[Fibronectin: a predictive marker for preeclampsia].
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Biomarkers↗
Biomedical subjects
J B Lessing
Publications and source records attributed to J B Lessing.
Ectopic pregnancy after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET): the possible role of the ET technique.
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Embryo Transfer↗
Pregnancy during long-term gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist therapy associated with clinical pseudomenopause.
A case of pregnancy occurring with escape of suppression from GnRH-a therapy is described. Clinical pseudomenopause had been established, and the pregnancy was exposed to depot GnRH-a for 8 weeks. Normal pregnancy outcome demonstrated that successful implantation may occur in the first escaped ovulatory cycle.
Adult↗
Endometrial receptivity: the age-related decline in pregnancy rates and the effect of ovarian function.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of age and ovarian function on endometrial receptivity. DESIGN: Retrospective comparison between standard IVF and ovum donation in younger and older patients (< 40 and > or = 40 years of age, respectively). PATIENTS: In standard IVF, there were 325 transfer cycles in older patients and 1,103 transfer cycles in younger ones. In ovum donation, there were 236 transfer cycles in older patients and 222 cycles in younger women. Ovum recipients were then redivided into two groups, according to ovarian function: ovarian failure group (219 cycles) and eugonadal group (239 cycles) in patients with retained ovarian function as manifested by regular menstrual cycles and normal gonadotropins. RESULTS: In standard IVF, clinical pregnancy rates (PRs) were significantly lower in older patients (12.9% versus 23.8%, respectively). In ovum donation, clinical PRs were also significantly lower in older patients (21.2% versus 29.3%, respectively). A significantly higher clinical PR (31.1%) was noted in patients with ovarian failure, compared with both eugonadal patients undergoing ovum donation (19.7%) and standard IVF patients (21.3%). CONCLUSIONS: The decrease in endometrial receptivity with age is responsible for the higher rate of implantation failure in older women. Patients with nonfunctioning ovaries do better than eugonadal patients in ovum donation programs.
Adult↗
When multiple gestational sacs are seen on ultrasound, 'take-home baby' rate improves with in-vitro fertilization.
During a 5.5 year period, 309 clinical pregnancies were recorded in our in-vitro fertilization (IVF) unit. A single gestational sac was identified by early ultrasonography in 233 patients, while in 76 others, multiple gestational sacs were noted. 'Take-home baby' rate, in patients in whom multiple sacs were observed, was higher than that in patients with a single sac. Delivery of at least one live newborn occurred in only 73.8% of patients with a single sac, compared with 93.3% and 91.7% in patients with two and three gestational sacs, respectively. Conversely, the early and late abortion rates were decreased in patients with multiple sacs. Embryonic implantation rate, defined as the ratio of gestational sacs observed to the number of embryos transferred, was found to be a valuable prognostic factor for a live delivery, and can serve as a tool in assaying the prognosis of pregnancy detected by early sonography. The observation of a higher 'take-home baby' rate in cases with multiple sacs identified by ultrasound and with higher embryonic implantation rate, might be the result of a better embryo quality and/or improved uterine receptivity, promoted by a favourable hormonal milieu or by as yet unknown endometrial factors.
Abortion, Spontaneous↗
Repeated aspiration of ovarian follicles and early corpus luteum cysts in an in-vitro fertilization programme reduces the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in high responders.
A retrospective analysis of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in high responders undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) is presented. High responders were defined as having > 20 follicles and serum oestradiol > 3000 pg/ml after treatment with human menopausal gonadotrophin. Of the initial 30 IVF cycles in high responders, 23 developed a moderate-to-severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (76.7%). Subsequently, 15 other IVF cycles in high responders were combined with a repeated aspiration of ovarian follicles and corpus luteum cysts just prior to embryo transfer. Only three patients (20%) developed a moderate ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (P = 0.0004). We conclude that repeated follicular aspiration is safe and results in a significant reduction in the incidence and severity of this condition in high responders undergoing IVF.
Adult↗
Nifedipine versus ritodrine for suppression of preterm labour.
OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of tocolysis with specific regimens of nifedipine and ritodrine. Maternal side effects and neonatal outcome also were evaluated. DESIGN: A prospective, randomised trial. SUBJECTS: Seventy-one women, including 11 with twin pregnancies, who had uterine contractions and observed cervical changes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prolongation of pregnancy for 48 h, seven days and until 36 weeks of pregnancy were evaluated for each treatment. Maternal side effects and haemodynamic changes were compared, as well as neonatal outcomes. RESULTS: Delivery was delayed for 48 h, seven days, and until the 36th week of gestation in 83%, 67%, and 50%, respectively, of women in the nifedipine group, compared with 77%, 63% and 43%, respectively, of women in the ritodrine group (no significant difference). Maternal side effects were significantly less common in the ritodrine group (no significant difference). Maternal side effects were significantly less common in the nifedipine group (27%) than in the ritodrine group (77%) (P < 0.001). The neonatal outcome was similar in the two groups. The fall in mean arterial and diastolic blood pressure, and the rise in maternal heart rate were significantly greater in the women who received ritodrine compared with those treated with nifedipine. CONCLUSIONS: Nifedipine is as effective as ritodrine in suppressing preterm labour. Its use is associated with less frequent side effects.
Adult↗
A second thought on second look laparotomy.
Between 1982 and 1987, 43 patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma, identified as International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics Stages I-IV, underwent second-look laparotomy as a part of their treatment protocol. Twenty-nine patients (67%) had no evidence of residual disease, five (11.6%) had residual disease < or = 1 cm, and nine patients (20%) had residual disease > or = 1 cm at re-exploration. Persistent disease at the second operation was positively correlated with the initial clinical stage, and negatively correlated with the extent of the original cytoreductive surgery. Fifteen of 29 patients with negative findings (52%) developed recurrent disease within two years. All recurrences were limited to the abdominal cavity only. Three and five years survival, for the patients with negative findings, was 62% and 48% respectively. No documented benefit to the patients could be demonstrated by adopting second-look laparotomy as a routine procedure in the management of patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma. In view of our data, as well as that of others, such operations cannot be considered a valuable routine procedure. At this point, second-look laparotomy may have a role in evaluating the efficacy of a post-surgical new chemotherapy treatment regimen.
Adult↗
Fetomaternal blood flow measurements and management of combined coarctation and aneurysm of the thoracic aorta in pregnancy.
A pregnant patient presented at 21 weeks of gestation with severe coarctation of the aorta and a large aneurysm (5.4 cm) of the ascending aorta. The patient developed hypertension at gestation week 17. Continuous Doppler wave velocimetry showed a low systolic/diastolic (S/D) ratio in the uterine arteries indicating reduced blood flow to the placenta. The presence of a severe coarctation, aneurysm of the ascending aorta, and hypertension associated with the hemodynamic changes of pregnancy, increases maternal and fetal risk. The literature reviewed disclosed that aneurysm expansion and dissection or rupture on the one hand, and fetal demise on the other, are the greatest risks. The challenge of treating both the patient and the fetus was managed successfully by correction of the coarctation at week 22. Blood pressure normalized a few weeks after the operation, and no expansion in aneurysm diameter was noticed. A normal S/D ratio in the uterine arteries indicated increased blood flow in the uterine arteries. A healthy female was born. Pregnant patients with coarctation of the aorta should have surgical correction preferably in the first or second trimesters.
Adult↗
Embryonal reduction using transvaginal saline injection in a sextuplet pregnancy after ovulation induction with human menopausal gonadotropin.
A sextuplet pregnancy occurred in a first treatment cycle of ovulation induction with human menopausal gonadotropins. The serum 17-beta-estradiol concentration was 1245 pg/ml on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin administration. Embryonal reduction of four fetuses was carried out at nine weeks gestation using a transvaginal ultrasound-guided approach. Under general anesthesia, a 16-gauge in vitro fertilization needle was introduced through the posterior fornix and uterine wall, into the nearest gestational sac. The embryo was penetrated and 0.9% saline solution was injected until disintegration was noted, and confirmed by a lack of pulse for more than two minutes. The same procedure was applied to the three embryos in closest proximity to the needle. The patient delivered healthy twins in the 34th week of gestation after having had pre-term contractions for two weeks.
Abortion, Induced↗
Uterine rupture with the use of a low-dose vaginal PGE2 tablet.
BACKGROUND: Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) vaginal tablets, suppositories and gel are increasingly being used for the induction of labor. Ease of administration and supervision are their greatest advantage, while hyperstimulation and rupture of the uterus are the main risks. CASE: A 26-year-old woman, gravida 5, para 2, with no history of cesarean section, was induced at 40 weeks' normal gestation, because of mild pregnancy-induced hypertension. Half a tablet (1.5 mg) of PGE2 was inserted into the cervix. Three hours later, tetanic uterine contractions started. In a precipitated labor she delivered a female weighing 3,250 gr, about 20 minutes after the appearance of uterine contractions. Severe post partum hemorrhage occurred, and examination disclosed an isthmical uterine rupture. Subtotal hysterectomy was performed at laparotomy. The postoperative course was uneventful. CONCLUSION: The use of PGE2 should be of concern in multiparous patients, or those with scarred uteri. This case highlights the risk of even a small dose of PGE2 administered into the cervix.
Administration, Intravaginal↗
[New methods for predicting sperm fertilizing ability].
There is no reliable method for screening for the fertilizing ability of sperm. 3 new methods are presented: the freezing test (FT), hypoosmotic swelling test (HOST) and migration-sedimentation test (MST). The first 2, test the functional integrity and stability of the sperm membrane under certain osmotic conditions. The MST determines ability to separate high quality sperm. All tests were performed using either fresh semen of husbands, or thawed semen of donors used for fertilization in the IVF unit. Results of the FT were not correlated with the fertilizing ability of sperm in IVF, but HOST results with fresh, but not thawed semen, were correlated. Fertilization of oocytes in IVF was significantly better when HOST value of fresh semen was 45% or more. Motility and morphological normality of sperm separated by MST were better in ejaculates that fertilized ova under in vitro conditions, than in those that did not. Sperm separation by MST of 25% or more of motile sperm, or of more than 1.5 million motile sperm in the sample, indicated statistically significant ability for oocyte fertilization in an IVF system.
Cell Membrane↗
[Comparison of ovulation induction protocols for in vitro fertilization].
In a retrospective study we evaluated 4 controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) protocols for in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment. Treatment cycles 4 through 8 were analyzed in patients, who in 3 previous attempts reached the stage of embryo transfer (ET) but did not conceive. The 426 recorded cycles included all indications for IVF, but not the male factor. The age range was 25-46 years. Patients underwent from 4 cycles (169 women) to 8 cycles (27 women). The COH protocols used included established combinations of menotropins, clomiphene citrate/hMG, and short and long protocols of GnRH analogs followed by hMG. There were no statistically significant differences in patient age, etiology and duration of infertility, or distribution of the various COH protocols among the groups of patients. No single protocol was significantly superior to any other when the pregnancy rate per cycle was assessed. The results did not justify changing a COH protocol which had lead to ET but not to pregnancy, for another protocol.
Adolescent↗
[Ectopic pregnancy: diagnosis and treatment].
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Female↗
High- and low-power CO2 lasers. Comparison of results for three clinical indications.
In this prospective study, three groups of patients were enrolled: group 1, patients with high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (CIN 2 and 3) and carcinoma in situ (n = 56); group 2, patients with benign vulvar and perineal human papillomavirus lesions (n = 83); and group 3, patients with disseminated foci of penile shaft condylomatous lesions (n = 65). Each of the groups was randomly equally divided into two subgroups. One subgroup was treated with a laser beam with an output of 60 W and a spot size of 1-1.5 mm, creating high power density (HPD) ranging between 3,4000 and 7,640 W/cm2, while the other was treated with low power density (LPD) with an output of 20 W and the same spot sizes, creating an LPD ranging between 1,136 and 2,547 W/cm2. In group 1, the time to complete treatment was shorter using the HPD technique (P < .0003), and more satisfactory histologic edges were available (P < .007). HPD was also associated with a significantly shorter healing time and improved cosmetic results in groups 2 and 3 (P = .001). No difference was found in the time to complete therapy or the occurrence of infection when the different modalities were compared. The results of this study suggest that for specific disease entities, HPD is associated with better treatment outcomes than is LPD.
Carcinoma in Situ↗
The predictive fertilization value of the hypoosmotic swelling test (HOST) for fresh and cryopreserved sperm.
BACKGROUND: The hypoosmotic swelling test (HOST) was recommended as a predictive test for in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome. These results, however, were controversial and the results for thawed semen were insufficient. The present study was conducted in order to clarify the predictive value of the HOST for IVF in fresh and thawed sperm. METHODS: The hypoosmotic swelling test was performed in three groups: husband's fresh semen "subfertile" group, donor's thawed semen group, and donor's fresh semen "fertile" group. RESULTS: No correlation was found between HOST values and sperm characteristics in fresh or thawed sperm. Fresh sperm HOST values correlated with IVF fertilizations. No such correlations were found when thawed sperm was used. HOST values were significantly higher in the fresh fertile donor group than in the fresh subfertile group (P less than 0.001). Following the freezing and thawing process, HOST values decreased dramatically. Nevertheless, the fertilization rate was still higher compared to that of the fresh subfertile group (P less than 0.001). There were significantly more IVF cycles with no fertilizations when HOST values were below 45%. CONCLUSION: The HOST has a predictive value for fertilization of oocytes in IVF cycles when fresh semen, but not thawed sperm, is used. The freezing-thawing process affects the outer membrane of the spermatozoon and changes its characteristics, leading to a decrease in HOST values. Sperm characteristics that play a role in the fertilization process are not expressed directly by HOST values.
Cell Membrane↗
Vaginal injury resulting from sliding down a water chute.
A 27-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital because of profuse vaginal bleeding from a vaginal laceration caused by the impact of water to the perineum after sliding down a water chute. At the time of the accident the patient was using a vaginal tampon. The potential mechanism for this trauma is discussed.
Adult↗
Abruptio placentae associated with perforated appendicitis and generalized peritonitis.
A primigravid woman at 35 weeks' gestation was admitted with abdominal pain, fever, and vomiting. Forceful contractions and signs of fetal distress suggested abruptio placentae. During caesarean section, seropurulent exudate and a perforated appendix were found; an appendectomy was performed. A mechanism linking appendicitis with abruptio placentae is suggested.
Abruptio Placentae↗