaging in gynecological disease (20): clinical and ultrasound characteristics of adnexal torsion.

Objectives: To describe the clinical and ultrasound characteristics of adnexal torsion.

Methods: This was a retrospective study. From the operative records of the eight participating gynecological ultrasound centers, we identified patients with a surgically confirmed diagnosis of adnexal torsion, defined as surgical evidence of ovarian pedicle, paraovarian cyst and/or Fallopian tube twisted on its own axis, who had undergone preoperative ultrasound examination by an experienced examiner, between 2008 and 2018.

Ultrasound and Clinical Preoperative Characteristics for Discrimination Between Ovarian Metastatic Colorectal Cancer and Primary Ovarian Cancer: A Case-Control Study.

The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and sonographic features of ovarian metastases originating from colorectal cancer (mCRC), and to discriminate mCRC from primary ovarian cancer (OC). We conducted a multi-institutional, retrospective study of consecutive patients with ovarian mCRC who had undergone ultrasound examination using the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) terminology, with the addition of evaluating signs of necrosis and abdominal staging. A control group included patients with primary OC.

Correlation between iPTH Levels on the First Postoperative Day After Total Thyroidectomy and Permanent Hypoparathyroidism: Our Experience.

Permanent hypoparathyroidism is the most common long-term complication after thyroidectomy. We evaluated whether iPTH concentrations on the first postoperative day may be a good predictor of this complication. Patients undergoing thyroidectomy in our Unit between January 2017 and February 2018 who developed postsurgical hypoparathyroidism were analysed.

Validation of ultrasound strategies to assess tumor extension and to predict high-risk endometrial cancer in women from the prospective IETA (International Endometrial Tumor Analysis)-4 cohort.

Objectives: To compare the performance of ultrasound measurements and subjective ultrasound assessment (SA) in detecting deep myometrial invasion (MI) and cervical stromal invasion (CSI) in women with endometrial cancer, overall and according to whether they had low- or high-grade disease separately, and to validate published measurement cut-offs and prediction models to identify MI, CSI and high-risk disease (Grade-3 endometrioid or non-endometrioid cancer and/or deep MI and/or CSI).

Methods: The study comprised 1538 patients with endometrial cancer from the International Endometrial Tumor Analysis (IETA)-4 prospective multicenter study, who underwent standardized expert transvaginal ultrasound examination. SA and ultrasound measurements were used to predict deep MI and CSI.

Ultrasonographic soft markers for detection of rectosigmoid deep endometriosis.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of ultrasound (US) soft markers as a first-line imaging tool to raise suspicion of rectosigmoid (RS) involvement in women suspected of having deep endometriosis.

Methods: We included in this prospective observational study all patients with clinical suspicion of deep endometriosis who underwent diagnostic transvaginal US evaluation at our unit from January 2016 to February 2017. Several US soft markers were evaluated for prediction of RS involvement (presence of US signs of uterine adenomyosis, presence of an endometrioma, adhesion of the ovary to the uterus (reduced ovarian mobility), presence of 'kissing ovaries' (KO) and absence of the 'sliding sign'), using as the gold standard expert US examination for the presence of RS endometriosis.

Imaging in gynecological disease (16): clinical and ultrasound characteristics of serous cystadenofibromas in adnexa.

Objective: To describe the clinical and ultrasound characteristics of serous cystadenofibromas in the adnexa.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients identified in the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) database, who had a histological diagnosis of serous cystadenofibroma and had undergone preoperative ultrasound examination by an experienced ultrasound examiner, between 1999 and 2012. In the IOTA database, which contains data collected prospectively, the tumors were described using the terms and definitions of the IOTA group.

Imaging in gynecological disease (15): clinical and ultrasound characteristics of uterine sarcoma.

Objective: To describe the clinical and ultrasound characteristics of uterine sarcomas.

Methods: This was a retrospective multicenter study. From the databases of 13 ultrasound centers, we identified patients with a histological diagnosis of uterine sarcoma with available ultrasound reports and ultrasound images who had undergone preoperative ultrasound examination between 1996 and 2016.

Risk of complications in patients with conservatively managed ovarian tumours (IOTA5): a 2-year interim analysis of a multicentre, prospective, cohort study.

Background: Ovarian tumours are usually surgically removed because of the presumed risk of complications. Few large prospective studies on long-term follow-up of adnexal masses exist. We aimed to estimate the cumulative incidence of cyst complications and malignancy during the first 2 years of follow-up after adnexal masses have been classified as benign by use of ultrasonography.

Pre-operative assessment of intra-abdominal disease spread in epithelial ovarian cancer: a comparative study between ultrasound and computed tomography.

Objective: To compare the diagnostic performance of ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) for detecting pelvic and abdominal tumor spread in women with epithelial ovarian cancer.

Methods: An observational cohort study of 93 patients (mean age 57.6 years) with an ultrasound diagnosis of adnexal mass suspected of malignancy and confirmed histologically as epithelial ovarian cancer was undertaken.

Treatment continuation and satisfaction in women using combined oral contraception with nomegestrol acetate and oestradiol: a multicentre, prospective cohort study (BOLERO).

Objective: The aim of the study was to examine treatment continuation and satisfaction over 1 year among women receiving nomegestrol acetate (NOMAC)/oestradiol (E2) combined oral contraception (COC) in real-world clinical practice.

Methods: The 17β-Estradiol and Nomegestrol Acetate (BOLERO) Study is an observational, non-interventional, prospective, multicentre cohort study of premenopausal women (aged 18-50 years) who received prescription NOMAC/E2 (2.5 mg/1.

Learning curve for ultrasonographic diagnosis of deep infiltrating endometriosis using structured offline training program.

Objective: To assess the learning curves of trainees during a structured offline/hands-on training program for the ultrasonographic diagnosis of deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE).

Methods: Four trainees (all Ob/Gyn postgraduates with at least 5 years' experience in ultrasonography in obstetrics and gynecology, but with no experience of sonographic examination of DIE) participated in the study. They underwent a 2-week training program with a single trainer.

Benign Multicystic Peritoneal Mesothelioma in a Male Patient with Previous Wilms' Tumor: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma (BMPM) is a rare condition, more common in females of reproductive age, which arises from the peritoneal mesothelium. A 33-year-old male presented to our unit with abdominal pain and constipation. His past medical history included a previous unilateral nephrectomy for Wilms' tumor and the previous incidental finding of some intra-abdominal cystic formations at the level of the mesentery.

Vilaprisan for treating uterine fibroids.

The medical strategy to antagonize myoma size and related-symptoms is to reduce estrogen and progesterone activity on myomas. This can be obtained with the GnRH agonist (GnRHa) or with compounds that antagonize progesterone stimulatory activity on myomas. Selective progesterone receptor modulators (SPRMs) bind progesterone receptor (PR), leading to both agonist and antagonist effects.

Investigational drugs for the treatment of endometriosis, an update on recent developments.

Introduction: Endometriosis is a hormone-dependent benign chronic disease that requires a chronic medical therapy. Although currently available drugs are efficacious in treating endometriosis-related pain, some women experience partial or no improvement. Moreover, the recurrence of symptoms is expected after discontinuation of the therapies.

Transvaginal ultrasound vs magnetic resonance imaging for diagnosing deep infiltrating endometriosis: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To perform a systematic review of studies comparing the accuracy of transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) including only studies in which patients underwent both techniques.

Methods: An extensive search was carried out in PubMed/MEDLINE and Web of Science for papers from January 1989 to October 2016 comparing TVS and MRI in DIE. Studies were considered eligible for inclusion if they reported on the use of TVS and MRI in the same set of patients for the preoperative detection of endometriosis in pelvic locations in women with clinical suspicion of DIE and using surgical data as a reference standard.

Laparoscopic appendectomy vs antibiotic therapy for acute appendicitis: a propensity score-matched analysis from a multicenter cohort study.

Acute appendicitis (AA) is among the most common causes of acute lower abdominal pain leading patients to the emergency department. Significant debate remains on whether AA should be operated or not. A propensity score-matched analysis was performed in seven Italian Hospitals, with the aim to assess safety and feasibility both nonoperative management with antibiotics (AT) and surgical therapy with appendectomy (ST) for patients with AA.

Influence of cryopreservation on perinatal outcome after blastocyst- vs cleavage-stage embryo transfer: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To compare the perinatal outcomes of singleton pregnancies resulting from blastocyst- vs cleavage-stage embryo transfer and to assess whether they differ between fresh and frozen embryo transfer cycles.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature was carried out using the Scopus, MEDLINE and ISI Web of Science databases with no time restriction. We included only peer-reviewed articles involving humans, in which perinatal outcomes of singleton pregnancies after blastocyst-stage embryo transfer were compared with those after cleavage-stage embryo transfer.

Ultrasound characteristics of endometrial cancer as defined by International Endometrial Tumor Analysis (IETA) consensus nomenclature: prospective multicenter study.

Objective: To describe the sonographic features of endometrial cancer in relation to tumor stage, grade and histological type, using the International Endometrial Tumor Analysis (IETA) terminology.

Methods: This was a prospective multicenter study of 1714 women with biopsy-confirmed endometrial cancer undergoing standardized transvaginal grayscale and Doppler ultrasound examination according to the IETA study protocol, by experienced ultrasound examiners using high-end ultrasound equipment. Clinical and sonographic data were entered into a web-based database.

The Distribution of Stroma and Antral Follicles Differs between Insulin-Resistance and Hyperandrogenism-Related Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

Introduction: Although insulin resistance plays an important pathogenetic role in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), no correlation between ultrasound PCOS pattern and insulin resistance has yet been reported. The aim of this retrospective observational study was to assess whether the ovarian ultrasonographic parameter differed between PCOS women with insulin resistance and those with a hyperandrogenic profile.

Materials And Methods: Women who fulfilled the Rotterdam criteria for PCOS were retrospectively studied.

Reproducibility of the International Endometrial Analysis Group Color Score for Assigning the Amount of Flow Within the Endometrium Using Stored 3-Dimensional Volumes.

Objectives: To estimate intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility for assigning an International Endometrial Tumor Analysis (IETA) group color score for endometrial vascularization on color Doppler imaging.

Methods: Sixty-eight endometrial 3-dimensional volumes from endometrial color Doppler assessments of women with different endometrial disorders were evaluated by 8 different examiners (4 skilled examiners and 4 obstetric and gynecologic trainees). One skilled examiner who did not participate in the assessments selected the 68 volumes from a database to select a balanced number of each IETA score.

Clot wave analysis and thromboembolic score in liver cirrhosis: two opposing phenomena.

Introduction: Prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) are abnormal but unreliable in cirrhotic patients to express their risk of bleeding. However, these patients may also suffer from thrombotic episodes. In order to investigate the dynamics of the formation of fibrin, the clot waveform analysis (CWA) of aPTT was studied together with a score for the evaluation of the thromboembolic risk.

Malignancy risk of sonographically benign appearing purely solid adnexal masses in asymptomatic postmenopausal women.

Objective: To assess the natural history of benign appearing purely solid ovarian lesions in asymptomatic postmenopausal women.

Methods: Retrospective observational cohort study comprising 99 women (mean age, 58.2 years, ranging from 50 to 77 years) diagnosed as having a purely solid ovarian lesion at transvaginal ultrasound between April 2001 and October 2015.

HER2 loss in HER2-positive gastric or gastroesophageal cancer after trastuzumab therapy: Implication for further clinical research.

Mechanisms of acquired resistance to trastuzumab-based treatment in gastric cancer are largely unknown. In this study, we analyzed 22 pairs of tumor samples taken at baseline and post-progression in patients receiving chemotherapy and trastuzumab for advanced HER2-positive [immunohistochemistry (IHC) 3+ or 2+ with in-situ hybridization (ISH) amplification] gastric or gastroesophageal cancers. Strict clinical criteria for defining acquired trastuzumab resistance were adopted.

Systematic approach to sonographic evaluation of the pelvis in women with suspected endometriosis, including terms, definitions and measurements: a consensus opinion from the International Deep Endometriosis Analysis (IDEA) group.

The IDEA (International Deep Endometriosis Analysis group) statement is a consensus opinion on terms, definitions and measurements that may be used to describe the sonographic features of the different phenotypes of endometriosis. Currently, it is difficult to compare results between published studies because authors use different terms when describing the same structures and anatomical locations. We hope that the terms and definitions suggested herein will be adopted in centers around the world.