INTRODUCTION

Hysteroscopy is the gold standard procedure for the evaluation and diagnosis of intrauterine pathologies. The optimal time to do hysteroscopy is during the proliferative phase. However, for women with irregular bleeding, the optimal time is unpredictable. Besides pharmacological means, mechanical endometrial preparation could be done.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of suction curettage on visualization, operative time, fluid deficit, and histopathologic diagnosis among perimenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) and unprepared endometrium prior to operative hysteroscopy.

Thirty-four (34) perimenopausal women admitted for AUB with unprepared endometrium for operative hysteroscopy who consented to participate were recruited and randomly divided into two groups: 18 women had suction curettage done prior to operative hysteroscopy and 16 women had operative hysteroscopy done alone. The following data were obtained for each group: (1) improvement in clarity (i.e., visualization of fundus and both tubal ostia), (2) operative time from entry to withdrawal of the resectoscope (measured in minutes), (3) fluid deficit, and (4) final histopathological diagnosis. P 

Women who underwent suction curettage prior to operative hysteroscopy had improved visualization (72.2%, P < 0.001), shorter operative time (29.06 ± 7.06 min vs. 35.5 ± 7.2 min, P = 0.013), no difference in fluid deficit (P = 0.276), and the histopathologic diagnosis (P = 0.470).

Suction curettage prior to operative hysteroscopy among perimenopausal women with AUB and unprepared endometrium improved visualization and shortened operative time without affecting fluid deficit and histopathologic diagnosis.

Uterine arteriovenous vascular malformation (UAVM) is a disease that causes excessive bleeding. The symptoms do not subside without proper treatment and this can lead to life-threatening situations. The correct diagnosis of UAVM can be complicated if the patient's uterus did not completely discharge everything during abortion (in broader terms, retaining remnants of the products of conception). In this case, Doppler ultrasonography and computed tomography angiography with 3-dimensional rendering were used to analyze the cause of bleeding and provide proper treatment of this patient. Then, uterine artery embolization, dilatation, and curettage were performed safely and successfully. The patient no longer had symptoms of vaginal spotting during the planned follow up care. UAVM is uncommon; however, if reproductive-age women show repeated abnormal vaginal bleeding after dilatation and curettage, a diagnosis of UAVM must be considered based on the medical history and examination.
Angiography ; Arteriovenous Malformations ; Curettage ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation and Curettage ; Dilatation ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Metrorrhagia ; Ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Doppler ; Uterine Artery ; Uterine Artery Embolization ; Uterine Hemorrhage ; Uterus ; Vascular Malformations

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of combined oral medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA)/levonorgestrel-intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) treatment and to compare the diagnostic accuracy of endometrial aspiration biopsy with dilatation & curettage (D&C) in young women with early-stage endometrial cancer (EC) who wished to preserve their fertility. METHODS: A prospective phase II multicenter study was conducted from January 2012 to January 2017. Patients with grade 1 endometrioid adenocarcinoma confined to the endometrium were treated with combined oral MPA (500 mg/day)/LNG-IUS. At 3 and 6 months of treatment, the histologic change of the endometrial tissue was assessed. The regression rate at 6 months treatment and the consistency of the histologic results between the aspiration biopsy and the D&C were evaluated. RESULTS: Forty-four patients were enrolled. Nine voluntarily withdrew and 35 patients completed the protocol treatment. The complete regression (CR) rate at 6 months was 37.1% (13/35). Partial response was shown in 25.7% of cases (9/35). There were no cases of progressive disease and no treatment-related complications. A comparison of the pathologic results from aspiration biopsy and D&C was carried out for 33 cases. Fifteen cases were diagnosed as “EC” by D&C. Among these, only 8 were diagnosed with EC from aspiration biopsy, yielding a diagnostic concordance of 53.3% (ĸ=0.55). CONCLUSION: Combined oral MPA/LNG-IUS treatment for EC showed 37.1% of CR rate at 6 months. Considering the short treatment periods, CR rate may be much higher if the treatment continued to 9 or 12 months. So, this treatment is still a viable treatment option for young women of early-stage EC. Endometrial aspiration biopsy with the LNG-IUS in place is less accurate than D&C for follow-up evaluation of patients undergoing this treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01594879
Biopsy, Needle ; Carcinoma, Endometrioid ; Dilatation and Curettage ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Endometrium ; Female ; Fertility ; Fertility Preservation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Levonorgestrel ; Medroxyprogesterone Acetate ; Prospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between sonographic, hysteroscopic, and pathological findings in postmenopausal asymptomatic patients with sonographically thickened endometrium. METHODS: The records of postmenopausal patients who attended the Menopause Outpatient Clinic of a tertiary women's hospital in Ankara, Turkey between January 1, 2012 and December 15, 2013 were retrieved. A total of 266 postmenopausal women without vaginal bleeding underwent hysteroscopic evaluation and endometrial sampling. Patients whose pathological records indicated an endometrial thickness equal to or greater than 6 mm (double layer) on transvaginal ultrasonography without any symptoms were included in the study. RESULTS: The most frequently detected focal intrauterine lesions in asymptomatic women were endometrial polyps, which were diagnosed in 168 (63.1%) cases. Twenty-four (9%) patients were diagnosed as having simple hyperplasia, 4 (1%) atypical hyperplasia, and 8 (3%) endometrial adenocarcinoma. Two of the patients with adenocarcinoma were diagnosed based on endometrial polyps, and 6 cases showed endometrial hyperplasia on hysteroscopy, while histological examination showed endometrial carcinoma. CONCLUSION: We suggest 10.5 mm as the cutoff value for endometrial thickness and recommend hysteroscopy following dilatation and curettage to increase diagnostic efficacy and provide definitive treatment in asymptomatic postmenopausal women with thickened endometrium.
Adenocarcinoma ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Dilatation and Curettage ; Endometrial Hyperplasia ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Endometrium ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Hysteroscopy ; Menopause ; Polyps ; Postmenopause ; Turkey ; Ultrasonography ; Uterine Hemorrhage

Intussusception is a common in pediatric age group. But it is rare in adults. And intussusception caused by tumor account for 1% of bowel obstructions in adult. Intussusception is an extremely rare cause of abdominal pain in pregnancy. In particular, cases of Intussusception due to colorectal cancer during pregnancy have never been reported in Korea. Our patient is a 34 years old woman who presented at 14 weeks of her second pregnancy. She presented with right lower abdominal discomfort and intermittent palpable mass which was usually spontaneously resolved. In the MRI study, pathologic asymmetric wall thickening was still noted and ileocolic intussusception was noted, and in colonoscopy, there was ulcerofungating mass around ileocecal valve which may be a leading point of intussusception. Biopsy was done. Pathologic finding was poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Under the patient agreement, we performed dilatation and curettage and laparoscopic right hemicolectomy and lymph node dissection. Now she is receiving a FOLFOX chemotherapy.
Abdominal Pain ; Adenocarcinoma ; Adult ; Biopsy ; Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Dilatation and Curettage ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Ileocecal Valve ; Intussusception ; Korea ; Lymph Node Excision ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pregnancy

Intussusception is a common in pediatric age group. But it is rare in adults. And intussusception caused by tumor account for 1% of bowel obstructions in adult. Intussusception is an extremely rare cause of abdominal pain in pregnancy. In particular, cases of Intussusception due to colorectal cancer during pregnancy have never been reported in Korea. Our patient is a 34 years old woman who presented at 14 weeks of her second pregnancy. She presented with right lower abdominal discomfort and intermittent palpable mass which was usually spontaneously resolved. In the MRI study, pathologic asymmetric wall thickening was still noted and ileocolic intussusception was noted, and in colonoscopy, there was ulcerofungating mass around ileocecal valve which may be a leading point of intussusception. Biopsy was done. Pathologic finding was poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Under the patient agreement, we performed dilatation and curettage and laparoscopic right hemicolectomy and lymph node dissection. Now she is receiving a FOLFOX chemotherapy.
Abdominal Pain ; Adenocarcinoma ; Adult ; Biopsy ; Colon ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Dilatation and Curettage ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Ileocecal Valve ; Intussusception ; Korea ; Lymph Node Excision ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pregnancy

Misoprostol is widely used in daily practice for induction of labor and cervical dilatation prior to intrauterine procedures, including dilatation and curettage or hysteroscopy. Anaphylactic shock to intravaginal misoprostol can occur not only in pregnant women, as reported in 2 previous cases, but also in a non-pregnant, perimenopausal woman, as in the case described herein. A 49-year-old woman received vaginal misoprostol for cervical ripening prior to hysteroscopic myomectomy and experienced anaphylactic shock. Two 400 μg doses of misoprostol 6 hours apart caused uncontrolled shaking and high fever followed by shock. In conclusion, the possibility of anaphylactic shock should be considered in patients with sudden hypotension following misoprostol administration. Prompt identification and management are crucial to prevent morbidity and mortality following an anaphylactic shock to misoprostol.
Anaphylaxis* ; Cervical Ripening ; Dilatation and Curettage ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Hysteroscopy ; Labor Stage, First ; Middle Aged ; Misoprostol* ; Mortality ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; Shock

Cosmetics are primarily applied to the skin; therefore, the association of cosmetic dyes with skin diseases or inflammation is a topic of great interest. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is an interleukin 7-like cytokine that activates dendritic cells to promote Th2 inflammatory immune responses. TSLP is highly expressed in keratinocytes under inflammatory conditions, which suggests that it may play a critical role in the development of skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis. Therefore, we investigated whether cosmetic dyes influenced the production of TSLP by keratinocytes. Phloxine O, also known as D&C Red No.27, is one of the most common red synthetic pigments and is widely used in colored cosmetics. Our results showed that Phloxine O downregulated phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced production of TSLP in a murine keratinocyte cell line (PAM212). Phloxine O also suppressed TSLP expression in KCMH-1 cells, which are mouse keratinocytes that constitutively produce high levels of TSLP. To investigate the in vivo effects of Phloxine O, we induced TSLP expression in mouse ear skin by topically applying MC903, a vitamin D3 analogue that is a well-known inducer of atopic dermatitis-like symptoms. Topical application of Phloxine O prevented MC903-induced TSLP production in mouse ear skin, attenuated the acute dermatitis-like symptoms and decreased serum IgE and histamine levels in mice. Suppression of TSLP expression by Phloxine O correlated with reduced expression of OX40 ligand and Th2 cytokines in mouse ear skin. Our results showed that Phloxine O may be beneficial to prevent dermatitis by suppressing the expression of TSLP and Th2 cytokines in skin.
Animals ; Cell Line ; Cholecalciferol ; Coloring Agents ; Cytokines ; Dendritic Cells ; Dermatitis* ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Dilatation and Curettage ; Ear ; Female ; Histamine ; Immunoglobulin E ; Inflammation ; Interleukins ; Keratinocytes ; Mice* ; OX40 Ligand ; Skin ; Skin Diseases

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of prophylactic uterine artery embolization (UAE) before obstetrical procedures with high risk for massive bleeding. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of 29 female patients who underwent prophylactic UAE from June 2009 to February 2014 was performed. Indications for prophylactic UAE were as follows: dilatation and curettage (D&C) associated with ectopic pregnancy (cesarean scar pregnancy, n = 9; cervical pregnancy, n = 6), termination of pregnancy with abnormal placentation (placenta previa, n = 8), D&C for retained placenta with vascularity (n = 5), and D&C for suspected gestational trophoblastic disease (n = 1). Their medical records were reviewed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of UAE. RESULTS: All women received successful bilateral prophylactic UAE followed by D&C with preservation of the uterus. In all patients, UAE followed by obstetrical procedure prevented significant vaginal bleeding on gynecologic examination. There was no major complication related to UAE. Vaginal spotting continued for 3 months in three cases. Although oligomenorrhea continued for six months in one patient, normal menstruation resumed in all patients afterwards. During follow-up, four had subsequent successful natural pregnancies. Spontaneous abortion occurred in one of them during the first trimester. CONCLUSION: Prophylactic UAE before an obstetrical procedure in patients with high risk of bleeding or symptomatic bleeding may be a safe and effective way to manage or prevent serious bleeding, especially for women who wish to preserve their fertility.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Cicatrix ; Dilatation and Curettage ; Female ; Fertility ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gestational Trophoblastic Disease ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Menstruation ; Metrorrhagia ; Oligomenorrhea ; Placenta, Retained ; Placentation ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, First ; Pregnancy, Ectopic ; Retrospective Studies ; Uterine Artery Embolization* ; Uterine Artery* ; Uterine Hemorrhage ; Uterus

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether less invasive endometrial (EM) aspiration biopsy is adequately accurate for evaluating treatment outcomes compared to the dilatation and curettage (D&C) biopsy in early-stage endometrial cancer (EC) patients treated with high dose oral progestin and levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS). METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study with patients younger than 40 years who were diagnosed with clinical stage IA, The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics grade 1 or 2 endometrioid adenocarcinoma and sought to maintain their fertility. The patients were treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate 500 mg/day and LNG-IUS. Treatment responses were evaluated every 3 months. EM aspiration biopsy was conducted after LNG-IUS removal followed D&C. The tissue samples were histologically compared. The diagnostic concordance rate of the two tests was examined with κ statistics. RESULTS: Twenty-eight pairs of EM samples were obtained from five patients. The diagnostic concordance rate of D&C and EM aspiration biopsy was 39.3% (κ value=0.26). Of the seven samples diagnosed as normal with D&C, three (42.8%) were diagnosed as normal by using EM aspiration biopsy. Of the eight samples diagnosed with endometrioid adenocarcinoma by using D&C, three (37.5%) were diagnosed with endometrioid adenocarcinoma by using EM aspiration biopsy. Of the 13 complex EM hyperplasia samples diagnosed with the D&C, five (38.5%) were diagnosed with EM hyperplasia by using EM aspiration biopsy. Of the samples obtained through EM aspiration, 46.4% were insufficient for histological evaluation. CONCLUSION: To evaluate the treatment responses of patients with early-stage EC treated with high dose oral progestin and LNG-IUS, D&C should be conducted after LNG-IUS removal.
Biopsy ; Biopsy, Needle* ; Carcinoma, Endometrioid ; Dilatation and Curettage* ; Dilatation* ; Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Female ; Fertility ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Hyperplasia ; Levonorgestrel* ; Medroxyprogesterone Acetate ; Observational Study ; Obstetrics ; Progesterone ; Prospective Studies