Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2024;46:e-rbgo39i
This study aims to create a new screening for preterm birth < 34 weeks after gestation with a cervical length (CL) ≤ 30 mm, based on clinical, demographic, and sonographic characteristics.
This is a post hoc analysis of a randomized clinical trial (RCT), which included pregnancies, in middle-gestation, screened with transvaginal ultrasound. After observing inclusion criteria, the patient was invited to compare pessary plus progesterone (PP) versus progesterone only (P) (1:1). The objective was to determine which variables were associated with severe preterm birth using logistic regression (LR). The area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for both groups after applying LR, with a false positive rate (FPR) set at 10%.
The RCT included 936 patients, 475 in PP and 461 in P. The LR selected: ethnics white, absence of previous curettage, previous preterm birth, singleton gestation, precocious identification of short cervix, CL < 14.7 mm, CL in curve > 21.0 mm. The AUC (CI95%), sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and PNV, with 10% of FPR, were respectively 0.978 (0.961-0.995), 83.4%, 98.1%, 83.4% and 98.1% for PP < 34 weeks; and 0.765 (0.665-0.864), 38.7%, 92.1%, 26.1% and 95.4%, for P < 28 weeks.
Logistic regression can be effective to screen preterm birth < 34 weeks in patients in the PP Group and all pregnancies with CL ≤ 30 mm.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2024;46:e-rbgo5
This study aims to correlate pelvic ultrasound with female puberty and evaluate the usual ultrasound parameters as diagnostic tests for the onset of puberty and, in particular, a less studied parameter: the Doppler evaluation of the uterine arteries.
Cross-sectional study with girls aged from one to less than eighteen years old, with normal pubertal development, who underwent pelvic ultrasound examination from November 2020 to December 2021. The presence of thelarche was the clinical criterion to distinguish pubescent from non-pubescent girls. The sonographic parameters were evaluated using the ROC curve and the cutoff point defined through the Youden index (J).
60 girls were included in the study. Uterine volume ≥ 2.45mL had a sensitivity of 93%, specificity of 90%, PPV of 90%, NPV of 93% and accuracy of 91% (AUC 0.972) for predicting the onset of puberty. Mean ovarian volume ≥ 1.48mL had a sensitivity of 96%, specificity of 90%, PPV of 90%, NPV of 97% and accuracy of 93% (AUC 0.966). Mean PI ≤ 2.75 had 100% sensitivity, 48% specificity, 62% PPV, 100% NPV and 72% accuracy (AUC 0.756) for predicting the onset of puberty.
Pelvic ultrasound proved to be an excellent tool for female pubertal assessment and uterine and ovarian volume, the best ultrasound parameters for detecting the onset of puberty. The PI of the uterine arteries, in this study, although useful in the pubertal evaluation, showed lower accuracy in relation to the uterine and ovarian volume.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2024;46:e-rbgo63
Management of suspect adnexal masses involves surgery to define the best treatment. Diagnostic choices include a two-stage procedure for histopathology examination (HPE) or intraoperative histological analysis – intraoperative frozen section (IFS) and formalin-fixed and paraffin-soaked tissues (FFPE). Preoperative assessment with ultrasound may also be useful to predict malignancy. We aimed at determining the accuracy of IFS to evaluate adnexal masses stratified by size and morphology having HPE as the diagnostic gold standard.
A retrospective chart review of 302 patients undergoing IFS of adnexal masses at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, between January2005 and September2011 was performed. Data were collected regarding sonographic size (≤10cm or >10cm), characteristics of the lesion, and diagnosis established in IFS and HPE. Eight groups were studied: unilocular lesions; septated/cystic lesions; heterogeneous (solid/cystic) lesions; and solid lesions, divided in two main groups according to the size of lesion, ≤10cm or >10cm. Kappa agreement between IFS and HPE was calculated for each group.
Overall agreement between IFS and HPE was 96.1% for benign tumors, 96.1% for malignant tumors, and 73.3% for borderline tumors. Considering the combination of tumor size and morphology, 100% agreement between IFS and HPE was recorded for unilocular and septated tumors ≤10cm and for solid tumors.
Stratification of adnexal masses according to size and morphology is a good method for preoperative assessment. We should wait for final HPE for staging decision, regardless of IFS results, in heterogeneous adnexal tumors of any size, solid tumors ≤10cm, and all non-solid tumors >10cm.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2024;46:e-rbgo1
To evaluate the association between clinical and imaging with surgical and pathological findings in patients with suspected neuroendocrine tumor of appendix and/or appendix endometriosis.
Retrospective descriptive study conducted at the Teaching and Research Institute of Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, in which medical records and databases of patients with suspected neuroendocrine tumor of appendix and/or endometriosis of appendix were analyzed by imaging.
Twenty-eight patients were included, all of which had some type of appendix alteration on the ultrasound examination. The pathological outcome of the appendix found 25 (89.3%) lesions compatible with endometriosis and three (10.7%) neuroendocrine tumors. The clinical findings of imaging and surgery were compared with the result of pathological anatomy by means of relative frequency.
It was possible to observe a higher prevalence of appendix endometriosis when the patient presented more intense pain symptoms. The image observed on ultrasound obtained a high positive predictive value for appendicular endometriosis.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2022;44(12):1134-1140
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)is an entity with evolving conceptual nuances that deserve full consideration. Gestational diabetes leads to complications and adverse effects on the mother's and infants' health during and after pregnancy. Women also have a higher prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) related to the hyperglycemic status during pregnancy. However, the exact pathophysiological mechanism is still uncertain. We conducted a narrative review discussing the impact of GDM on the women's pelvic floor and performed image assessment using three-dimensional ultrasonography to evaluate and predict future UI.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2022;44(9):838-844
The immediate referral of patients with risk factors for placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) to specialized centers is recommended, thus favoring an early diagnosis and an interdisciplinary management. However, diagnostic errors are frequent, even in referral centers (RCs). We sought to evaluate the performance of the prenatal diagnosis for PAS in a Latin American hospital.
A retrospective descriptive study including patients referred due to the suspicion of PAS was conducted. Data from the prenatal imaging studies were compared with the final diagnoses (intraoperative and/or histological).
A total of 162 patients were included in the present study. The median gestational age at the time of the first PAS suspicious ultrasound was 29 weeks, but patients arrived at the PAS RC at 34 weeks. The frequency of false-positive results at referring hospitals was 68.5%. Sixty-nine patients underwent surgery based on the suspicion of PAS at 35 weeks, and there was a 28.9% false-positive rate at the RC. In 93 patients, the diagnosis of PAS was ruled out at the RC, with a 2.1% false-negative frequency.
The prenatal diagnosis of PAS is better at the RC. However, even in these centers, false-positive results are common; therefore, the intraoperative confirmation of the diagnosis of PAS is essential.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2022;44(7):646-653
This study aims to describe the behavior of chromosomopathy screenings in euploid fetuses.
This is a prospective descriptive study with 566 patients at 11 to 14 weeks of gestation. The associations between ultrasound scans and serological variables were studied. For the quantitative variables we used the Spearman test; for the qualitative with quantitative variables the of Mann-Whitney U-test; and for qualitative variables, the X2 test was applied. Significance was set at p ≤ 0.05.
We have found that gestational age has correlation with ductus venosus, nuchal translucency, free fraction of β subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin, pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A and placental growth factor; there is also a correlation between history of miscarriages and nasal bone. Furthermore, we correlated body mass index with nuchal translucency, free fraction of β subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin, and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A. Maternal age was associated with free fraction of β subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A.
Our study demonstrates for the first time the behavior of the biochemical and ultrasonographic markers of chromosomopathy screenings during the first trimester in euploid fetuses in Colombia. Our information is consistent with international reference values. Moreover, we have shown the correlation of different variables with maternal characteristics to determine the variables that could help with development of a screening process during the first trimester with high detection rates.