Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2009;31(4):164-170
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032009000400002
PURPOSE: to determine factors associated to amniotic fluid volume and frequencies of fetal anomalies, in a reference center in Pernambuco. METHODS: a transversal study performed in high-risk pregnant women submitted to obstetrical morphological ultrasound, from March 2002 to March 2006, at an institution from Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil. The intrauterine diagnosis was confirmed after birth. Sociodemographic and obstetrical characteristics, amniotic liquid volume and presence of fetal anomalies were the variables studied. Fisher's exact, χ2, and Student's t tests, at a significance level of 5% were applied to verify the correlation among the variables. Prevalence rate and confidence interval at 95% were calculated. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed at a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: Two hundred and fifty-seven pregnant women (56.2%) with congenital anomalies and 200 (43.8%) without anomalies, confirmed in the postnatal, were included in the study. The average of maternal ages and gestation periods were 24.8±6.5 years and 35.9±3.7 weeks, respectively. The fetal anomalies were discovered in the central nervous system (50.6%) and genitourinary tract (23.0%). The presence of congenital anomalies were significantly linked with reduced liquid/oligohydramnios (p=0.0002) and increased liquid/polyhydramnios (p<0.0001). Intrauterine mortality was more frequent in the group with anomalies, as compared to the healthy fetuses (10.5 versus 2.5%; p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The rate of congenital anomalies in the high-risk pregnant women group was 56.2%. Most of the central nervous system malformations were diagnosed intrauterus. Changes in the amniotic fluid were the factors more strongly associated with congenital anomalies.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2009;31(4):171-176
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032009000400003
PURPOSE: to apply geoprocessing techniques for the spatial birth profile analysis of each municipality. METHODS: ecological and exploratory study, using data from the Health Information System about born alive babies in 2004, and using geoprocessing techniques. The spatial autocorrelations of the variables: cesarean section, mother's schooling, low birth weight, Apgar score at five minutes, prematurity, number of medical appointments and adolescent mothers, besides the map with the index of human development were estimated. For the detection of spatial events aggregates, Moran's I M statistics, through the program Terra View 3.13 (developed by INPE and available to the public) was used. Spatial maps with those variables were built, and Pearson's correlation coefficients, estimated. RESULTS: results have shown that the rate of born alive babies, from mothers with school level over primary school and from cesarean sections, presented a spatial pattern visually identifiable and significant spatial self-correlation. Low birth weight, prematurity, Apgar score, number of pre-natal appointments and adolescent mothers have presented a random spatial pattern, showing that, in this analysis scale, those markers have not discriminated the risk groups, despite their unquestionable predictive value for children's morbidity-mortality at individual level. There has been a positive correlation between cesarean section and schooling, and between cesarean section and human development index; and a negative correlation between adolescent mothers and human development index, with statistical significance (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: this methodology has allowed us to identify spatial clusters for the variables cesarean section and mother's schooling, besides deepening our knowledge on birth profile in the municipalities, presenting good potential on how to direct actions for specific areas.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2009;31(4):177-181
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032009000400004
PURPOSE: to characterize, phenotypically, yeasts isolated from the vaginal content of 223 symptomatic (S) and asymptomatic (A) adult women with vulvovaginitis, and to determine the clinical indicators which may lead to the appearance of signs and symptoms related to the mucosa involvement by this pathology. METHODS: a questionnaire with open and closed questions on epidemiological clinical data was applied initially. Then, mycological diagnosis with sowing in Chrom Agar Candida was done, followed by micro-morphological and biochemical identification. Specific methods for the detection of the virulence factors, proteinase and phospholipase were employed. Statistical analysis was performed through χ2 and Pearson's χ2 tests. RESULTS: the most prevalent species found was Candida albicans (87%, S and 67%, A) followed by Candida glabrata (4%, S e 17% A). The number of women reporting the use of contraceptives was higher among the symptomatic, 77%. In the two groups studied, about 87% of the women presented regular menstrual cycles and 57% were married with ages between 30 to 40 years old. Concerning the sexual practices, there has been concomitance among anal, oral and vaginal habits from the patients. Only Candida albicans produced the virulence factor phospholipase in 37.5% of them. Proteinase has been detected in Candida albicans, Candida glabrata and Candida parapsilosis. This latter virulence factor was mainly associated to isolates from symptomatic patients. CONCLUSIONS: it is a fact that the vaginal mucosa can be colonized and infected by yeasts, with several Candida species present. Nevertheless, Candida albicans is the most prevalent in the vaginal mucosa of adult women. It is evident the emergence of non-albicans Candida species, some of them with intrinsic resistance to azolics, such as Candida glabrata, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis, and Candida guillermondii, which can be explained by the inadequate use of medicines and empirical treatment.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2009;31(4):182-188
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032009000400005
PURPOSE: to observe the impact of obesity and other risk factors on the rate of failure in patients submitted to Burch's surgery for the treatment of urinary incontinence. METHODS: cases study of patients submitted to Burch's surgery, from 1992 to 2003. Patients were evaluated at the second post-surgery appointment (average 66 days) and after one-year follow-up, and classified in two groups: Continent and Non-continent. Variables analyzed were: age, parity, body mass index (BMI), menopause duration, duration of hormonal therapy, urodynamic evaluation, history of urinary tract infection, previous urinary incontinence surgery, diabetes, cystocele and uterine prolapse, time spent in hospital, necessity of self-probing, post-surgical spontaneous micturition, and surgical wound. Data were analyzed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences 14.0 statistical package. For the comparison of continuous variables, Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney test were used, and Fisher exact and χ2 tests, for the categorical variables (p<0.05). RESULTS: at the second post-surgical evaluation, there was no significant difference between the two groups, concerning the variables analyzed. After one-year follow-up, from a total of 97 patients, 81 were continent and 16, non-continent, BMI and height being different between the groups. In the continent group, average BMI was 27.1 and height, 1.57 m, and, among the non-continent, 30.8 (p=0.02) and 1.52 m (p=0.01). The BMI>30 Odds Ratio was 3.7 (CI95%=1.2-11.5). CONCLUSIONS: obesity has shown to be an important risk factor for the surgery failure in the first follow-up year. Results show that patients with BMI>30 have 3.7 times more chance of being non-continent one-year after Burch's surgery than non-obese patients.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2009;31(4):189-195
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032009000400006
PURPOSE: to identify species of lactobacillus isolated from the vaginal contents of healthy and asymptomatic women, determining the most prevalent species and characterizing them phenotypically. METHODS: lactobacillus have been isolated in selective milieu from samples of the vaginal contents of 135 women without complaints of vaginal secretion, and with negative laboratorial diagnosis of vaginal infection, followed up at an outpatient clinic. After being identified by multiplex PCR, the isolates have been submitted to RNAr 16S gene sequencing, when necessary. They have also been evaluated concerning the production of lactic acid, H2O2, bacteriocins and the ability to adhere to epithelial cells. RESULTS: eight-three lactobacillus strains were isolated and identified, L. crispatus (30.1%), L. jensenii (26.5%), L. gasseri (22.9%) e L. vaginalis (8.4%), being the prevalent species. Only 20 of those isolates did not present H2O2 production, in detectable amounts. From the 37 strains selected for the test of adhesion to the epithelial cells, 12 presented 50 to 69% of adhesion, 10 presented 70% or more, and the remaining, little or no adhesion at all. None of the tested strains produced bacteriocins. CONCLUSIONS: the lactobacillus species more prevalent in women without vulvovaginitis, isolated in selective culture milieu and identified by molecular methods were L. crispatus, L. jensenii and L. gasseri. Besides the fact of being more prevalent, these strains also presented better production of H2O2, and reached lower pH values in the culture milieu.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2009;31(4):196-202
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032009000400007
PURPOSE: to evaluate the quality of life of post-menopause women, users and non-users of hormonal therapy (HT), in a Healthcare Unit in Franca, São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: a clinical transversal study, carried out with 250 post-menopausal women, with ages from 45 to 70 years old, attended to in Healthcare Units, from September 2007 to August 2008. Participants were divided into two groups: HT users (n=70) and non-users (n=180). Women making continuous HT use for at least six months were considered as users. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics have been evaluated. Blatt-Kupperman's menopausal index has been applied to assess climacteric symptoms, and the Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ), to assess their quality of life. Fisher's exact test or χ2 and Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis's tests have been used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: no significant difference has been found in the comparison of groups, concerning age, menarche, menopause, parity and body mass index. It has been seen that 67.2% of the women were married, 83.2% had attended primary school and 53.2% were housewives, with no difference between the groups. HT users reported lower frequency of climacteric symptoms (BKMI) with moderate and marked intensity, as compared to non-users (p<0.001). Even though HT users presented lower average score in cognitive deficit (p<0.001), vasomotor symptoms (p=0.04), sleeping problems (p<0.001), attractiveness (p=0.02) from the WHQ, there has been no difference in the total score, as compared to non-users. CONCLUSIONS: post-menopausal women, HT users and non-users, admitted at Healthcare Units, have not presented differences in global quality of life.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2009;31(3):124-130
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032009000300004
PURPOSE: to evaluate the effect of long-term use of a high dose of tibolone on the morphology of the endometrium of castrated female rats. METHODS: fifteen female Wistar rats, aged eight weeks and weighting about 250 g were used. All the female rats were submitted to bilateral oophorectomy and 30 days afterwards, vaginal cytology was collected, to verify the menopause status. The female rats were randomly divided in two groups. The Treatment Group (n=9) received 1 mg of tibolone/day orally; the Control Group (n=6) received a solution of carboxymethylcellulose vehicle. After 20 weeks of treatment, all the animals were sedated and sacrificed by cervical dislocation. The uterus was removed and fixated in 10% buffer formaldehyde. Both uterine horns were divided in three regions (proximal, medial and distal) and processed to be included in paraffin. Histological sections, stained with hematoxylin-eosin were submitted to morphological and morphometrical analysis. The following parameters have been analyzed: thickness of the endometrial superficial epithelium, thickness of the endometrium stroma, endometrial area, absolute number of endometrial glands and number of glands/endometrial area. The data obtained were compared by the t-Student test. RESULTS: in the Tibolone Group, the uteri were well developed and there was a significant increase (p<0.01) of all the histomorphometric parameters. In some cases, the cylindrical epithelium became stratified, pavimentous and covered the internal portions of the glands, as well as of the endometrium cavity. Rats from the Control Group presented uterine atrophy. There were few tubular-like glands and scarce intercellular substance. Glands were covered by cubic epithelium which extended itself to the endometrial cavity. CONCLUSIONS: high doses of tibolone, given for long periods of time to castrated female rats, have an estrogenic effect which can be dose-dependent, causing proliferation in the endometrium and causing changes in the cell differentiation (squamous metaplasia), but do not lead to hyperplasia.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2009;31(3):138-141
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032009000300006
PURPOSE: to report three cases of spontaneous gestation in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), that occurred in the months subsequent to transvaginal oocyte retrieval for in vitro maturation (IVM). METHODS: three infertile patients with PCOS, submitted to oocytes' IVM without previous ovarian stimulation, were included in the study. During the procedure of oocytes' collection, each ovary was drilled from four to eight times. RESULTS: none of the patients got pregnant with the IVM technique. Evaluating the cases' follow-up, in seven months after the procedure, the three patients got pregnant without the help of techniques of assisted reproduction, which resulted in three births. CONCLUSIONS: the multiple drillings in the ovary of these patients with PCOS, during the process to collect oocytes, may have contributed to their pregnancy in the months following the procedure.