Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 1998;20(3):137-144
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72031998000300003
Objective: to report 54 intrauterine intravascular transfusions (IITs), describing procedure related complications and associated perinatal morbidity and mortality. Methods: fetuses undergoing IITs at Clínica Materno-Fetal and Maternidade Carmela Dutra, Florianópolis, SC, between January 1992 and August 1997 were included in the study. Patients demographics, procedure and newborn related data were tabulated for analysis and presented in descriptive form, using percentage, mean, standard deviation, median, range and relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence interval as appropriate. Results: fifty IITs and four exchange transfusions were performed in twenty-one fetuses. There were four deaths (20%), three of which occurred (75%) in hydropic fetuses. Mean gestational age at the time of the first IIT was 29.1 weeks, the mean hemoglobin concentration was 7.1 mg/dl and the mean rise in hemoglobin level per procedure was 5.69 mg/dl. Procedure related mortality rate was 7.4%. Mean gestational age at birth was 33.9 weeks and mean birth weight was 2,437 grams. Sixty-five percent of the newborns received complementary exchange transfusions. Conclusion: the procedure related mortality rate was 7.4%, similar to the mortality rate reported in the world literature. The perinatal mortality rate (20%) was higher than that reported in other countries but lower than the perinatal mortality rate reported in a study conducted in Brazil, with a similar prevalence of hydropic fetuses.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 1998;20(3):145-149
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72031998000300004
Although 80 to 90% of all dead fetuses may be spontaneously eliminated after two to three weeks from death, labor induction has been the mostly used management. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the results of labor induction for pregnancies with fetal death and gestation age above 20 weeks. It was a descriptive clinical study which was performed at the Hospital e Maternidade Leonor Mendes de Barros in São Paulo, Brazil. One hundred and twenty-two pregnancies with fetal death were evaluated regarding their social and demographic characteristics, causes of fetal death, previous pregnancies history and delivery (induction, route, complications). The statistical procedures used were estimation of mean and standard deviation and chi². The main causes of fetal death were hypertension and infections. The mostly used drug for labor induction was misoprostol (37.7%) followed by oxytocin (19.7%), while 27% of cases had spontaneous onset of labor. The mean time of induction was 3 hours. The majority of women had vaginal delivery and cesarean section was performed in 9.1% of them. It is concluded that labor induction for fetal death is safe and efficient, irrespective of the method used. Misoprostol when used in the vagina is specially useful for cases with an unripe cervix because of the modifying effect of the drug on the cervix.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 1998;20(3):151-154
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72031998000300005
A retrospective study examining medical records of female prostitutes attending the STD/AIDS Reference Center in Vitória, Brazil from January/93 to December/96 was conducted. During this period, 180 women received medical and psychological care in this clinic. Mean age was 25.9 year (SD=6.8). Out of 180, 140 agreed to be tested for HIV, of whom 12 (8.6%) had a positive result. Among 157 women who agreed to be tested for syphilis, 144 (91.7%) had a negative result, while 13 (8.3%) had a positive one. According to the educational degree, 6 (3.3%) women were illiterate, 114 (63.3%) attended elementary school, 37 (20.6%) attended secondary school, 7 (3.9%) went to college and 16 gave no information. One hundred and forty-one patients (78.3%) were single, 17 (9.4%) married, 10 (5,5%) divorced and 4 (2.2%) widows. The frequency of condom use was: always, 56 (31.3%), sometimes, 93 (52.0%), and 30 (16.8%) never used condoms. Other STDs were reported by 89 (49.4%) women and 9 (5.0%) reported intravenous (IV) drug use. There was a significant difference between the HIV positive and the negative group only regarding IV drug abuse (p=0.031) and syphilis infection (p=0.014). The present study showed prevalence rates of HIV infection among prostitutes in Vitória much higher than those found in the general population. There is a pressing need to improve medical assistance and educational campaigns especially designed to reach this population of women, and focusing the importance of regular condom use and the risks associated with IV drug abuse.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 1998;20(7):371-376
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72031998000700001
The purpose of the present study was to evaluate some epidemiological, clinical and pathological characteristics of the different grades of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN), and its relation with the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV). The charts of 46 women with VIN, examined from 1986 through 1997, were reviewed. For statistical analysis the chi² with yates correction when appropriate, and Fisher's exact tests were used. Regarding the grade of VIN, six women presented VIN 1, six others had VIN 2 and the remaining 34 presented VIN 3. All women presented similar characteristics such as age, menstrual status and age at first sexual intercourse. Women with more than one lifetime sexual partner had a tendency to show more VIN 3 (p = 0.090). Cigarette smoking was significantly associated with the severity of the vulvar lesion (p = 0.031). HPV was significantly more frequent in women younger than 35 years of age (p = 0.005) and in women with multiple lesions (p = 0.089). Although the number of lesions were not related to the severity of VIN (p = 0.703), lesions with extensions greater than 2 cm were significantly associated with VIN 3 (p = 0.009). The treatment of choice for VIN 3 was surgery, including local resection and simple vulvectomy. Eight women relapsed, and only one had VIN 2. We concluded that among women with VIN, cigarette smoking and more than one lifetime sexual partner were associated with high-grade lesions. HPV was more frequent among patients younger than 35 years of age presenting multiple lesions. Women with VIN 3 presented lesions bigger than 2 cm and a high relapse rate, despite the type of treatment applied.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 1998;20(7):377-380
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72031998000700002
Parpose: to analyze the epidemiologic factors, clinical manifestations and forms of treatment of infection with papiloma virus. Method: all cases of condyloma acuminatum in children and adolescents assisted in the period from 1990 to 1995 in the Service of Children and Adolescent Gynecology were revised. We present the following data: age, diagnosis, clinical manifestations, sites of the lesions, transmission modes and treatment. Results: the average age of the 18 studied cases, was 6 years and 11 months (ranging from 2 to 15 years). The most common clinical manifestation was the presence of warts (61.1%). The lesions were located in the vulvoperineal area in 44.4% of the patients, and perianal and vulvar lesions were observed respectively in 27.8% and 22,2% of the cases. It was not possible to confirm the occurrence of sexual abuse or of condyloma lesions in the parents in 66.7% of the cases. Probable sexual abuse (not confirmed) was reported in 2 cases. The basic therapy was chemical cauterization. Conclusions: sexual abuse in children and adolescents with condyloma acuminatum should be investigated in spite of the existence of other transmission ways including auto- or heteroinoculation. The presentation forms at young age differ from those in adults, and thus an appropriate therapy for this is necessary for this population.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 1998;20(7):381-387
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72031998000700003
Objective: to evaluate the diagnosis, characteristics of pregnancy, maternal complications and perinatal outcome in cases of congenital hydrocephalus, and to associate them with pregnancy and delivery variables. Methods: 116 pregnancies with this diagnosis were evaluated before or after delivery, 112 of them occurring at the Maternity ward of CAISM/UNICAMP during the period between 1986 and 1995. For perinatal variables, complete data of 82 newborns were used. For data analysis, distributions and means were calculated and c² and Fisher exact tests were applied. Results: generally the diagnosis was made before delivery, confirmed by ultrasound and the delivery was through a cesarean section in cases. Cephalocentesis was performed in 11 cases and complications were more frequent in vaginal delivery than cesarean section. Low Apgar scores were more frequent among newborn babies delivered vaginally. Congenital hydrocephalus was also associated with important neonatal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, with other malformations, and a very low number of children without sequelae. Conclusions: the evaluation of these factors may be of great value for the obstetrician who is following pregnant women with this fetal malformation. This could better support the decisions that, although medical and ethical, should take into account the risk-benefit ratio of measures to be taken.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 1998;20(7):389-394
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72031998000700004
Most authors agree on the negative impact of pregnancy in women with advanced maternal age on maternal and perinatal outcome. However, it is not usual to evaluate if some considered risk factors are only confounders because they are present in women over forty years. In order to identify the isolated effect of age on maternal and perinatal outcome of pregnancies in women over forty, 494 pregnancies from this age group were compared to 988 pregnancies among women aged 20 to 29 years, matched by parity. After controlling possible confounding variables through multivariate analysis, advanced maternal age maintained its association with a higher prevalence of hypertension, malpresentation, cesarean section, postpartum hemorrhage, low Apgar score, perinatal death, late fetal death and intrapartum fetal distress. These findings show the need for adequate obstetrical care with special attention to those factors in order to improve maternal and perinatal outcome of pregnancies in women with advanced age.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 1998;20(7):395-403
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72031998000700005
Purpose: to establish a list of diseases promoting maternal death according to frequency. Methods: In 1996, 65,406 deaths were recorded in the City of São Paulo, 26,778 of which were of women. Of these, 4591 were within the 10-49 year age bracket. We analyzed the latter group, regarding at the field "Cause of Death" in the Death Certificate, trying to establish some correlation between the described pathology, and the pregnancy-puerperium cycle. We separated for a further study 293 Death Certificates, from which we selected, after hospital survey and/or home visits, a total of 119 positive cases for maternal death. The positive cases for maternal death were then tabulated, grouped and analyzed according to age and pathology, using the great medical care groups. Results: as regards the 119 positive cases for maternal death, we did not find any reference to the pregnancy-puerperium state in 53 of them (that is, 40.54% subnotifying). The cases were grouped according to pathology, where we found a predominance of eclampsia/pre-eclampsia cases (18.02%), followed by cases resulting from hemorrhagic complications in the third quarter and puerperium (12.61%), abortion complications (12.61%), puerperal infection (9.91%) and cardiopathies (9.91%). Conclusions: for the first time, we are publishing the Late Maternal Mortality Coefficient for the City of São Paulo, which was 51.33/100,000 born alive. However, we used for the official publication the Maternal Mortality Coefficient for death within up to 42 days of puerperium, which was, 48.03/100,000 born alive for the city of São Paulo. We should bear in mind that no correction factor should be applied to these figures since we have made an active search of cases.