OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of lowering the cutoff values of 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: Patients with an abnormal 50 gm glucose challenge test (GCT) of more than 130 mg/dL at 24-28 weeks of gestation underwent a 3-hour OGTT at 28-32 weeks of gestation. Patients were divided into four groups according to the criteria recommended by Carpenter-Coustan or National Diabetes Data Group (NDDG) (Control: 50 gm GCT negative [n=268], Borderline: 2 or more abnormal values met or exceeded Carpenter-Coustan criteria but not the NDDG criteria [n=100], NDDG I: 2 or more abnormal values met or exceeded NDDG criteria, [treated, n=70], NDDG II: [not treated, n=42]). Obstetric and perinatal outcomes were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Of 5,827 pregnant women screened for GDM, 112 (1.9%) met the NDDG criteria, whereas 212 (3.6%) met the Carpenter-Coustan criteria. The incidences of poor maternal outcomes were 20.1%, 28.0%, 47.1%, 21.4%, and the incidences of poor neonatal outcomes were 3.7%, 6.0%, 14.3%, 16.7% in the four groups (p<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that 1) NDDG I showed an independent risk factor for poor maternal outcome (OR, 3.37), but the borderline group did not, 2) NDDG I showed an independent risk factor for poor neonatal outcome (OR, 3.87), but the borderline group did not, 3) the borderline group showed an independent risk factor for preterm delivery (OR, 2.67). CONCLUSION: Lowering the cutoff values would increase the number of pregnant women with GDM, while only minimally affecting the perinatal outcomes. Further large-scale prospective studies for Korean pregnant women may be needed.
Diabetes, Gestational* ; Female ; Glucose ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Humans ; Incidence ; Logistic Models ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

Ovarian steroid cell tumors are composed exclusively of cells that have the histologic features of steroid hormone secreting cells. And these are rare lesions and have been divided into four subtyes according to their size, location in the ovary, and presence or absence of crystals of Reinke in the cytoplasm as follows: stromal luteomas, hilus cell tumors, Leydig cell tumors (non-hilar type), and steroid cell tumors not otherwise specified. Steroid cell tumors often secret androgens, and manifest themselves with symptoms of virilization. Other presenting manifestations include hirsutism, amenorrhea, obesity, hypertension and alopecia. We experienced a case of ovarian steroid cell tumor, manifested by obesity and amenorrhea and present with a brief review of the literatures.
Alopecia ; Amenorrhea ; Androgens ; Cytoplasm ; Female ; Hirsutism ; Hypertension ; Leydig Cell Tumor ; Luteoma ; Obesity* ; Ovary ; Virilism

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of low-dose aspirin and corticosteroid in IVF-ET patients with endometriosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 45 infertile patients with endometriosis underwent 59 consecutive IVF-ET cycles. In the treatment group, 18 patients (23 cycles) underwent controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) and received daily doses of 80 mg of aspirin and 15 mg of prednisone, starting on 3rd day of COH. In the control group, 27 patients (36 cycles) underwent COH without treatment. We analyzed the clinical characteristics, fertilization rates, good quality embryo ratio and pregnancy rates between these two groups. RESULTS: There was no difference between groups in clinical characteristics (mean age, parity, LH, FSH, estradiol, progesterone), fertilization rates, and good embryo ratio. However, implantation rates were significantly different (29.81% vs. 11.06%, p=0.019). Furthermore, hCG positive rates (60.89% vs. 41.67%), clinical pregnancy rates (56.52% vs. 33.33%), and on going pregnancy rates (>20weeks) (47.83% vs. 27.78%) were increased in the study group compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Combined treatment of low dose aspirin and prednisone improved pregnancy rates and implantation rates in IVF-ET patients with endometriosis. This results confirm the hypothesis that autoantibodies subsequently react with endometrial antigen leading to implantation failure and that we need to further research to the relationship of endometriosis with the immunologic aspect of implantation.
Aspirin* ; Autoantibodies ; Embryo Transfer* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Endometriosis* ; Estradiol ; Female ; Fertilization* ; Humans ; Parity ; Prednisone ; Pregnancy Rate

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of laparoscopy in infertile women with normal hysterosalpingograms. METHODS: Retrospectively analyzed the laparoscopic findings of 79 infertility patients with normal hysterosalpingograms. RESULTS: Of the 79 patients, 28 (35.4%) showed normal laparoscopic findings, while in 51 (64.6%) patients, it was abnormal. Abnormal findings consisted of stage I-II endometriosis in 23 patients (45.1%), stage III-IV endometriosis in 5 (9.8%), peritubal adhesions in 7 (13.7%), and pelvic adhesions in 12 (23.5%). Among patients in whom patent fallopian tubes were demonstrated by hysterosalpingography, there were 2 (4.0%) patients each with tubal obstruction and hydrosalpinx. CONCLUSION: Even in patients who showed normal findings on a hysterosalpingogram, it is thought that laparoscopy in selected cases may provide enhanced efficacy in terms of cost and time effectiveness.
Endometriosis ; Fallopian Tube Diseases ; Fallopian Tubes ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterosalpingography ; Infertility ; Laparoscopy* ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of selective fetal reduction (SFR) and compare the outcome of twin pregnancy after SFR in multiple pregnancy induced by assisted reproductive technology (ART) with that of natural twin pregnancy. METHODS: From September 1995 to March 2002 in Ajou University Hospital, SFR was performed in 79 patients whose gestational sacs were more than 3. Of these 79 patients, 47 patents resulted in twin pregnancy after SFR. SFR was performed using transvaginal intracardiac KCl injection at gestational age of 6~9 weeks. Control group was composed of 264 patients with natural twin pregnancy, who delivered after intrauterine pregnancy at 24 weeks, from June 1994 through December 2002. We compared Obstetric and perinatal outcomes between SFR group and natural twin group. RESULTS: Among 47 patients with twin pregnancy after SFR, 2 spontaneous abortion were occurred at intrauterine pregnancy at 8 and 19 weeks. Obstetrical and perinatal outcomes were available in 43 patients. Single intrauterine fetal death was occurred in 1 of 43 (2.3%) patients in SFR group. incidence of preterm labor, premature rupture of membrane, preeclampsia and placenta previa were similar, but gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was occurred more frequently in SFR group (3 (7.0%) vs 4 (1.5%), p=0.02). Mean gestational age, mean birth weight, incidence of discordancy, use of intubation and ventilation, incidence of fetal anomaly, low (<7) Apgar score and intrauterine growth restriction were similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: Twin pregnancy after SFR has the increased incidence for GDM but other obstetric and perinatal outcome was similar compared with natural twin pregnancy. So SFR is a safe and effective procedure, so we suggest SFR is needed in multifetal pregnancy more than triplet.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Apgar Score ; Birth Weight ; Diabetes, Gestational ; Female ; Fetal Death ; Gestational Age ; Gestational Sac ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intubation ; Membranes ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Placenta Previa ; Pre-Eclampsia ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Reduction, Multifetal* ; Pregnancy, Multiple ; Pregnancy, Twin* ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted ; Rupture ; Triplets ; Ventilation