The outcome of magnetic resonance-guided high-intensity ultrasound for clinically symptomatic submucosal uterine fibroid performed accidentally in very early pregnancy : a case report

This is a report of an unintended application of MR-HIFU therapy of uterine fibroids (UFs) in a woman in early pregnancy and should be treated as the first description of such an event. A 37-year-old nullipara with confirmed UFs, who suffered from excessive uterine bleeding and dysmenorrhea, was qualified for MR-HIFU therapy to reduce UF-related symptoms. The procedure took place 2 months later. No complications occurred and the patient was discharged home in good overall condition. About 5 weeks after the procedure the patient was diagnosed with viable intrauterine pregnancy. Basing on early pregnancy ultrasound it was calculated that at the time of MR-HIFU procedure the patient was about 10 (þ/ 3 days) days after the conception. Later, the pregnancy was uncomplicated and she gave birth to a healthy neonate. Physical examinations did not reveal any abnormalities in her child. Symptoms associated with UFs significantly decreased after the therapy and pregnancy. Despite the fact that the pregnancy being subjected to MR-HIFU treatment had further uncomplicated course, the presented case indicates that counseling/management in women at reproductive age should be standardized to avoid unknown consequences of such unrecommended procedures for the fetus. According to current standards MR-HIFU procedures to treat UFs should never be performed without a negative pregnancy test

Andropause : state of the art 2015 and review of selected aspects

The term ‘male menopause’ was first used in 1944 to describe various complaints of ageing men which at least partially mirrored the climacteric symptoms in women. Continuous research resulted in the evolution of opinions about the nature of these complaints, from the clinical syndrome, diagnosed with the use of diseasetargeted questionnaires, to a well-defined clinical and biochemical syndrome. The pathophysiological causes - gonad ageing (with a compensatory rise in luteinizing hormone), age-related increase in serum sex hormonebinding globulin (SHBG) levels, the role of visceral adipose tissue as a place for aromatization of androgen to estrogen, and lower sensitivity of testosterone receptors - have been described. However, no consensus was reached as far as the definition, incidence, treatment, and especially testosterone therapy, are concerned. Our review presents the current standpoints, indicating the predictive role of late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) in evaluating male health as well as the current literature reports on the risks and benefits of using testosterone therapy

Complications in modern hysteroscopic myomectomy

Uterine fibroids (UFs) are common benign tumors of the female genital tract, diagnosed in almost one-quarter of women of reproductive age. UFs may cause numerous clinical symptoms, including prolonged or heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pressure symptoms, pain, infertility and others. Submucous fibroids arise from the muscular part of the uterus and pen­etrate into the uterine cavity. They are mostly managed with the use of hysteroscopic myomectomy (HM), which provides direct visualization from the transcervical approach. The sheer number of HM standards and techniques is reason enough to review the available literature about HM-related complications. HM is a safe and effective treatment in patients with the normal size of the uterus and with no more than a few UFs. The procedure should not be initiated without adequate preparation and diagnosis, using the best methods available

Hysteroscopic Endometrial Ablation: From Indications to Instrumentation and Techniques—A Call to Action

The development of minimally invasive techniques has led to the creation of innovative alternatives in cases where traditional methods are not applicable. In modern gynecology, hysteroscopy has become the gold standard for the evaluation and treatment of intrauterine pathology. Endometrial ablation (EA) is a procedure that uses different types of energy to destroy the endometrium and is currently used as an alternative technique in cases of heavy menstrual bleeding when medical treatment has failed and uterine preservation is desired. The aim of this review was to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and clinical outcomes of hysteroscopic EA as an alternative in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding. A detailed computerized search of the literature was performed in the main electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library), from 1994 to June 2022, to evaluate the outcomes in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) undergoing EA using hysteroscopic and non-hysteroscopic techniques. Only scientific publications in English were included. Twelve articles on the current use of endometrial ablation were included. Data on patient symptoms, tools used for EA, primary outcomes, and adverse events were recorded. EA should be considered an effective and safe approach in the management of patients with abnormal uterine bleeding caused by benign pathology, in whom medical treatment has failed or is contraindicated. Due to the lack of evidence, it would be interesting to determine whether EA would also have a role in the treatment of women with premalignant lesions, avoiding invasive surgical procedures or medical treatment in those patients for whom hysterectomy or the use of hormonal treatment is contraindicated

Implementation of Exome Sequencing in Prenatal Diagnosis and Impact on Genetic Counseling: The Polish Experience

This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Insights into Prenatal Genetic Testing.Background: Despite advances in routine prenatal cytogenetic testing, most anomalous fetuses remain without a genetic diagnosis. Exome sequencing (ES) is a molecular technique that identifies sequence variants across protein-coding regions and is now increasingly used in clinical practice. Fetal phenotypes differ from postnatal and, therefore, prenatal ES interpretation requires a large amount of data deriving from prenatal testing. The aim of our study was to present initial results of the implementation of ES to prenatal diagnosis in Polish patients and to discuss its possible clinical impact on genetic counseling. Methods: In this study we performed a retrospective review of all fetal samples referred to our laboratory for ES from cooperating centers between January 2017 and June 2021. Results: During the study period 122 fetuses were subjected to ES at our institution. There were 52 abnormal ES results: 31 in the group of fetuses with a single organ system anomaly and 21 in the group of fetuses with multisystem anomalies. The difference between groups was not statistically significant. There were 57 different pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants reported in 33 different genes. The most common were missense variants. In 17 cases the molecular diagnosis had an actual clinical impact on subsequent pregnancies or other family members. Conclusions: Exome sequencing increases the detection rate in fetuses with structural anomalies and improves genetic counseling for both the affected couple and their relatives.This research was funded by the Ministry of Health, granted to the Center of Postgradu- ate Medical Education, Poland, grant number Minigrant-501-1-106-44-20/MG4 to J.B., and by the National Science Centre, Poland, grant number Miniatura 2—Dec2018/02/X/NZ2/00709 to D.M.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Evolving Role of Natural Compounds in the Medical Treatment of Uterine Fibroids

Uterine fibroids (UFs) remain a significant health issue for many women, with a disproportionate impact on women of color, likely due to both genetic and environmental factors. The prevalence of UFs is estimated to be approximately 70% depending on population. UF-derived clinical symptoms include pelvic pain, excessive uterine bleeding, gastrointestinal and voiding problems, as well as impaired fertility. Nowadays numerous methods of UF treatment are available—from conservative treatment to invasive surgeries. Selecting an appropriate treatment option should be individualized and adjusted to the patient\u27s expectations as much as possible. So far, the mainstay of treatment is surgery, but their negative impact of future fertility is clear. On the other hand, emerging new pharmaceutical options have significant adverse effects like liver function impairment, hot flashes, bone density loss, endometrial changes, and inability to attempt conception during treatment. Several natural compounds are found to help treat UFs and relieve their symptoms. In this review we summarize all the current available data about natural compounds that may be beneficial for patients with UFs, especially those who want to preserve their future fertility or have treatment while actively pursuing conception. Vitamin D, epigallocatechin gallate, berberine, curcumin, and others are being used as alternative UF treatments. Moreover, we propose the concept of using combined therapies of natural compounds on their own or combined with hormonal agents to manage UFs. There is a strong need for more human clinical trials involving these compounds before promoting widespread usage

Vitamins and Uterine Fibroids: Current Data on Pathophysiology and Possible Clinical Relevance

Uterine fibroid (UF) is the most common benign tumor pathology of the female reproductive organs. UFs constitute the main reason for a hysterectomy and hospitalization due to gynecological conditions. UFs consist of uterine smooth muscle immersed in a large amount of extracellular matrix (ECM). Genetic studies have demonstrated that UFs are monoclonal tumors originating from the myometrial stem cells that have underwent specific molecular changes to tumor initiating stem cells which proliferate and differentiate later under the influence of steroid hormones. There is growing interest in the role of micronutrients, for example, vitamins, in UFs. This article is a comprehensive review of publications regarding the available data concerning the role of vitamins in the biology and management of UFs. In summary, the results showed that some vitamins are important in the biology and pathophysiology of UFs. For example, vitamins A and D deserve particular attention following studies of their influence on the treatment of UF tumors. Vitamins B3, C, and E have not been as widely studied as the abovementioned vitamins. However, more research could reveal their potential role in UF biology