Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2024;46:e-rbgo20
To present a series of cases with our initial experience and short-term outcomes of a modified vaginal mucosal flap urethroplasty.
Patients diagnosed with urethral stricture and operated by the same operative technique between January 2012 and January 2018 were followed for at least 6 months. Uroflowmetry and clinical outcomes were evaluated.
Nineteen patients were included with an average age of 56.4 years, mean preoperative Qmax of 5.3 ml/s, and PVR of 101.4 mL. After 6 months of the procedure, the mean Qmax improved to 14.7 mL/s (p<0.05), PVR decreased to 47.3 mL (p<0.05), and 84.2% of all patients reported improvement in clinical self-reported symptoms. There was an improvement in symptoms such as voiding effort in 84.2% of patients, weak stream (89.5%), and recurrent urinary tract infection (85.7%). The success rate (absence of symptoms and normal Qmax with no significant PVR) of the procedure was 84.2%.
The described technique was considered effective for the treatment of female urethra stricture, with a high clinical success rate and an objective improvement of Qmax and decrease in PVR after 6 months of the procedure.
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. 2023;45(12):780-789
To compare the patterns of systemic inflammatory response in women with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) or no evidence of malignant disease, as well as to evaluate the profile of systemic inflammatory responses in type-1 and type-2 tumors. This is a non-invasive and indirect way to assess both tumor activity and the role of the inflammatory pattern during pro- and antitumor responses.
We performed a prospective evaluation of 56 patients: 30 women without evidence of malignant disease and 26 women with EOC. The plasma quantification of cytokines, chemokines, and microparticles (MPs) was performed using flow cytometry.
Plasma levels of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-12 (IL12), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and interleukin-10 (IL-10), and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 9 (CXCL-9) and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL-10) were significantly higher in patients with EOC than in those in the control group. Plasma levels of cytokine interleukin-17A (IL-17A) and MPs derived from endothelial cells were lower in patients with EOC than in the control group. The frequency of leukocytes and MPs derived from endothelial cells was higher in type-2 tumors than in those without malignancy. We observed an expressive number of inflammatory/regulatory cytokines and chemokines in the cases of EOC, as well as negative and positive correlations involving them, which leads to a higher complexity of these networks.
The present study showed that, through the development of networks consisting of cytokines, chemokines, and MPs, there is a greater systemic inflammatory response in patients with EOC and a more complex correlation of these biomarkers in type-2 tumors.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2023;45(12):790-795
To compare cytological and histological results from women > 64 years old who followed the Brazilian national cervical cancer screening guidelines with those who did not.
The present observational retrospective study analyzed 207 abnormal cervical smear results from women > 64 years old in a mid-sized city in Brazil over 14 years. All results were reported according to the Bethesda System. The women were divided into those who followed the screening guidelines and those who did not.
Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion cytology results were found in 128 (62.2%) cases. Of these, 112 (87.5%) had repeated cytology with positive results. The other 79 (38.1%) with abnormal results should have been referred to colposcopy and biopsy. Out of 41 (51.9%) biopsied women, 23 (29.1%) had a confirmed diagnosis of neoplasia or precursor lesion. In contrast, among the 78 (37.7%) biopsied patients, 40 (51.3%) followed the guideline recommendations, with 9 (22.5%) positive biopsies. Of the 38 (48.7%) women who did not follow the guidelines, there were 24 (63.1%) positive results. Women who did not follow the guidelines demonstrated higher chances of cancer and precursor lesions (odds ratio [OR]: 5.904; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.188–15.932; p = 0.0002).
Women > 64 years old who did not follow the national screening protocol showed significant differences in the frequency of abnormal results and severity of diagnosis compared with those who followed the protocol.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2023;45(12):775-779
To calculate and analyze the mortality rates from breast cancer in women under 50 years of age in Colombia and to compare them with those of other countries in the region.
Based on data from the registry of deaths in 2018 and the results of the National Population and Housing Census of Colombia for the same year, specific mortality rates in women with breast cancer, specific mortality according to age group, standardized by age, proportional mortality, potential years of life lost, and years of life expectancy lost in women under 50 years of age who died from breast cancer were calculated. The mortality rate of regional countries was consulted on the Global Cancer Observatory webpage.
In the group from 20 to 49 years, the specific mortality rate was higher in the age range from 45 to 49 years, with a rate of 23.42 × 100,000, a value that was above the specific mortality rate due to breast cancer in women in Colombia, 15.17 × 100.000. In the age range of 45 to 49 years, the potential years of life lost were 42.16. Of the 0.275 years of life expectancy lost by the population due to this neoplasia, women under 50 years of age represented 0.091 (33%). Colombia is the fifth in the rank of mortality in Latin American countries in this age group.
Breast cancer in patients from 30 to 59 years is the number one cause for the decrease in life expectancy of women in Colombia. Women under 50 years of age represent one third of this decrease. This neoplasm is also the leading cause of mortality in women younger than 50 years in South America.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2023;45(12):764-769
The aim of the present study is to compare the effectiveness of Arabin pessary and McDonald cervical cerclage on preterm delivery.
We conducted a retrospective analysis of data from patients who underwent either Arabin pessary or McDonald cerclage between January 1, 2019, and January 1, 2023. A total of 174 patients were included in the study, with 31 undergoing Arabin pessary and 143 receiving cervical cerclage using the McDonald technique in singleton pregnant women with cervical insufficiency, which applied between 14 and 22 gestational weeks. We included singleton pregnant women with normal morphology, and with normal combined test. The primary outcome was the impact of each method on preterm delivery (< 34 gestational weeks).
The weeks of cervical cerclage or pessary application were compatible with each other (p < 0.680). The pessary group had a statistically significant longer time to delivery compared with the Cerclage group (cerclage group mean 30.8 c 7.1 standard deviation [SD] versus pessary group mean 35.1 ± 4.4 SD; p < 0.002). A statistically significant difference was found between the pessary and cerclage groups in terms of delivery at < 34 weeks (p = 0.002). In patients with cervical length between 25 and 15mm and < 15mm, no significant difference was found between the pessary and cerclage groups in terms of delivery week (p < 0.212; p < 0.149). Regardless of the technique applied, no statistically significant difference was observed between cervical length and birth < 34 weeks.
Our study found that pessary use for cervical insufficiency is statistically more effective than cervical cerclage surgery in preventing preterm births < 34 weeks in singleton pregnancy.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2023;45(12):754-763
The serum ischemia modified albumin (IMA), biglycan, and decorin levels of pregnant women who were hospitalized for threatened preterm labor were measured.
Fifty-one consecutive pregnant women with a single pregnancy between the 24th and 36th weeks with a diagnosis of threatened preterm labor were included in the present prospective cohort study.
As a result of multivariate logistic regression analysis for predicting preterm delivery within 24 hours, 48 hours, 7 days, 14 days, ≤ 35 gestational weeks, and ≤ 37 gestational weeks after admission, area under the curve (AUC) (95% confidence interval [CI[) values were 0.95 (0.89–1.00), 0.93 (0.86–0.99), 0.91 (0.83–0.98), 0.92 (0.85–0.99), 0.82 (0.69–0.96), and 0.89 (0.80–0.98), respectively. In the present study, IMA and biglycan levels were found to be higher and decorin levels lower in women admitted to the hospital with threatened preterm labor and who gave preterm birth within 48 hours compared with those who gave birth after 48 hours.
In pregnant women admitted to the hospital with threatened preterm labor, the prediction preterm delivery of the combined model created by adding IMA, decorin, and biglycan in addition to the TVS CL measurement was higher than the TVS CL measurement alone.
The present trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT04451928.