The Value of Preoperative CA 125 Levels in Prediction of Myometrial Invasion in Patients with Early-stage Endometrioid- type Endometrial Cancer.

AIM: To evaluate the relationship between pre-operative CA-125 levels and myometrial invasion in patients with early-stage endometrioid-type endometrial cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two-hundred and sixty patients were diagnosed with endometrial cancer between January 2007 and December 2012. Of these, 136 patients with stage 1 endometrioid histologic-type and documented pre-operative serum CA-125 levels were included in the study. Age, preoperative CA-125 level, histologic grade, surgical grade, and presence of deep myometrial invasion were recorded. Additionally, 16, 20, and 35 IU/ml cutoff values were used and compared to evaluate the relationship between pre-operative CA-125 levels and myometrial invasion. RESULTS: The average serum CA-125 level was 35.4±36.7 in patients with deep myometrial invasion, and 21.5±35.8 in cases without deep myometrial invasion. The relationship between the presence of deep myometrial invasion and CA-125 cut-off values (16, 20, 35 IU/ml) was statistically significant, although the correlation was weak (p<0.05). When the relationship between 16, 20 and 35 IU/ml CA-125 cut-off values and the presence of deep myometrial invasion was studied, specifity and sensitivity values were identified as: 0.60-0.68 for 16 IU/ml; 0.73-0.48 for 20 IU/ml; and 0.89-0.33 for 35 IU/ml. The sensitivity of 16 IU/ml cut-off value was higher when compared to other values. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that preoperative serum CA-125 values maybe used as a predictive test in patients with early stage endometrioid-type endometrium cancer, and as a prognostic factor alone. Further studies should be conducted to identify different CA-125 cut-off values in patients with low risk endometrial cancer.

Rectus abdominalis muscle metastasis from uterine leiomyosarcoma: An unusual case and review of the literature.

Uterine leiomyosarcoma is an aggressive malignancy. Spread to the lung, thyroid, liver, brain, pancreas, heart, duodenum, breast, vagina, submandibular gland, and bone has been reported. We describe a case of metastatic uterine leiomyosarcoma to the rectus abdominalis muscle as the first case in the literature. A 39-year-old nulligravid woman presented with a history of pelvic pain. Physical examination discovered about a 6-cm mass in the suprapubic region. She had previously undergone a hysterectomy for uterine leiomyosarcoma. Operative findings had revealed a mass measuring 4×5×6 cm located in the rectus abdominalis muscle. Abnormal mitotic figures and necrosis were evident, and uterine leiomyosarcoma was diagnosed. Uterine leiomyosarcomas are malignancies of the smooth muscle arising from the myometrium. Skeletal muscle is an uncommon site of metastasis by hematogenous spread. In conclusion, we have described a case of skeletal muscle metastasis (first case of rectus abdominalis muscle metastasis) secondary to uterine leiomyosarcoma.

Endometrial spiral artery Doppler parameters in unexplained infertility patients: is endometrial perfusion an important factor in the etiopathogenesis?

OBJECTIVE: Uterine perfusion, particularly the endometrial blood flow, may have an important role in endometrial receptivity. In order to assess the contribution of sub endometrial blood flow in the etiopathogenesis of unexplained infertility mid luteal- peri-implantation period spiral artery transvaginal color Doppler parameters were measured and compared with fertile controls. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-two consecutive patients admitted to Izmir Katip Celebi University Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Department of Obstetric and Gynecology with the diagnosis of unexplained infertility after standard diagnostic work up constituted the study group and they were compared with a fertile control group admitted to hospital with non specific gynecological complaints or for check-up in the same period. Mid luteal transvaginal color Doppler ultrasonography was applied to each patient by the same radiologist who was blind to the diagnosis of the particular patient and, RI (resistance index) and PI (pulsatility index) values were calculated. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups, in respect to age, body mass index, basal hormonal and mid luteal progesterone levels (p>0.05). For the fertile control group, mid luteal-peri-implantation phase endometrial spiral artery mean RI values were calculated as 0.48±0.08 SD and mean PI values as 0.65±0.18 SD. For the study group, mean RI values were calculated as 0.54±0.07 SD, PI values were calculated as 0.80±0.16 SD. The differences for RI (p=0.009) and PI (p=0.004) were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: According to Doppler parameters, unexplained infertility patients have high impedance blood flow in spiral arteries which means that peri-implantation blood flow in these patient is lower than fertile controls. These findings suggest that endometrial perfusion may have an important contribution to etiopathogenesis of unexplained infertility.