Objective: To evaluate the relationship between neonatal biacromial and bideltoid diameter (BDD), birth weight and shoulder dystocia (SD).
Material and methods: This was a prospective observational study conducted on 161 pregnancies who applied to Private Lokman Hekim Hospital for follow-up between February 2021 and August 2021. Maternal height, weight, parity, and presence of SD in the second stage of labor were evaluated in the patients included in the study. The weight, height, head circumference, biacromial and BDD measurements of newborn babies were taken within the first two hours after birth. The primary purpose of the study was to evaluate the relationship between the biacromial and BDD and SD. The secondary purpose of the study was to evaluate the relationship between the biacromial and BDD and macrosomia.
Results: The mean age and post-pregnancy body mass index of the participants were 31.3±4.4 years and 29.0±4.0 kg/m2, respectively, and 42.9% (n=69) delivered vaginally. The incidence of macrosomia was 6.8% (n=11) in all women and the incidence of SD was 7.2% (n=5) in women who had vaginal deliveries. The mean biacromial diameter (BAD) was 12.4±1.0 cm and the mean BDD was 18.2±1.7 cm. A correlation rate of 0.373 was found between SD and the BAD, and 0.484 between SD and the BDD. The correlation coefficients between macrosomia and the biacromial and BDD were 0.213 and 0.420, respectively. In cases in which the BDD was ≥21 cm, the sensitivity for SD was 100%, the specificity was 90.63%, and the accuracy was 91.30%. The cut-off point for the BAD was ≥14 cm, and the sensitivity and specificity for SD was 63.64% and 89.33%, respectively. The highest correlation for SD was obtained in cases in which there was a history of SD (0.648).
Conclusion: The relationship between neonatal biacromial and BDD, and macrosomia and SD were significant. There was no difference between the correlation values of the two measurements in terms of SD. However, the correlation coefficient of the BDD was greater for macrosomia.
In this review, we aim to evaluate the current literature on reproductive and oncologic outcomes after fertility-sparing surgery for early-stage cervical cancer (stage IA1-IB1). This is a systematic review of the existing literature using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) checklist to report on fertility-sparing surgery and its outcomes in early-stage cervical cancer. Outcomes of interest were subsequent clinical pregnancy rate, reproductive outcomes, and cancer recurrence outcomes. Included in this systematic review were 68 studies encompassing 3,592 patients who underwent fertility-sparing surgery. Of these, reproductive outcomes were reported in 1096 pregnancies. The mean clinical pregnancy rate was 53.2%. Those who underwent vaginal radical trachelectomy had the highest clinical pregnancy rate (67.5%). The mean live birth rate was 67.8% in our study. Twenty-one percent of pregnancies after fertility-sparing surgery required assisted reproductive technology. The mean cancer recurrence rate was 3.2%, and the cancer death rate was 0.6% after a median follow-up period of 40.1 months with no statistically significant difference across surgical approaches. Offering fertility-sparing surgery in early-stage cervical cancer is reasonable. Highest clinical pregnancy rate is associated with vaginal radical trachelectomy. Moreover oncologic outcomes of minimally invasive approaches were comparable with abdominal approaches. We encourage detailed preoperative counseling and multidisciplinary approach to achieve best outcomes.
Personalized medicine is a relatively new and interesting concept in the medical and healthcare industries. New approaches in current research have supported the search for biomarkers, based on the genomic, epigenomic and proteomic profile of individuals, using new technological tools. This perspective involves the potential to determine optimal medical interventions and provide the optimal benefit-risk balance for treatment, whilst it also takes a patient's personal situation into consideration. Translational genomics, a subfield of personalized medicine, is changing medical practice, by facilitating clinical or non-clinical screening tests, informing diagnoses and therapeutics, and routinely offering personalized health-risk assessments and personalized treatments. Further research into translational genomics will play a critical role in creating a new approach to cancer, pharmacogenomics, and women's health. Our current knowledge may be used to develop new solutions that can be used to minimize, improve, manage, and delay the symptoms of diseases in real-time and maintain a healthy lifestyle. In this review, we define and discuss the current status of translational genomics in some special areas including integration into research and health care.
Objective: The occurrence of adnexal masses in patients with a history of non-gynaecological malignancy (NGM) raises concerns for malignancy, either primary or metastasis. Subsequent treatment and prognosis depends on the etiology. Our aim was to investigate the characteristics and results of the patients with suspicious adnexal masses, who had a history of NGM.
Material and methods: The records of 61 patients with a history of NGM were analyzed, who were operated for an adnexal mass. Complex adnexal masses were included in the analysis while simple cysts were excluded.
Results: The most common NGM origins were gastrointestinal (gastric and colorectal) tract and breast. Of all adnexal masses, four were benign (6.5%), 22 were primary ovarian malignancy (36.1%) and 35 were metastasis (57.4%). Two of the 22 primary cases were borderline ovarian tumor. Among the characteristics of primary and metastatic groups, laterality in pathology results and serum CA125 levels were statistically different (p<0.05). Among the patients with history of gastrointestinal cancers, the percentage of ovarian metastasis was 81%. Primary ovarian malignancy was most frequently (64%) observed among the patients with history of breast cancers.
Conclusion: For patients with a history of gastrointestinal cancer, recurrence of the cancer in the form of ovarian metastasis was more likely, rather than a second primary cancer. The risk of primary ovarian cancer (POC) was remarkable in those with history of a breast cancer. A multidisciplinary strategy, including a gynaecological oncologist, plays an important role in managing these cases, regardless of whether or not it is a POC.
Objective: To analyse the accuracy of antenatal ultrasound screening in Malta, comparing detection rates within the private and public sectors, and with the rest of Europe. To assess local trends in accuracy for each organ system.
Material and methods: Ethics approval was obtained to gather routinely collected data from the national congenital anomalies registry between 2016 and 2018. This was analysed to determine local antenatal ultrasound accuracy rates and trends. Electronic medical appointment record data was also used to indirectly determine whether a significant difference existed in the detection of antenatal anomalies in mothers scanned privately and those scanned within the public sector. χ2-for-trend was used to analyse changes in the accuracy rates. European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies (EUROCAT) data was used to compare scanning accuracy in Malta and other EUROCAT centres.
Results: The local rate of undetected congenital anomalies was 62.0% for public scans and 83.9% for private scans. Local trends over the three-year period showed an improvement in accuracy rates in detecting isolated syndromes (p=0.05), anomalies of the renal system (p=0.02) and craniofacial anomalies (p=0.05). Malta’s overall performance was similar to other EUROCAT centres.
Conclusion: Scans carried out within the public sector are more accurate than private scans, and Malta’s overall performance was similar to other EUROCAT centres.
Objective: The primary aim of this study was to determine whether pulmonary artery acceleration time (AT) to ejection time (ET) ratio (PATET) was altered in fetuses of mothers with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (IHCP). The secondary aim was to investigate the association between fetal pulmonary artery Doppler parameters with neonatal outcomes in pregnancies complicated by IHCP.
Material and methods: This prospective case control study was conducted in a tertiary perinatal-neonatal center. A total of 18 fetuses whose mothers’ pregnancies were complicated by IHCP were included as the study group and a total of 37 fetuses of mothers with healthy pregnancies were selected as controls. Fetal pulmonary artery Doppler parameters (AT; ET; AT/ET ratio) were assessed and neonatal outcomes were evaluated.
Results: Mean pulmonary artery AT, ET and PATET were significantly different between the groups (p=0.001, p=0.024 and p=0.003, respectively). The mean PATET value in the IHCP group was 0.217±0.029 while in the control group it was 0.180±0.020. While PATET values were correlated with gestational age at birth, respiratory distress and need for neonatal intensive care admission were not correlated with PATET.
Conclusion: Higher values of PATET may be a useful biomarker of fetal lung damage, secondary to IHCP.
Objective: Recent publications have raised doubts about the oncological safety of a laparoscopic approach in the treatment of endometrial cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the beneficial aspects of laparoscopy versus laparotomy in patients with endometrial cancer, and present oncological outcomes.
Material and methods: A retrospective study of patients who underwent surgery for the treatment of endometrioid endometrial cancer was performed. Surgical outcomes and complications in patients who were treated by laparoscopy or open surgery were compared. The patients were followed for 5-years. Patients’ characteristics, tumor stage, complications rate and oncologic outcome were analyzed.
Results: A total of 151 patients were included. The laparoscopy (n=80) and laparotomy (n=71) groups were homogeneous in regards of demographic data and tumor stage. Median average blood loss (1.31 vs. 1.92 g/dL), the mean duration of hospitalization (5.73 vs. 12.25 days), intraoperative (0 vs. 6%), and severe postoperative complications (5.1 vs. 14.3%) were significantly lower in the laparoscopy group. The numbers of pelvic or para-aortic lymph nodes removed during systematic lymphadenectomy were similar in both groups. Women who underwent laparoscopy and those who underwent laparotomy had similar five-year recurrence-free survival rates (88.7% vs. 91.5%, p=0.864), as well as similar overall five-year survival rates (91.2% vs. 97.2%, p=0.094).
Conclusion: The oncological outcome of laparoscopy was similar to that of laparotomy in the treatment of patients with endometrial cancer. However, surgical outcomes and morbidity rates were significantly better in patients treated by laparoscopy. Clinical trials are essential to evaluate the oncological efficacy of laparoscopy in patients with endometrial cancer.