1,720,964 research outputs found
Rupture of Ovarian Pregnancy in a Woman with Low Beta-hCG Levels
Full text linkBackground. Ovarian pregnancy is a rare form of ectopic pregnancy. It is often difficult to distinguish from tubal pregnancy, and diagnosis and management are frequently a challenge. Case. A 33-year-old nulligravida woman presented with light vaginal bleeding and bilateral lower quadrants abdominal pain. Beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) level (592 mUI/mL) and clinical and ultrasound (US) findings were suspicious for tubal pregnancy. On the third day, despite beta-hCG decrease (364 mUI/mL), she complained of severe pain in the lower abdomen, and physical examination revealed abdominal rebound tenderness. US showed a large amount of fluid in the abdominal cavity. Because of the unstable clinical condition, emergency laparoscopy and resection of left ovarian ectopic pregnancy were performed. Histology confirmed ovarian gestation. Conclusion. This case shows that ectopic pregnancy rupture may occur despite low levels of beta-hCG. Hemoperitoneum is not contraindication to laparoscopy
Quality of life and sexual satisfaction in women suffering from endometriosis: an Italian preliminary study
No full textEndometriosis is a chronic gynaecological disease that affects women during the reproductive age, and may compromise their quality of life (QoL) and sexual satisfaction. Few data are available on women affected by pelvic endometriosis in the absence of deep infiltrating endometriosis.
Aim of the study
To evaluate QoL and sexual satisfaction in a group of Italian women affected by pelvic endometriosis identifying specific sociodemographic variables that could impact on the individual perception of the disease.
Method
A survey was conducted on 150 women with pelvic endometriosis, recruited at the University hospital of Rome. The control group included 150 healthy women matched for age and relational status. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the Italian versions of the WHOQOL-Bref and McCoy Female Sexuality Questionnaire (MFSQ) and the Visual Analogue Scale were administered to participants.
Results
Our data show that the experimental group obtained a lower score than the control group in the questionnaire total scores and, specifically, in the physical, psychological and social relationships domains (WHOQOL) and in the sexuality domain (MFSQ). A positive and significant correlation was observed between relational status and the MSFQ total score. No significant correlation emerged between pain intensity and sociodemographic variables, total scores and subscales of the MSFQ and WHOQOL-BREF.
Discussion and conclusion
Our results showed that the disease has a negative impact on many areas of the overall functioning and sexuality quality of life of women. Nevertheless, the existence of mediatory variables emerged, emphasising how the presence of a partner could be considered a protective value in the experience of pain, therefore stressing the need to adopt a bio-psychosocial perspective to study and fully understand the disease
Endometriosis and Glanzmann's thrombasthenia
No full textGlanzmanns thrombasthenia (GT) is a rare bleeding syndrome characterized by deficiency or defect of platelet aggregation complex. The pathogenesis of endometriosis is controversial but the strongest evidence leans towards retrograde menstruation. GT probably predisposes to endometriosis. The management of women affected by this disease can be difficult due to the risk of bleeding complications, especially during surgical treatment. We describe the cases of three sisters affected by endometriosis and GT, referred to our Department, who received different therapeutic management
A Promise in the Treatment of Endometriosis: An Observational Cohort Study on Ovarian Endometrioma Reduction by N-Acetylcysteine
Full text linkUrged by the unmet medical needs in endometriosis treatment, often with undesirable side effects, and encouraged by N-acetylcysteine (NAC) efficacy in an animal model of endometriosis and by the virtual absence of toxicity of this natural compound, we performed an observational cohort study on ovarian endometriosis. NAC treatment or no treatment was offered to 92 consecutive Italian women referred to our university hospital with ultrasound confirmed diagnosis of ovarian endometriosis and scheduled to undergo laparoscopy 3 months later. According to patients acceptance or refusal, NAC-treated and untreated groups finally comprised 73 and 72 endometriomas, respectively. After 3 months, within NAC-treated patients cyst mean diameter was slightly reduced (-1.5 mm) versus a significant increase (+6.6 mm) in untreated patients (P = 0.001). Particularly, during NAC treatment, more cysts reduced and fewer cysts increased their size. Our results are better than those reported after hormonal treatments. Twenty-four NAC-treated patients-versus 1 within controls-cancelled scheduled laparoscopy due to cysts decrease/disappearance and/or relevant pain reduction (21 cases) or pregnancy (1 case). Eight pregnancies occurred in NAC-treated patients and 6 in untreated patients. We can conclude that NAC actually represents a simple effective treatment for endometriosis, without side effects, and a suitable approach for women desiring a pregnancy
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Frequently misdiagnosed extrapelvic endometriosis lesions: case reports and review of the literature
No full textExtrapelvic endometriosis is a rare condition defined as the presence of endometriotic stroma and glands outside the pelvis and elsewhere in the body. The cervix, vagina, vulva, intestinal tract, urinary tract, diaphragm, abdominal wall, inguinal canal, thoracic cage and lungs, extremities and even the central and peripheral nervous system can be involved. Because extrapelvic endometriosis is located in unusual sites, it is often confused with other pathologic conditions. This can lead to a difficult and challenging diagnosis and management. In the presence of recurrent, cyclical and catamenial symptoms, extragenital endometriotic lesions should be suspected. The aim of our paper is to report 9 cases of rare locations of extrapelvic endometriosis and to provide a literature review. © 2014 Wichtig Publishing
The use of HE4, CA125 and CA72-4 biomarkers for differential diagnosis between ovarian endometrioma and epithelial ovarian cancer
Full text linkBackground: Endometriosis is frequently associated with high levels of CA125. This marker is therefore not useful for discriminating ovarian endometrioma from ovarian malignancy. The aim of this study was to establish a panel of complementary biomarkers that could be helpful in the differential diagnosis between ovarian endometriosis or other ovarian benign masses and ovarian cancer. Methods: Blood samples from 50 healthy women, 17 patients with benign ovarian tumors, 57 patients with ovarian endometrioma and 39 patients with ovarian cancer were analyzed and serum values were measured for the following biomarkers: CA125, HE4 and CA72-4. Results: Serum CA125 concentration was elevated in both patients with ovarian endometriosis and ovarian cancer but not in patients with other benign ovarian masses. HE4 was never increased in patients with endometriosis or benign masses whereas it was significantly higher in all patients with ovarian cancer (p < 0.05). A marked difference in CA72-4 values was observed between women with ovarian cancer (67%) and those with endometriosis (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results of the study suggest that HE4 and CA72-4 determination is the best approach to confirm the benign nature of ovarian endometrioma in women with high CA125 levels
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