Clinicopathologic Variables Related to Residual Neoplasia after Cervical Conization / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinicopathologic variables that are important for predicting residual disease after cervical conization in hysterectomy specimens. METHODS: We performed retrospective review of 125 patients who had undergone cervical conization and endocervical curettage followed by subsequent hysterectomy. Pathologic findings of the cone margins, endocervical curettage samples, and residual lesions in the postcone hysterectomy specimens were recorded for analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence rates of positive cone margins increased with higher severity of cervical neoplasia. There was a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of residual disease in hysterectomy specimens between patients with positive endocervical margins on cone biopsy(67.3%) and those with negative margins(11.8%) (p<0.01). Most residual lesions in the postcone hysterectomy specimens were similar to cone pathology, however the possibility of more advanced lesions in the uterus was present in patients with positive cone margins. Residual disease was significantly more frequently found in patients with positive endocervical curettage(82.4%)(p<0.01). Especially, when both the endocervical margin and endocervical curettage were positive, residual disease was present in 25 of 28 (89.3%) hysterectomy specimens. CONCLUSIONS: From these results, we concluded that the status of endocervical margin and endocervical curettage have significant predictive value with respect to the presence or absence of residual disease, and final decision in regard to subsequent management should be based on histologic finding of the cone margins and endocervical curettage as well as the patient's age and desire to retain reproductive capability.

Hysteroscopic management of intrauterine adhesion and their reproductive outcomes / 대한산부인과학회잡지

One hundred sixty three patients were hysteroscoped for various reasons at our department over 10 year period. Ninety eight patients out of 163 who were diagnosed and treated for their intrauterine adhesions(IUAs) by hysteroscopy were analysed retrospectively. Patients were classified as having mild, moderate or severe stage of IUAs according to American Fertility Society classification. Twenty nine patients(29.6%) had mild IUAs, 43 patients (43.9%) had moderate IUAs, and 26 patients(26.5%) were classified as having severe stage IUAs. The predisposing causal factors of IUAs were abortion, full-term delivery, H. mole, pelvic tuberculosis and myomectomy in order of frequency but in eight cases no cause was identified. After hysteroscopic surgery, although high rate(83.9%) of restoration of normal menstruation was attained but term pregnancy rate was only 53.3% and rather high rate (32%) of preterm or abortion were identified and those pregnancy outcomes were correlated with the stage of IUAs. Complications of surgery consisted of uterine or bladder perforation, pulmonary edema and hemorrhage.

Pathologic Changes in Uterine Leiomyomas Treated by GnRH Agonist Goserelin / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: To define the pathologic changes underlying the mechanism of shrinkage of uterine leimyoma in patients treated with goserelin. METHODS: Retrospective evaluation of pathologic changes seen in leiomyoma removed by hysterectomy or myomectomy in treated and untreated patients was done. Microscopic review of all cases was performed without knowledge of the therapeutic history. Each leiomyoma was assessed for hyalinization, hydropic change, lymphocytic infiltrate, nuclear atypia, and hypercellularity. RESULTS: Hyaline degeneration and hydropic changes were found significantly more frequent in patient treated with goserelin (P<0.05). The differences between treated and untreated groups in lymphocytic infiltrate, nuclear atypia, and hypercellularity were not statistically significant. The ultrastructural features of variable numbers of the treated muscle cells showed large vacuole, marked swelling of mitochondria, and compound lysosomal structures presumed to have been formed from damaged intracellular organelles. CONCLUSION: It appears that the rapid decrease in size of the leiomyoma treated with goserein occurs as the smooth muscle tissue undergoes hydropic change and hyaline degeneration. It seems that other cellular degenerative changes may be involved in the mechanism shrinkage of uterine leiomyoma.

Patterns of Cytokine mRNA Expression of Various Endometriosis Lesions / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: The pathogenesis of endometriosis is generally accepted that retrograde menstruation and alterations in the local pelvic immune environment. This study was performed to help elucidate what kind of role various cytokines might play in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. METHOD: Concentrations of peritoneal fluid cytokines were compared in 7 women with normal pelvic finding and 23 women with endometriosis by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The patterns of cytokine mRNA expression in 8 ovarian endometrioma and 12 superficial pelvic endometriosis lesions were investigated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) amplification method. RESULT: Both IL-6 and IL-10 levels in peritoneal fluid specimens with endometriosis tended to be higher than normal. However, there were no significant differences between peritoneal fluid concentrations of IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and IL-5 of women with and without endometriosis. The levels of IL-6 and IL-10 were significantly higher in peritoneal fluid of women with severe endometriosis compared to women with mild endometriosis. IL-1beta mRNA was expressed in all of 8 deep and 12 superficial endometriosis lesions. IL-5 and IL-6 mRNA were expressed in only two black lesions respectively, however, both were not expressed in the all deep lesions. Expressions of IL-10 mRNA occurred in one red and one black lesion while this was expressed in only one of the deep lesions. TNF-alpha mRNA was expressed in one red and one black lesion of 12 superficial lesions compared with four of the deep lesions. There was the difference between kinds of increased cytokines in the peritoneal fluid and those of expressed cytokines in the endometriotic lesions of patients with endometriosis. CONCLUSION: This study supports the concept that local immunologic factors may be important in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of endometriosis. The pattern of cytokine mRNA expression of endometriotic lesions would seem to indicate that proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1beta and TNF-alpha are responsible for the development or progression of endometriosis.