Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2005;27(7):401-406
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032005000700006
PURPOSE: to evaluate the agreement between noninvasive methods - pelvic pain, transvaginal ultrasound and hysterosalpingography - and the gynecologic endoscopy approach for the diagnosis of tuboperitoneal factors responsible for conjugal infertility. METHODS: this is a cross-sectional study including 149 infertile patients who were submitted to clinical evaluation, transvaginal ultrasound, hysterosalpingography, hysteroscopy, and laparoscopy. In the evaluation of pelvic pain, the following complaints were considered to be abnormal: pelvic pain of the dyspareunia type, dysmenorrhea or acyclic pain, and pain upon mobilization of the cervix and palpation of the adnexa. Ultrasonographic examination was considered to be altered when adnexal or uterine morphological changes (hydrosalpinx, myomas or uterine malformations) were detected. Hysterosalpingography was considered to be abnormal in the presence of anatomical tubal changes and unilateral or bilateral obstruction. The agreement between noninvasive methods and endoscopy was evaluated by kappa statistics. RESULTS: the agreements between pelvic pain, transvaginal ultrasound, and hysterosalpingography and the endoscopic approach were 46.3% (kappa=0.092; CI 95%: -0.043 to 0.228), 24% (kappa=-0.052; CI 95%: -0.148 to 0.043), and 46% (kappa=0.092; CI 95%: -0.043 to 0.228), respectively. When at least one alteration detected by noninvasive methods was considered, the agreement with endoscopic approach was 63% (kappa=-0.014; CI 95%: -0.227 to 0.199). Sensitivity and specificity in predicting alterations on endoscopic approach were 39.5 and 80% in the presence of pelvic pain, 14.5 and 72% in the presence of alteration on transvaginal ultrasound, 39.5 and 80% in the presence of alteration on hysterosalpingography, and 70.2 and 28% in the presence of at least one alteration by noninvasive methods. CONCLUSION: there is a poor diagnostic agreement between the several noninvasive methods and endoscopy in the investigation of conjugal infertility secondary to tuboperitoneal factors.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2005;27(5):275-282
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032005000500008
PURPOSE: to evaluate the effectiveness of the "global active stretching" (GAS) method and the routine medical recommendations for lumbar and/or posterior pelvic pain in pregnancy. METHODS: sixty-nine pregnant women who experienced lumbar or posterior pelvic pain were selected and identified through a randomized controlled clinical trial and were randomly divided into two groups. One group practiced GAS-oriented exercises and the other followed the routine medical recommendations. The pregnant women were followed up for eight weeks. The severity of pain was estimated by the visual analog scale and posterior pelvic pain and lumbar back pain were confirmed by provocation tests. RESULTS: after treatment, 61% (p<0.01) of the women of the GAS group reported no pain at the lumbar/or posterior pelvic area compared with 11% (p=0.50) of the group who followed routine medical recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: the GAS method relieved and diminished the intensity of lumbar and/or pelvic pains more effectively than routine medical recommendations.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2002;24(2):93-99
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032002000200004
Purpose: to evaluate the correlation between the laparoscopic aspects and the stromal histologic findings of peritoneal endometriosis in order to understand the evolutive theory of endometriosis. Methods: sixty-seven women were submitted to laparoscopy for pelvic pain, infertility, ovarian tumor and other pathologies. A peritoneal biopsy was taken from the typical (puckered black) and atypical endometriotic implants. The different aspects of endometriosis were classified as follows: red lesions (Group V), black lesions (Group N) and white lesions (Group B). The histological sections were examined according to a standardized protocol. The histologic parameters used were: depth of the lesion, presence of hemosiderin, vascularization of the stroma and fibrotic tissue in stroma. Results: regarding lesion depth, there were significant differences between the groups. Red lesions were located consistently on the surface of the peritoneum (100%) and black lesions were superficial in 55.6%, intermediate in 38.9% and deep in 5.5%. White lesions were superficial in 28%, intermediate in 68% and deep in 4%. The presence of hemosiderin showed equivalent results in the 3 groups. The large stromal vascularization was present in the red lesions (60%), which a statistically significant difference compared to the other groups. Fibrotic tissue was present in 70.6% of the white lesions (group B), a fact that was significantly different when compared to groups V and N. Conclusion: the parameters analyzed in this study confirmed the importance of the evolutive theory of endometriosis.