Carbon dioxide laser vaporization for genital wart.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of carbon dioxide laser vaporization in the treatment of coalescent condyloma acuminata of the female lower genital tract. Between July 1990 and September 1992, 24 cases were enrolled in the study. There were 13 pregnant patients and 11 nonpregnant patients. We performed the procedure under colposcopic guidance on an out-patient basis. Carbon dioxide laser vaporization was carried out in continuity to an appropriate tissue depth with carbon dioxide brushing 1 cm around the lesion. Of these 24 cases, biopsy proven 2 residual lesions and 1 recurrence were documented at the 2nd week and the 2nd month postoperative, respectively. We found low rate of intraoperative and postoperative morbidity or complication, with mild to moderate vulvar pain in the patients and no gross scarring. It is concluded that carbon dioxide laser is effective for eradicating extensive condylomata in the female lower genital tract with low intraoperative and postoperative morbidity on an out-patient basis.

Itraconazole in the treatment of acute vaginal candidosis.

An open non-comparative multicenter study of Itraconazole (Sporal) 400 mg as a single day therapy for vaginal candidosis was carried out at Siriraj Hospital and Chulalongkorn Hospital from 1st November 1988 to 31st August, 1989. Fifty-nine female out patients with vaginal candidosis were included in the study after excluding pregnancy, lactation, mixed vaginal infection and prior antimycotic therapy. Two capsules of 100 mg Itraconazole were given b.i.d. as a single day 400 mg dose. The patients were evaluated at the beginning prior to treatment for physical signs and symptoms, direct microscopic examination, and culture of vaginal fluid. The first and second follow-up were arranged at the end of one week and one month after therapy. The evaluations were the same as in the first visit. The clinical cure rate was 89 and 90 per cent at first and second follow-up respectively. The mycological cure rates were 83.3 and 69.57 per cent at the first and second follow-up respectively. There was one case of Torulopsis glabarta at the second follow-up.

Risk factors in puerperal infection.

Puerperal infection is one of the most common obstetric complications which leads to certain serious sequelas for those parturients. The study of 92 postpartum women at Siriraj Hospital from April 1, 1980 to March 1, 1983 was conducted to investigate the risk factors of puerperal infection. All 92 cases were diagnosed for puerperal infection according to the criteria of the Joint Committee on Maternal Welfare. Irregular antenatal care or no antenatal care, sexual intercourse during the last week before delivery and pelvic examination during pregnancy were found to be important predisposing factors in the antepartum period. Pelvic examination during labor accounted for 78 per cent of the patients and played an important role, while operative obstetrics (30%) and concomitant diseases during pregnancy (27%) were the next significant factors.

Treatment of puerperal infection.

Ninety-two patients with puerperal infection admitted to Siriraj Hospital from April 1, 1980 to March 1, 1983 were studied. The treatment in this study was both medical and surgical, blood transfusion was given in some cases with low hematocrit level. The medical treatment alone was based on the causative organisms which were detected by cervical & intrauterine swab, smear & gram stain and cultures. PGS & Kanamycin were the most frequently used antibiotics which were intended to treat both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and adjunctive chloramphenicol for anaerobes. The surgical procedures which were performed in combination with medical treatment included total abdominal hysterectomy, uterine curettage, appendectomy and drainage of subdiaphragmatic abscess. The result of the treatment was satisfactory, 96.7 per cent improved after therapy with slight morbidity in some patients.

Rapid eradication of trichomonads by single-dosed nimorazole.

Previous in vitro studies demonstrated the rapidity of trichomonacidal action of nimorazole (Naxogin 500) which was twice that of metronidazole and many times that of tinidazole. Since rapid eradication of parasites can lead to a significant decrease in transmission rate, and hence, a lower prevalence of this sexually transmitted disease, a pilot study was designed to investigate the in vivo speed of action of nimorazole. Twenty females with positive wet smears for trichomonas vaginalis were treated with a single 2 gram-dose of nimorazole orally. Without any antiseptics, specimens of vaginal discharge were collected at 0 hour (before treatment), 3, 24 and 72 hours for parasite count and culture. After a single treatment with 2 g of nimorazole the cure rate was 65 per cent at 3 hours and 100 per cent at all points thereafter. The result of this pilot study supports previous in vitro findings that nimorazole rapidly eradicates vaginal parasites.

VDRL and TPHA tests in pregnant women and biological false positive for VDRL.

In 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984, the author and colleagues performed serological tests for syphilis in 25,860, 27,971, 26,655 and 25,348 pregnant women respectively. The results obtained showed reactive VDRL at the rate 3,952, 3,800, 3,741, 3,500 and 3,156 cases in 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984 respectively per 100,000 population,. When TPHA test, which is more specific for syphilis, was performed in the same groups of subjects, positive results was obtained at the rate of 2,394, 2,535, 2,416, 2,328 and 2,320 case per 100,000 populations respectively. The results of both tests performed during different years showed no statistically significant difference. False positive for VDRL in these pregnant women was obtained in 1.56, 1.26, 1.32, 1.17 and 0.84 percent of the studied cases in the testing years respectively; and such false positive VDRL in pregnant women is significant when VDRL is the only test available in the laboratory.