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The pedicle artery sign based on sonography with color Doppler imaging can replace second-stage tests in women with abnormal vaginal bleeding.

OBJECTIVE: Unenhanced transvaginal sonography is not accurate in the detection of endometrial polyps. Currently, second-stage tests such as saline contrast sonohysterography and office hysteroscopy are used to diagnose endometrial lesions, but both have limitations and side effects. We proposed visualization of the pedicle artery on color Doppler imaging as a sign of polyps. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study involving 3099 consecutive patients referred for assessment of the endometrium and myometrium. The uterus was assessed in sagittal and coronal planes using color Doppler sonography. Patients with suspected endometrial pathology on sonography were noted and the volume of the focal lesion was calculated. Patients with a clearly visible pedicle artery reaching the central part of the endometrium were regarded as test-positive. The gold standard was defined as the presence or absence of an endometrial polyp at hysterectomy, hysteroscopy and/or endometrial histology on dilatation and curettage within 1 year of sonography. RESULTS: Of the 3099 women, no gold standard was available in 2230. Only 28 of the 199 patients who were test-positive did not have a gold standard. In the 869 patients in whom a gold standard was available, 182 had one or more endometrial polyps. The pedicle artery test had an apparent sensitivity for detection of endometrial polyps of 76.4%, specificity of 95.3%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 81.3%, and negative predictive value of 93.8%. When extending the test to the prediction of any focal intracavitary pathology the PPV was 94.2%. CONCLUSIONS: The pedicle artery test has a very high PPV for intracavitary pathology. We expect that in the majority of patients with an endometrial polyp this test may replace more invasive established second-stage tests, such as saline contrast sonohysterography and office hysteroscopy.

Adult↗

Prevalence of genital herpes simplex infection and abnormal vaginal cytology in late pregnancy in asymptomatic patients.

A study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection in 809 asymptomatic, late pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic (ANC) at Ramathibodi Hospital. There was only one case where the cervico-vaginal swab specimen was positive for HSV by cultivation and the biotin-streptavidin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (B-SA ELISA), for detection of viral antigens. This gave a prevalence rate of 0.12%. The anti-HSV IgM in cord blood of the infant born to this mother was negative. The Papanicolaou (Pap) smear was performed in 554 cases, including the above patient, but none showed evidence of HSV infection. The high prevalence of lower genital tract infection in these subjects was noted in both Pap smear (31.05%) and wet preparation of the cervico-vaginal discharge (46.72%). Thus, examination of the cervico-vaginal discharge during late pregnancy should be of benefit to the patients, in revealing asymptomatic infections of the lower genital tract.

Adult↗

Vaginal abnormalities in ovariectomized BALB/cCrgl mice after neonatal exposure to different doses of diethylstilbestrol.

Newborn BALB/cCrgl female mice received five daily injections of various doses of diethylstilbestrol (DES), 0.0001-10 micrograms. Mice were killed at 6 days of age or at 4 months after ovariectomy at 40-42 days. Subepithelial nodules of polygonal cells in the upper (Mullerian) vagina during early postnatal life were associated with the later occurrence of ovary-independent persistent stratification with or without cornification in mice treated neonatally with 0.1-10 micrograms DES and thus are a possible predictor of this phenomenon. The thresholds for the induction of ovary-independent epithelial pegs, downgrowths and adenosis (glandular formations) were 0.1 microgram and 0.5 microgram DES/day, respectively.

Age Factors↗

Pathogenesis of abnormal vaginal bacterial flora.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to determine the relationships between microscopy findings on wet mounts, such as lactobacillary grade or vaginal leukocytosis, and results of vaginal culture, lactate and succinate content of the vagina, and levels of selected cytokines. STUDY DESIGN: In a population of 631 unselected women seeking treatment at an obstetrics and gynecology outpatient clinic, vaginal fluid was obtained by wooden Ayre spatula for wet mounting and pH measurement, by high vaginal swab for culture, and by standardized vaginal rinsing with 2 mL 0.9% sodium chloride solution for measurements of lactate, succinate, interleukin 1beta, interleukin 8, leukemia inhibitory factor, and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist concentrations. Lactate and succinate levels were measured by gas-liquid chromatography and the cytokine concentrations were measured by specific immunoassays. Both univariate analysis (Student t test, Welch test, chi(2) test, and Fisher exact test) and multivariate regression analysis (Cox analysis) were used. RESULTS: Increasing disturbance of the lactobacillary flora (lactobacillary grades I, IIa, IIb, and III) was highly correlated with the presence of Gardnerella vaginalis, Trichomonas vaginalis, enterococci, group B streptococci, and Escherichia coli. Vaginal pH and interleukin 8 and interleukin 1beta concentrations increased linearly with increasing lactobacillary grade, whereas lactate concentrations and the presence of epithelial cell lysis decreased. A similar pattern of associations with increasing leukocyte count was clear, but in addition there was an increase in leukemia inhibitory factor concentration. Multivariate analysis of vaginal leukocytosis, lactobacillary grades, and the presence of positive vaginal culture results showed that interleukin 1beta concentration was most closely related to the lactobacillary grade, leukemia inhibitory factor concentration was most closely related to the lactobacillary grade and positive culture results, interleukin 8 concentration was most closely related to positive culture results, and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist concentration was most closely related to vaginal leukocytosis and positive culture results. The concentration ratio of interleukin 1beta to interleukin 1 receptor antagonist remained stable, except when vaginal leukocytosis increased. In its most severe form, with >10 leukocytes per epithelial cell present, a decompensation of the vaginal flora with a collapse in interleukin 1beta and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist concentrations was seen, but there was a concurrent sharp increase in leukemia inhibitory factor concentration. This pattern was completely different from the course of the cytokine concentrations associated with a lactobacillary grade increase. CONCLUSION: Both disturbed lactobacillary grade and the presence of increasing vaginal leukocytosis were correlated with lactobacillary substrate (lactate) concentration, pH, and the concentrations of a variety of cytokines. There was a remarkably linear increase in these cytokines as either leukocytosis or lactobacillary grade became more severe. In circumstances in which leukocytosis was extreme, however, interleukin 1beta was no longer produced but leukemia inhibitory factor concentrations increased. We speculate that in extreme inflammation the body tries to limit the damage that can be done by exaggerated cytokine production.

Animals↗

Cocaine self-administration in ovariectomized rats is predicted by response to novelty, attenuated by 17-beta estradiol, and associated with abnormal vaginal cytology.

Parameters of cocaine self-administration behavior and vaginal cytological changes were assessed in ovariectomized rats during and after chronic self-administration. Response to novelty as measured by locomotor activity was found to correlate with cocaine self-administration on both fixed ratio (FR) and progressive ratio (PR) schedules of reinforcement. Chronic 17-beta estradiol (E2) replacement did not affect cocaine self-administration on FR or PR schedules of reinforcement. Acute E2 administration decreased cocaine self-administration on a PR schedule of reinforcement on the day of and on the two days following hormone treatment. Finally, the proliferation of vaginal epithelia following acute E2 was potentiated in rats both during cocaine self-administration and 30 days into withdrawal when compared with non-drug-exposed animals. These results identify response to novelty as a behavioral index predictive of cocaine self-administration liability in female rats and additionally provide evidence of psychostimulant-hormonal interactions highly relevant to female behavior and physiology.

Animals↗

Comparison of transvaginal ultrasound, hysteroscopy, and dilatation and curettage in the diagnosis of abnormal vaginal bleeding and intrauterine pathology in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To compare transvaginal ultrasound, hysteroscopy, and dilation and curettage (D&C) in the evaluation of women with perimenopausal and postmenopausal bleeding. DESIGN: Descriptive study (Canadian Task Force classification II-1). SETTING: Seven outpatient clinics. PATIENTS: One thousand two hundred eighty-six women. INTERVENTION: Transvaginal ultrasound, hysteroscopy, and D&C. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of our patient population, 29 (2.26%) had a histologic diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma; in 2 of them (7.14%) endometrial thickness was 5 mm or less. In 10 women (34.5%), endometrial carcinoma was missed by hysteroscopy (sensitivity 65.52%, specificity 99.92%). Complication rate of D&C was 1.4%. CONCLUSION: In women with perimenopausal and postmenopausal bleeding neither transvaginal ultrasound nor hysteroscopy as a single diagnostic tool is suitable to rule out endometrial cancer.

Dilatation and Curettage↗