PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

C Courtieu

Publications and source records attributed to C Courtieu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

[Imaging of gynecologic malformations].

Female genital tract anomalies are common (1 to 2% of the female population), and may lead to multiple clinical manifestations: amenorrhea, infertility, spontaneous repeated miscarriage, pelvic pain, endometriosis. They are caused by intra-uterine insults between weeks 6 and 18 of gestation. They are classified according to their embryologic origin. Imaging relies essentially on ultrasound and MRI, and indications for hysterosalpingography are less common. Imaging must classify the malformation and detect complications in order to assess the fertility prognosis and treat complications.

Female↗
PubMed2000

[Static and dynamic MRI of the normal and pathological female pelvic floor].

Static and dynamic MRI of the female pelvic floor is a new application of this technology. The capability of MRI to assess cavities and muscles on the same exploration is an important improvement. The authors describe successively: MRI is nowadays a decisive tool in the preoperative work-up of pelvic floor dysfunctions.

Female↗
PubMed2000

[Static and dynamic magnetic resonance imaging of the pelvic floor].

MRI assessment of pelvic floor dysfunction is still fairly recent. It is a fast expanding field, owing to its safety and simplicity when compared to other imaging modalities. The possibility of direct dynamic imaging is a decisive input, and it can be coupled to a clinical examination at the magnet. The most widely used sequences are T2 weighted fast TSE or fast gradient echo, in the sagittal and frontal planes. Dynamic MRI of the pelvic floor allows pre-operative staging of prolapse, detection of hidden prolapses and assessment of muscle trophicity. Post-operatively it allows assessment of surgical results and failures or recurrences.

Female↗
PubMed1999

[Importance of defecography in the evaluation of genital prolapses].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the interest of defecography for the initial evaluation of genital prolapses. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of 125 patients who had undergone systematically a defecography for the initial evaluation of a genital prolapse. RESULTS: 10% of defecogaphies were normal. On clinical examination a rectocele was found in 94% of patients and an enterocele in 33%. At defecography, these abnormalities were seen only in 39% and 15% respectively. 39% of patients with radiological rectocele had an intussusception at defecography. CONCLUSION: Defecography is appropriate to diagnose and to assess constitutional abnormalities associated with genital prolapse (rectocele, enterocele) and other anomalies which interact with it (intussusception, sphincter and pubo-rectal dyskinesia). Most of women with genital prolapse showed abnormal defecograms. We observed a marked discordance between clinical and radiological evaluation, specially for rectocele. Defecography is of great interest in the evaluation of posterior genital prolapses, specially in women complaining of dyschesia. Defecography may be proposed in case of: posterior vaginal wall prolapse (rectocele, enterocele), dyschesia, post-operative prolapse and before a cervicopexy.

Defecography↗
PubMed1997

Respective evaluation of the prevalence of haemostasis abnormalities in unexplained primary early recurrent miscarriages. The Nimes Obstetricians and Haematologists (NOHA) Study.

The prevalence of haemostasis abnormalities was evaluated in 500 consecutive women with unexplained primary recurrent miscarriages. Two matched reference groups with no antecedent of miscarriage were studied: 100 healthy mothers and 50 childless women. In the prospective part of the study, we found 9.4% of the patients (95% C.I.: 6.8-12%) with an isolated factor XII deficiency, 7.4% of the patients (5.0-9.8%) with primary antiphopholipid antibodies, 47% of the patients (42.6-51.4%) with an insufficient response to the venous occlusion test and an isolated hypofibrinolysis was found in 42.6% (38.2-47%) of the patients (reference groups: respectively 0/150, 3/150, 2/150, p < 10(-3)). Willebrand disease, fibrinogen, deficiency, antithrombin, protein C or protein S deficiencies were not more frequent in recurrent aborters than in members of the reference groups. In the retrospective part of the study, cases of plasma resistance to activated protein C were not abnormally frequent. Patients had higher Willebrand factor antigen (vWF), tissue-type plasminogen activator antigen (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor activity (PAI) and D-dimers (D-Di) than the reference women. Values of vWF, t-PA, PAI and D-Di were altogether correlated but were not related to C-reactive protein concentrations. Among patients, those with an antiphospholipid syndrome and those with an insufficient response to the venous occlusion test had higher vWF, t-PA, PAI and D-Di values than the patients with none of the haemostasis-related abnormalities. Thus, factor XII deficiency and hypofibrinolysis (mainly high PAI) are the most frequent haemostasis-related abnormalities found in unexplained primary recurrent aborters. In patients with antiphospholipid antibodies or hypofibrinolysis, there is a non-inflammatory ongoing chronic elevation of markers of endothelial stimulation associated with coagulation activation. This should allow to define subgroups of patients for future therapeutic trials.

Abortion, Habitual↗
PubMed1996

[Severe preeclampsia. Analysis of a case with fatal outcome].

We report a case of preeclampsia presenting initially as a moderate hypertension, and complicated over a ten-day period by eclampsia, retinal hemorrhage, cerebral and hepatic subcapsular hematomas, HELLP syndrome, disseminated intravascular coagulation and renal failure. Fatal outcome was related to cerebral death and rupture of the liver hematoma. The case analysis points out inaccurate initial management: probable misdiagnosis of epigastric pain related to subcapsular hematoma, ineffective antihypertensive therapy, aspiration of the gastric content after benzodiazepine treatment of eclampsia, transfer of the patient without stabilisation of her clinical status.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed1995

Use of a low-molecular weight heparin (enoxaparin) or of a phenformin-like substance (moroxydine chloride) in primary early recurrent aborters with an impaired fibrinolytic capacity.

An impaired fibrinolytic capacity, defined as an insufficient venous occlusion-induced shortening of the plasma euglobulin clot lysis time, is a common feature in women suffering from primary early recurrent unexplained miscarriages. We investigated the therapeutic effect of a low-molecular-weight heparin and of a phenformin-like substance. In a prospective, randomized trial, 30 consecutive patients initially received either enoxaparin, 20 mg per day during one month, or moroxydine chloride, 1200 mg per day during one month. In case of fibrinolytic status normalization, they were treated during 6 months by the beneficial treatment which was planned to be continued during eventual pregnancies. Patients with hypofibrinolysis persistence received the alternative treatment during another month and a new evaluation was performed. No treatment was given when a persistent abnormal response to the venous occlusion test was evidenced. In case of positive response, the treatment was continued during 6 months. The primary study end-points consisted of any of the following: effect of the treatments on the fibrinolytic response; number of patients becoming pregnant during the 6 months following the last venous occlusion test; number of full-term pregnancies. Concerning the effects on the fibrinolytic system, 20 out of 29 women responded to the first or second-line enoxaparin treatment whereas only 1 woman out of 19 responded to moroxydine chloride (p = 0.00002). Concerning the effects on fertility, responders to LMWH were more likely to initiate a new pregnancy than non-responders (16/20 vs 2/10, p = 0.002). In patients conceiving, LMWH responders were more likely to obtain live births than nonresponders (13/16 vs. 0/2, p = 0.02).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Abortion, Habitual↗
PubMed1994

Cloning, chromosomal location and functional expression of the human voltage-dependent calcium-channel beta 3 subunit.

A novel human-voltage-dependent-calcium-channel (VDCC) beta subunit was isolated from a 9-week-old human total-embryo cDNA library. Of the four genes encoding beta-subunit isoforms that have been identified in animal species, this isoform shares strong similarity with the rat and rabbit beta 3-related gene product and is referred to here as H beta 3 subunit. The H beta 3 isoform is the second beta subunit identified in human. Its open reading frame encodes a 482-amino-acid protein with a predicted molecular mass of 54.571 kDa. The H beta 3 mRNA is expressed mostly in brain, smooth muscle and ovary. The gene for the human H beta 3 was specifically localized on chromosome 12q13. The cloned H beta 3 subunit was further expressed in Xenopus oocytes to demonstrate its ability to modulate VDCC activity.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1994

Tubal sterilization by selective catheterization in an animal model.

RATIONAL AND OBJECTIVES: The feasibility of tubal occlusion by selective salpingography was tested in an animal model; three novel occluding materials also were tested for this application. METHODS: Unilateral selective salpingography was performed in three groups of six rabbits; fallopian tubes were embolized with ethanol (group 1), a hydrogel (group 2), or an occluding emulsion (Ethibloc, Laboratoire Princeps, Neuilly sur Seine, France) (group 3). Animals were killed 2 days or 30 days after the procedure, according to randomization; tubal patency and histologic modifications were evaluated. RESULTS: Selective tubal catheterization was obtained in 100% of the cases. In group 1, no satisfactory occlusion was obtained; in group 2, 65% of the tubes were occluded with little histologic damage; in group 3, 80% of the tubes were occluded, but significant inflammation and tissue necrosis were noted. CONCLUSION: Selective salpingography proved a suitable method for gaining access to the fallopian tube and allowed selective injection of occluding materials. More research is needed to determine a suitable occluding material, focusing on biocompatibility and on long-term efficacy.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

[The use of sulprostone (Nalador) in the evacuation of uterine contents. Apropos of 32 cases at the Department of Gynecology, University Hospital Center, Nîmes, over 2 years (a retrospective study)].

We have studied the use of sulprostone in evacuating uterine contents in 32 patients, the majority of whom were in the second trimester of their pregnancies. There are three ways to administer the drug (continuous intravenous, intermittent intravenous, and intramuscular); the best results were obtained when the drug was administered continuously intravenously. It was well tolerated, the use of Nalbuphine reducing pain. There were few side effects. The use of this product is discussed in connection with a few of the cases as well as the possible alternative treatments in difficult cases.

Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal↗
PubMed1992

Penetration of pefloxacin into gynaecological tissues.

In a prospective pharmacokinetic study, the plasma and tissue concentrations of pefloxacin were studied. Twelve patients were premedicated with pefloxacin 400 mg bd orally for three days followed by 400 mg iv preoperatively. Tissue samples during surgery were taken from the skin, peritoneum, ovary, myometrium and fallopian tubes. Pefloxacin concentrations were measured by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. The mean elimination half-life of pefloxacin was 11.3 h, the mean residence time (MRT) was 15.8 h and the apparent volume of distribution 1.52 +/- 0.525 L/kg. Pefloxacin concentrations in myometrium, ovary and fallopian tubes exceeded four- to six-fold the corresponding plasma concentrations 3.5 h after the last drug intake. At the start of surgery, about 2.5 h after the last dose, the skin/plasma concentration ratio and the peritoneum/plasma concentration ratio were 2.65 and 1.18, respectively. At the end of surgery, these ratios were 4.65 and 1.5. The tissue concentrations exceeded the MIC90 for most common pathogens implicated in gynaecological infections.

Drug Administration Schedule↗
PubMed1992

Fallopian tube recanalization by selective salpingography: an alternative to more invasive techniques?

Selective salpingography was used in a total of 64 patients, engaged in evaluation for infertility and in whom standard hysterograms showed no tubal passage of contrast medium. Fallopian tube catheterization was successful in 92% of the cases; a peritoneal spill of contrast medium was obtained in 74% of the cases by manual injection. Recanalization of an obstructed oviduct was successful in 61% of the cases. Thus, after the procedure, 82% of the patients had at least one patent tube. We conclude that selective tubal catheterization, and recanalization when needed, should be included in the therapeutic procedures for tubal infertility, prior to in-vitro fertilization or tubal microsurgery.

Adult↗