Establishment of endometriotic models: the past and future / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Endometriosis is a prevalent chronic disease that affects approximately 6% to 10% of reproductive-aged women. Although numerous researchers have endeavored to explore the etiology of endometriosis over a century, its etiology still remains an enigma. The exploration of pathophysiologic mechanism and novel therapy for endometriosis depends on ideal endometriotic models. In the previous decade, various endometriotic models have been established; therefore, we made a conclusion for available information on these models. This review summarized the common experimental models used in endometriotic studies, including their origins, characteristics, applications, and limitations. Endometriotic models played an important role in studying etiologies and novel treatments of endometriosis during the last decades. Among them, animal models and endometriotic cell lines were viewed as most common studying tools to explore the intrinsic entities of endometriosis. In addition, endometrial organoid also emerged and was regarded as an ideal studying tool for endometriosis research. Different research models collectively complement each other to advance the endometriosis research. The successful establishment of endometrial organoids means that organoids are expected to become an ideal model for studying endometriosis in the future.

Identification of Circular RNAs as a Novel Biomarker for Ovarian Endometriosis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>Background</b>Endometriosis is a challenging disease with symptoms such as dysmenorrhea and infertility. However, its etiology is still vague and there is still no effective markers or treatment. This study aimed to profile the circular RNAs (circRNAs) expressed in eutopic endometrium from patients with ovarian endometriosis and explore potential clues to the pathogenesis of endometriosis, providing an evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment.</p><p><b>Methods</b>A total of 63 clinical samples, including control endometrium (n = 22) and eutopic endometrium (n = 41), were collected from Peking Union Medical College Hospital between May 1, 2016, and December 31, 2016. Of them, four samples in each group were used for circRNA microarray. Then, four upregulated circRNAs were screened out for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) validation. After that, bioinformatics analysis was performed to predict miRNAs targeted by validated circRNAs and investigate the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA interactions.</p><p><b>Results</b>Among 88 differentially expressed circRNAs, 11 were upregulated and 77 were downregulated in eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis. qRT-PCR validation results for two upregulated circRNAs (circ_0004712 and circ_0002198) matched the microarray results. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of circ_0002198 for distinguishing ovarian endometriosis was 0.846 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.752-0.939; P < 0.001) while that of circ_0004712 was 0.704 (95% CI: 0.571-0.837; P = 0.008). On the basis of target prediction, we depicted the molecular interactions between the identified circRNAs and their dominant target miRNAs, as well as constructed a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network.</p><p><b>Conclusions</b>This study provides evidence that circRNAs are differentially expressed between eutopic and normal endometrium, which suggests that circRNAs are candidate factors in the activation of endometriosis. circ_0002198 and circ_0004712 may be potential novel biomarkers for the diagnosis of ovarian endometriosis.</p>

Risk Factors for Recurrence of Ovarian Endometriosis in Chinese Patients Aged 45 and Over / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>Background</b>When considering the issue of recurrence, perimenopausal women may have more dilemma during management comparing with young women, for example, whether to retain the uterus and ovary during surgery, whether it is necessary to add adjuvant medicine treatment after operation, and there is no evidence for reference about using of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist. This study aimed to study the risk factors for the recurrence of ovarian endometriosis (EM) in patients aged 45 and over.</p><p><b>Methods</b>This is a retrospective nested case-control study. We reviewed the medical records of patients aged over 45 years who underwent surgical treatments for ovarian EM from 1994 to 2014, in Peking Union Medical College Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. By following up to January 2016, 45 patients were found to have relapses and regarded as the recurrence group. The patients with no recurrence during the same follow-up period were randomly selected by the ratio of 1:4 as the nonrecurrence group (180 patients in total). Stratified Cox regression was used to analyze the risk factors of the recurrence.</p><p><b>Results</b>Univariate analysis showed that there was a significant difference in the postoperative treatment (the percentage of patients who received postoperative treatment in non-recurrence group and recurrence group, 23.9% vs. 40.0%, χ = 4.729, P = 0.030) and ovarian preservation (the percentage of patients who received surgery of ovarian preservation in non-recurrence group and recurrence group, 25.0 % vs. 44.4%, χ = 19.462, P < 0.001) between the nonrecurrence group and the recurrence group. There was no correlation between recurrence and the following factors including patient's age, menarche age, gravidity, parity, CA125 level, ovarian lesions, menopausal status, combined benign gynecological conditions (such as myoma and adenomyoma) and endometrial abnormalities, and surgical approach or surgical staging (all P > 0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that whether to retain the ovary was the only independent risk factor of recurrence for patients aged 45 years and over with ovarian EM (odds ratio: 5.594, 95% confidence interval: 1.919-16.310, P = 0.002).</p><p><b>Conclusion</b>Ovarian preservation might be the only independent risk factor of recurrence for patients aged 45 years and over with ovarian EM.</p>

Menorrhagia and Uterine Volume Associated with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Patients with Adenomyosis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Adenomyosis is a gynecological disorder with symptoms most presenting as dysmenorrhea and heavy menstrual bleeding. However, the presence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) among women with adenomyosis remains unclear. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of LUTS and factors related to the severity of these symptoms in this population.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From July 2016 to November 2016, a total of 298 untreated symptomatic adenomyosis patients and 280 age-matched controls were enrolled. Demographics, LUTS, pain symptoms, ultrasonographic uterine size, and serum CA125 level were recorded. LUTS were evaluated using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaire. Factors related to the severity of LUTS were detected using the logistic regression analysis presented as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control group, patients with adenomyosis had a greater IPSS total (4 [2-8] vs. 2 [0-3], Z = -8.159, P 0.001), IPSS storage (2 [1-4] vs. 1[0-2], Z = -7.361 P 0.001), and IPSS voiding (2 [0-4] vs. 0 [0-1], Z = -7.194, P 0.001). Of the patients with adenomyosis, 30.2% had moderate-to-severe lower urinary tract symptoms (IPSS ≥8). The most prevalent LUTS were daytime frequency (40.9%), followed by nocturia (24.8%), weak stream (24.2%), and incomplete emptying (23.5%). In study group, patients with an IPSS total score ≥8 had higher proportion of menorrhagia (51.1% vs. 30.8%, χ2= 11.162 P= 0.025) and larger uterine volumes (183.3 [109.8-273.8] cm3 vs. 148.5 [96.4-262.7] cm3, Z = -1.441, P= 0.150) compared to patients with an IPSS total score <8. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, patients with menorrhagia were associated with an increased risk of an IPSS total score ≥8 (OR: 2.309, 95% CI: 1.310-4.070, P= 0.004), an IPSS storage subscore ≥4 (OR: 2.422, 95% CI: 1.395-4.206, P= 0.002), and an IPSS voiding subscore ≥5 (OR: 1.971, 95% CI: 1.176-3.302, P= 0.010). However, patients with uterine volume more than 180 cm3 had more than 2-fold risk of bearing IPSS total score ≥8 (OR: 2.437, 95% CI: 1.381-4.300, P= 0.002), IPSS storage subscore ≥4 (OR: 2.486, 95% CI: 1.433-4.314, P= 0.001), and IPSS voiding subscore ≥5 (OR: 2.700, 95% CI: 1.485-4.908, P= 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Lower urinary tract symptoms are prevalent in patients with symptomatic adenomyosis and greatly affect patients' quality of life. Menorrhagia and large uterine volume could be potential risk factors that increase the occurrence of moderate-to-severe LUTS.</p>

Expression of Potassium Channels in Uterine Smooth Muscle Cells from Patients with Adenomyosis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Adenomyosis (AM) has impaired contraction. This study aimed to explore the expression of potassium channels related to contraction in myometrial smooth muscle cells (MSMCs) of AM.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Uterine tissue samples from 22 patients (cases) with histologically confirmed AM and 12 (controls) with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia were collected for both immunohistochemistry and real-time polymerase chain reaction to detect the expression of large conductance calcium- and voltage-sensitive K + channel (BKCa)-α/β subunits, voltage-gated potassium channel (Kv) 4.2, and Kv4.3. Student's t-test was used to compare the expression.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The BKCa-α/β subunits, Kv4.2, and Kv4.3 were located in smooth muscle cells, glandular epithelium, and stromal cells. However, BKCa-β subunit expression in endometrial glands of the controls was weak, and Kv4.3 was almost undetectable in the controls. The expression of BKCa-α messenger RNA (mRNA) (0.62 ± 0.19-fold decrease, P < 0.05) and Kv4.3 mRNA (0.67 ± 0.20-fold decrease, P < 0.05) decreased significantly in the MSMCs of the control group compared with the AM group. However, there were no significant differences in BKCa-β subunit mRNA or Kv4.2 mRNA.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The BKCa-α mRNA and the Kv4.3 mRNA are expressed significantly higher in AM than those in the control group, that might cause the abnormal uterus smooth muscle contractility, change the microcirculation of uterus to accumulate the inflammatory factors, impair the endometrium further, and aggravate the pain.</p>

Obstetric outcomes in Chinese women with endometriosis: a retrospective cohort study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The effect of endometriosis on obstetric outcomes is still ambiguous. The aim of our study was to determine the association between endometriosis and adverse obstetric outcomes in a cohort of Chinese women.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective cohort study was undertaken to compare obstetric outcomes between 249 women with endometriosis and 249 women without endometriosis. All women were nulliparous and achieved singleton pregnancies naturally. Women with endometriosis were diagnosed during surgery and confirmed histologically. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of measures of obstetric outcomes were calculated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Women with endometriosis showed significantly increased risks of preterm labor (adjusted OR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.05-5.57), placenta previa (adjusted OR, 4.51; 95% CI, 1.23-16.50), and cesarean section (adjusted OR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.31-2.84). No significant differences were observed in the incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension, fetal growth restriction, small for gestational age, placental abruption, or luteal support in the first trimester between the two groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Women with endometriosis are at a higher risk of preterm labor, placenta previa, and cesarean section during pregnancy and need additional care.</p>

Clinical analysis of laparoscopic surgery for ovarian masses under different conditions during the second trimester / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Laparoscopic surgery in pregnant women has become increasingly more common; however, the safety of laparoscopy in this population has been widely debated in emergent situations and big size at bigger pregnant weeks. This study was to determine the characteristics of laparoscopic surgery for adnexal masses in different conditions during the second trimester of pregnancy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Between April 2002 and December 2011, 24 patients with suspected ovary cyst during the second trimester underwent laparoscopic surgery at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital retrospectively. Clinical data were collected retrospectively and patient's outcomes were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The incidence of laparoscopic surgery for ovarian cysts during pregnancy was 0.12% of all laparoscopic gynecological surgeries performed at the hospital. No patients required conversion. There were 9 (37.5%) patients whose gestational age was no less than 16 weeks, and 15 patients whose gestational age was less than 16 weeks; no difference was noted in the operation time between the two groups (P > 0.05). Emergency surgery due to abdominal pain was performed in 4 (16.7%) patients, 2 (8.3%) of whom underwent simple salpingo-oophorectomy because of ovarian necrosis. The other patients underwent enucleation of the ovarian cyst. There were no severe complications. Twenty (83.3%) pregnant women delivered healthy term infants and 4 (16.7%) cases were lost to follow up.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Laparoscopic surgery for ovary masses is a safe and feasible procedure for the treatment of ovary cyst in different conditions during the second trimester, even if gestational age reaching 16-19 weeks or in emergency.</p>

Anatomical distribution of pelvic deep infiltrating endometriosis and its relationship with pain symptoms / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Endometriosis is a controversial and enigmatic disease. Deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) is responsible for painful symptoms and is the least understood type of endometriosis. Little work has been devoted to define the location of DIE lesions and its relationships with pain. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between the anatomical distribution of DIE lesions and pain symptoms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data from 354 patients between May 2003 and December 2007 with laparoscopically diagnosed endometriosis were collected including 177 DIE patients and 177 non-DIE patients. The pain symptoms, including dysmenorrhea (DM), chronic pelvic pain (CPP, defined as intermittent or permanent pelvic pain, not related to the menstruation and longer than 6 months), deep dyspareunia (pelvic pain at intercourse) and dyschezia (pelvic pain with defecation), were recorded for every patient before operation. Endometriotic lesions were recorded by their anatomical distributions, the depth of infiltration and lesion colors. And the relationship between the anatomical distribution of DIE lesions and pain symptoms was analyzed. Pearson's chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and linear regression and binary Logistic regression were used for statistical analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The duration ((13.79 ± 3.94) years) of pain suffering in DIE patients was much longer than that of non-DIE patients (P < 0.01). In DIE patients, 60.7% of the uterosacral ligament (USL) nodules were bilateral (P < 0.01); 44.6% of the cul-de-sacs were completely blocked. Rectum invasion was observed in 19.9% of DIE patients (P = 0.03); pelvic adhesion was also more common. Up to 98.41% of the deep infiltrative lesions were located in the posterior pelvic compartment. DIE lesions were also found in bladder (1.58%), USL (67.08%), cul-de-sac (12.02%), recto-vaginal septum (12.66%), rectum and rectosigmoid junction (2.85%) and ureter (3.80%). The odds ratio of USL-DIE for CPP, deep dyspareunia, dyschezia were 2.52, 1.29 and 2.24 respectively. And the depth of infiltration correlated with the severity of dysmenorrhea.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>DIE lesions were associated with severe pain symptoms. The main distribution of DIE lesions was in the posterior pelvic compartment, and was more widespread and severe in DIE patients. Moreover, resection of these DIE lesions are very important to treat the pain symptoms.</p>

Morphological analysis on adhesion and invasion involved in endometriosis with tissue culture / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Endometriosis (EM) is a benign gynecologic disease predominantly found in women of reproductive age. However, its pathogenesis is still poorly understood. Our experiment was designed to establish a stable and reliable cultural environment for coculture of endometrium and peritoneum, so as to observe the adhesion/invasion ability of endometrium from patients with or without EM.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Endometria of secretory phase and peritoneum were sampled from 6 women with endometriois during laparoscopy. Six with ovarian teratoma or simple ovarian cyst were taken as control. We cocultured endometrium and peritoneum into four groups (endometrium from EM cultured with peritoneum from EM, endometrium from control cultured with peritoneum from control, endometrium from EM cultured with peritoneum from non-EM and the endometrium from control cultured with peritoneum from EM) to observe the adhesion/invasion process in gas-liquid surface culture and in-medium culture. Specimens were collected at 1 hour, 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, 5 days, 6 days and 7 days for histology, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical analysis on cytokeratin 8 (CK8) and CD10.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The gas-liquid surface culture was superior to in-medium culture for the maintenance of tissue morphology and survival of endometrium. CK8 immunoflurescence demonstrated no remarkable difference in adhesion process between patients with and without EM. CD10 immunochemistry manifested frequent invasion of endometrial stromal cells from EM patients into peritoneum of up to 3 days culture, while the endometriotic cells from non-EM patients did not invade into peritoneum.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Gas-liquid surface culture is a suitable model for observing the early events in EM lesion formation. Endometrium from patients with EM showed increased invasion capacity during coculture, which might help to explain the etiology of endometriosis.</p>

Age-specific prevalence of human papillomavirus by grade of cervical cytology in Tibetan women / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Human papillomavirus (HPV) is believed to be the most common sexually transmitted infection. However, little is known about the prevalence and distribution of HPV types in China. We aimed to assess the prevalence and the distribution of HPV types as well as risks for abnormal cervical cytology in women who reside in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A cross-sectional study was performed involving a sample of 3036 women. An epidemiological questionnaire was applied and cervical specimens were obtained for liquid-based cytology and HPV DNA detection. Statistical analysis included chi-square and Logistic regression model.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In this population, 3.66% (111/3036) had atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), 1.45% (44/3036) low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) and 1.09% (33/3036) had high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL). Tibetan women (5.74%, 137/2387) exhibited lower abnormal cytology rates than non-Tibetan women (8.01%, 52/649, P = 0.03). The overall prevalence of HPV infection was 9.19% (279/3036). We failed to identify any differences in HPV prevalence by age. In the groups with normal, ASCUS, LSIL and HSIL, the overall HPV prevalences were 7.41% (211/2847), 24.32% (27/111), 56.82% (25/44) and 45.45% (15/33), respectively. HPV 16 (1.52%, 46/3036) was the most common type, and was also the most prevalent in women with ASCUS (8.11%, 9/111) and HSIL (15.15%, 5/33). The most common HPV type for Tibetan women was HPV 16 (1.42%, 34/2387), whereas for non-Tibetan individuals it was HPV 33 (2.31%, 15/649). Of the 279 HPV-infected women, 40 individuals (14.34%) presented with multiple HPV positivity. Women who had two pregnancies were more likely to have abnormal cytology smear (OR = 1.67; 95%CI: 1.07 - 2.61).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>A low prevalence of HPV positivity was observed in women who reside in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China. The prevalence of abnormal cervical cytology and HPV type distributions were different between Tibetan and non-Tibetan women.</p>

Magnetic resonance manifestations of endometriosis / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the magnetic resonance (MR) characteristics of endometriosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical and MR data of 33 patients with endometriosis were retrospectively analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>MR manifestations of endometriosis included endometrioma, peritoneal endometrial implant, adhesion, and other rare features.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>MR manifestations of endometriosis vary. Combining the clinical data with imaging data will help more accurate preoperative assessment of endometriosis.</p>

Effects of medical treatment on apoptosis in eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the apoptosis-related mechanisms of levenorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS), oral medroxyprogesterone (MPA), and injective gonadotrophic hormone releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) on eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis. Methods We collected the samples of endometrium from patients with endometriosis before operation and after insertion of LNG-IUS, administration of oral MPA, or injection of GnRHa. The ultrastructure of endometria was observed and compared by electron microscopy. Apoptotic cells were assessed by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxy-UTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay, and the expressions of Bax, Fas, and Fas-L mRNA were determined by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain raction. Results After have been exposured to LNG-IUS, the apoptotic rate of endometrial epithelial cells and stromal cells increased from (24. 4 +/- 35.0)% to (51.0 +/- 37.8)% (P = 0.027) and (35.3 +/- 30.2)% to (76.4 +/- 11.2)% (P = 0.008), respectively. The degree of apoptosis under transmission electron microscopy was in an order of GnRHa > LNG-IUS > MPA. The expression of Fas-L mRNA in eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis was significantly higher than that of the normal control (P < 0.05). The expressions of three apoptosis-related proteins had no significant difference.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Medical treatments can increase the apoptosis of eutopic endometrial cells, and such effect was strongest in GnRHa and relatively weaker in LNG-IUS and MPA.</p>

Effects of progesterone and progestin on expression of regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted in eutopic endometrium from patients with endometriosis / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of progesterone and progestin on the expressions of regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) in eutopic endometrium from patients with endometriosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We collected the samples of endometrium from patients with endometriosis before operation or after insertion of levenorgestrel releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS), administration of oral medroxyprogesterone (MPA), or injection of gonadotrophic hormone releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain raction was used to assay the expression of RANTES mRNA. On the other hand, progesterone (Po) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) of different concentrations and different manners were used to treat cultured cells in vitro. RANTES secretion was evaluated in the culture medium using ELISA. In order to evaluate the effect of Po on the secretion of RANTES under stimulation of TNFalpha, the cells were cultured in medium containing 100 U/ml TNFalpha and Po of different concentrations for 24 hours. After the pretreatment of Po for 48 hours at different concentrations, TNFalpha (100 U/ml, 16 h) was added to observe whether Po inhibits RANTES or not.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of RANTES mRNA in eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis was significantly higher than in control group (28.0 +/- 9.0 vs. 22.0 +/- 5.6, P < 0.05). Following the exposures to LNG-IUS (24.0 +/- 4.2 vs. 25.9 +/- 4.2, P > 0.05) or GnRHa (23.0 +/- 12.9 vs. 26.9 +/- 5.2, P > 0.05), the expression of RANTES mRNA had no change. MPA significantly increased the expression of RANTES mRNA (42.6 +/- 3.1 vs. 24.3 +/- 5.7, P < 0.05). Po itself had no significant effect on the secretion of RANTES. Stimulated by Po and TNFalpha at the same time, the secretion of RANTES significantly increased. After pretreatment with Po for 48 hours, the reaction of RANTES to the stimulating effect of TNFalpha was down-regulated.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis has high chemotactic activity. It may be feasible to prevent and treat endometriosis with progestins.</p>

Comparison of three subcategories of laparoscopic hysterectomy / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the clinical characteristics of three subcategories of laparoscopic hysterectomy: total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) and two subcategories of laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH): LAVHs and LAVHb.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 393 patients underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy, including TLH (n=178), LAVHa (n=177), and LAVHb (n=38), in our hospital from September 2002 to September 2005.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Myoma and adenomyosis of uterus were the most common diseases in this study, accounting for 66.9%, 38.4%, and 52.6% in TLH group, LAVHa group, and LAVHb group, respectively. The mean surgery duration and blood loss were not significantly different between TLH group and LAVHa group (P > 0.05), but were significantly less in TLH group than in LAVHb group (P < 0.05). The bulk of uterus in TLH group was significantly bigger than in other two groups (P < 0.05). The incidence of major complications in the TLH group (9. 0%) was lower than in LAVHa group (14.1%) and in LAVHb group (18.4%), but without statistical significance. Conclusion Compared with LAVH, TLH is feasible to deal with bigger uterus with less blood loss and shorter surgery duration and without more frequent complications.</p>

Ureteral injury during gynecological laparoscopic surgeries: report of twelve cases / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate ureteral injury during gynecological laparoscopic surgeries.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From January 1990 to December 2005, 12 868 gynecological laparoscopic surgeries were conducted in Peking Union Medical College Hospital with 12 ureteral injuries reported. The present study investigated several aspects, including surgical indications, uterine size, pelvic adhesion, operative procedures, symptoms, diagnostic time and methods, injury site and type, subsequent treatment, and prognosis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The incidence of ureteral injury was 0.093% (12/12 868) in all cases, 0.42% (11/2 586) in laparoscopic hysterectomy [laparoscopically assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) or total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH)], and 0.01% (1/10 282) in non-LAVH surgeries. Enlarged uterus, pelvic adhesion, and endometrosis were risk factors associated with ureteral injury. Only one injury was found intraoperatively while others were found postoperatively. The injury sites were at the pelvic brim (2 cases) or the lower part of ureter (10 cases). Patients were treated with ureteral stenting (effective in 2 cases) or laparotomy and open repair. Prognoses were favorable in most cases.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Most laparoscopic ureteral injuries occur during laparoscopic hysterectomy. Further evaluation is required when ureteral injury is suspected, and surgical repair is the major treatment for ureteral injury.</p>

Fallopian tube prolapse following hysterectomy / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of fallopian tube prolapse (FTP) after hysterectomy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 7949 patients received hysterectomy from January 1983 to August 2005 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and 9 cases (including 1 case from other hospital) of FTP after hysterectomy were involved during this period. All of them were diagnosed according to pathological results and were followed up. The symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of the FTP patients were analyzed retrospectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The incidence of FTP after hysterectomy was 0.1% (8/7949), with the incidence of FTP after transabdominal hysterectomy being 0.06% (4/6229), after trans-vaginal hysterectomy being 0.5% (4/780), after laparoscopic assistant vaginal hysterectomy being 0 (0/940). There was no symptom in 3 cases. The pelvic examination revealed the typical prolapsed fimbrial end of a fallopian tube in 3 cases and the other 6 cases revealed red granulation tissue. All of them were excised vaginally and cauterized. The results were proved by pathological examination. No recurrence was reported during follow-up.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>FTP is a rare complication after hysterectomy. The prognosis is well after proper diagnosis and treatment Fixation of accessories onto the pelvic wall and complete peritonealization at the time of hysterectomy are the most important methods to prevent FTP after hysterectomy.</p>

Role of laparoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of adnexal masses / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Laparoscopy has been accepted for years as a management of benign ovarian tumors. The aim of this study was to estimate the feasibility and safety of laparoscopy in diagnosis and management of adnexal masses.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 2083 patients with benign adnexal mass were treated by laparoscopy at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2000 to December 2003. Their clinical data were reviewed retrospectively. All the adnexal masses suspicious of malignancy at the time of laparoscopy were sent for frozen section evaluation intraoperatively. The rates of unexpected intracystic vegetation and low malignant potential (LMP) tumor or malignancy were investigated. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of laparoscopic diagnosis for LMP or ovarian malignancies were calculated. The ratios were compared by Chi-square test and the continuous variables were tested using two-tailed t test.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 2083 patients, 16 had LMP or invasive tumors (0.77%), among which 14 were diagnosed histologically intraoperatively and 2 postoperatively. Fifty-five (2.6%) of the 2083 patients had unexpected intracystic vegetations. Their frozen sections showed benign tumors in 41 (74.5%), LMP tumors in 8 (14.5%), and focal invasive ovarian cancers (stage Ic) in 6 (10.9%). The final pathological diagnosis were benign tumors in 41 (74.5%), LMP tumors 7 (12.7%), and focal invasive ovarian cancers (stage Ic) in 7 (12.7%). Laparoscopy achieved a sensitivity of 87.5%, specificity of 98%, positive predictive value of 25.5%, and negative predictive value of 99.9% in the diagnosis of ovarian malignancies. 2067 cases with benign adnexal masses underwent laparoscopy successfully. No conversion to laparotomy, or intra- and postoperative complications in this series. Of the 16 patients with LMP or invasive ovarian cancer, seven underwent laparoscopic surgery including immediate staging laparoscopy in 3. The mean follow-up was 17.3 months for the 16 patients. Among them, 1 developed a recurrent LMP tumor in the contralateral ovary 36 months after laparoscopic salpingo-oophorectomy, and received subsequent laparoscopic cystectomy and pelvic lymph node sampling; the others had no evidence of recurrent tumor during the follow-up.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Laparoscopy is feasible for diagnosis of adnexal masses, and the surgery is safe for patients with benign ovarian tumors.</p>

Laparoscopic surgery in patients with hypovolemic shock due to ectopic pregnancy / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the feasibility and safety of operative laparoscopy for ectopic pregnancy with hypovolemic shock.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Two hundred and fifteen women with ectopic pregnancy underwent operative laparoscopy. These patients were divided into two groups. The study group included 21 patients with shock and intraperitoneal hemorrhage more than 1000 mL, and control group included 194 patients, hemodynamically stable, with blood loss less than 1000 mL. Clinical data of perioperative periods in two groups were retrospectively analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All patients were tubal pregnancies. The occurrence rate of tubal rupture was higher in study group than in control group (80.95% vs. 15.98%, P < 0.001). Intraabdominal blood loss was significantly higher in study group than in control group (1900 mL vs. 300 mL, P < 0.001), and autologous blood transfusions were given to 95.24% and 9.3% of patients in study and control group, respectively (P < 0.001). Laparoscopic salpingectomy was performed on 85.7 % and 50.5% of patients in study and control group (P < 0.001). The operative time was somewhat longer in study group than that in control group (60 minutes vs. 45 minutes), but with no significant difference. All patients had no perioperative complications.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Operative laparoscopy in patients with hopovolemic shock can be safely and effectively performed by experienced laparoscopists with the aid of optimal anesthesia, advanced cardiovascular monitoring, and autologous blood transfusion.</p>

Clinical aspects of mature ovarian teratoma: result of 695 cases / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical aspects of mature ovarian teratoma.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>We retrospectively studied 695 patients operated in PUMC Hospital between January 1990 and December 2000.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Laparoscopy surgery had shorter hospitalization day, less blood loss during surgery, shorter operation time compared with laparotomy (P < 0.001). Routine contralateral wedge resection was done in 601 cases, among which 459 had normal inspection and palpatation. Only one (0.22%) was pathologically confirmed bilateral tumor. Torsion was the major complication (7.5%). Average tumor size of torsion was (10.2 +/- 4.5) cm. Probability of torsion increased as the tumor enlarged, which was less than 4.4% when the tumor size was less than 6 cm and greater than 10% if size greater than 8 cm. Rupture, infection, and malignant transformation were rare.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Laparoscopy is superior to laparotomy in the treatment of mature ovarian teratoma. If the contralateral ovarian is within normal configuration, contralateral wedge resection is unnecessary. When the tumor size is greater than 8 cm in diameter, it will have more chance to twist.</p>

Operative approaches, indications, and medical economics evaluation of 4180 cases of hysterectomy / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To examine the operative approaches, major indications, and medical economic parameters of the hysterectomy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Data on hysterectomy performed due to benign gynecological disorders in Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) from 1996 to 2001 were reviewed. The cases were classified into three groups according to the operative approaches: total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), vaginal hysterectomy (VH), and laparoscopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH). The major indications, length of hospital stay, operative cost, and total medical cost were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Records of 4,180 women who had hysterectomies in PUMCH were examined. Operations included TAH (78.4%), LAVH (13.0%), and VH (8.6%). The use of LAVH increased from 2.4% in 1996 to 17.3% in 2001. The common indications for surgery included uterine leiomyoma (56.2%), adenomyosis (12.2%), benign ovarian tumor (9.2%), genital prolapse (7.7%), endometriosis (6.9%), atypical endometrial hyperplasia (3.0%), and cervical intraepithelial neoplasm (2.0%). The most common indications for TAH and LAVH were uterine leiomyomas and adenomyosis, whereas the most common indication for VH was genital prolapse, followed by uterine leiomyoma. The lengths of hospital stay in TAH, VH, and LAVH were (11.0 +/- 4.9) d, (10.9 +/- 3.9) d, and (8.9 +/- 3.7) d respectively. The total medical cost was (5,666.6 +/- 1,709.4) RMB Yuan for TAH, (5,027.6 +/- 1,067.0) RMB Yuan for VH, and (7,473.8 +/- 1,464.8) RMB Yuan for LAVH.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The use of LAVH has been increasing. Although the direct medical cost for LAVH is higher than that for TAH, its indirect benefit appeares superior to TAH. The major indications for LAVH and TAH are similar, whereas the indications for VH are different from those for TAH and LAVH.</p>