Significant increased isolation of Escherichia coli in Iranian women with endometriosis: a case control - study.

BACKGROUND: The role of bacterial contamination in the development and progression of endometriosis lesions is currently a hot topic for gynecologists. In this study, we decided to compare the endometrial cultures of women affected by endometriosis with those of non-endometriotic women, focusing on specific microbial pathogens. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In this cross-sectional case-control study, 30 women with endometriosis in stages 4 of the disease whose endometriosis was confirmed based on clinical, ultrasound, and histopathological findings, and 30 women without endometriosis who were candidates for surgery due to benign uterine diseases with regular menstrual cycle, underwent endometrial biopsy with Novak Kort in sterile conditions before starting their operation, and the results of their endometrial culture were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: Results of the study indicate that there were no significant differences in terms of age, BMI, smoking, education level, place of residency, use of the intrauterine device, or vaginal douche, and age of menarche between the case and control groups. The only demographic difference observed was in parity, where the control group had a significantly higher parity than the case group (P = 0.001). Out of the 60 cultures, only 15 samples were positive in the endometriosis group, and E. coli was the most prevalent species, with 10 (33.3%) samples testing positive for it. Klebsiella spp. and Enterobacteria spp. were also detected in 3 (10.0%) and 2 (6.7%) samples, respectively. The comparison between the two groups showed that only E. coli had a significant association with the presence of endometriosis (P = 0.001). There was no significant relationship between the location of endometriosis in the pelvic cavity and culture results. It was observed that parity among the E. coli negative group was significantly higher compared to the E. coli positive group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Based on The high occurrence of E. coli in women with endometriosis, along with its potential involvement in the progression and/or recurrence of this condition, the researchers propose that treating women with endometriosis and recurrent IVF failure, as well as those with endometriosis recurrence after surgical treatment, with suitable antibiotics and repeated culture until the culture becomes negative, could be beneficial.

Evaluation of endometrioma size effect on ovarian reserve, embryo quality and pregnancy outcome after in vitro fertilization cycle; a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Investigation of endometrioma size and its laterality on the quality of the embryo in patients with endometrioma compared to healthy subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective and cross-sectional study, 70 patients with unilateral and bilateral endometrioma were recruited and compared with 70 age-matched infertile patients as the control group in terms of AMH before ovum pick-up, embryo quality as well as pregnancy outcome. Additionally, in the case group, we divided both unilateral (n = 32) and bilateral endometrioma patients (n = 38) into three groups based on the size of endometrioma. (1-3 cm, 3-6 cm, 6-10 cm) RESULTS: There was no difference in terms of age, BMI, parity, and age of menarche between the case and control groups. Moreover, no significant difference was observed in the baseline level of AMH between the case 2.96 ± 2.72 ng/dl (0.21-11.3) and control 2.73 ± 2.39 (0.21-12.8) groups. (P = 0.59) There was also no significant difference concerning AMH level between unilateral 3.58 ± 3.20 ng/dl (0.21-12.8) and bilateral endometrioma 2.45 ± 2.14 (0.21 - 0.20) groups. In terms of the quality and number of embryos, there was no significant difference between the case and control groups. (P = 0.30) Although the AMH level decreased with the increase in endometrioma size, this difference was not statistically significant. (P = 0.07) There was no significant difference in terms of the embryo quality between the groups based on the size of endometrioma. (P = 0.77) In addition, no significant difference was observed between the case and control groups in the terms of birth weight and pregnancy complications, such as premature delivery, cesarean section rate, neonatal respiratory distress, jaundice, as well as hospitalization rate. Head circumference of the newborns was higher in the endometrioma group while their Apgar score was lower in the case compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: The presence of endometrioma by itself does not affect the main result of IVF procedures, including the number and quality of embryos and pregnancy outcome. Thus, IVF and embryo preservation and even pregnancy before surgery seem to be reasonable for endometriotic patients.

Safety of COVID-19 vaccination in pregnant women and their neonatal outcome: a narrative Review.

BACKGROUND: Even through the fact that pregnant women are more and more severely infected with COVID-19 disease, there are still doubts about vaccinating these people due to the lack of sufficient evidence base information. So in this systematic review, we decided to study vaccinated and unvaccinated pregnant women regarding maternal, fetal and neonatal complications and outcomes. THE STRATEGY OF SEARCHING: Between 30 December 2019 and 15 October 2021, electronic searches were performed on the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Cochrane library by searching in English and free full text. Keywords searched included these: maternal outcome, neonatal outcome, pregnancy, and COVID-19 vaccination. Among 451 articles, finally, seven studies were included to study pregnancy outcomes in vaccinated women compared to unvaccinated for systematic review purposes. RESULTS: In this study 30257 vaccinated women in their third trimester compared to 132339 unvaccinated women in terms of age, the root of delivery, neonatal adverse outcomes. There were no significant differences between two groups in terms of: IUFD, and 1 min Apgar score, C/S rate, and NICU admission between the two groups, however, the rate of SGA, IUFD, and also neonatal jaundice, asphyxia, and hypoglycemia was more significant in the unvaccinated group comparing to the vaccinated group as a result. Among them, the chance of preterm labor pain was reported more among vaccinated patients. Emphasizing that, except 7.3% of the case population, everyone in the second and third trimesters had been vaccinated with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 vaccination during the second and third trimesters appears to be the right choice due to the immediate impact of COVID-19 antibodies on the developing fetus and formation of neonatal prophylaxis, as well as the absence of adverse outcomes for both the fetus and mothers.

Successful laparoscopic sigmoid transposition for cervicovaginal agenesis in the presence of a functioning uterus: A case series.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the long-term outcomes of laparascopic sigmoid cervicovaginoplasty in patients with congenital cervicovaginal atresia with a functioning uterus. METHODS: In this case series study, seven patients with cervicovaginal atresia with a functioning uterus underwent laparoscopic sigmoid cervicovaginoplasty surgery between 2016 and 2020. Mean follow-up duration was 25.9 months (2-48 months). All of the patients had regular menstrual cycles. The average length of the vagina was 8.9 cm (7.6-10.5 cm). In one patient, proximal stenosis of neovagina was observed 12 months after surgery. RESULTS: The mean age and body mass index of the patients were 18 years (12-27 years) and 19.7 (17.6-22.4), respectively. The average time period between the initiation of disease symptoms and the operation was 52.28 months (2-156 months). There were no postoperative short-term complications. We did not perform hysterectomy in our patients. None of our patients complained of signs of low anterior resection syndrome. Two patients had sexual activities without dyspareunia, postcoital bleeding, or malodorous vaginal discharge. CONCLUSION: Sigmoid cervicovaginoplasty is a safe and effective procedure with satisfactory long-term outcomes. This surgery eliminates the psychological burden of hysterectomy in these patients. Through preserving the uterus, patients may have a chance of possible future pregnancy if abdominal cerclage is performed.

Approach to ureteral endometriosis: A single-center experience and meta-analysis of the literature.

AIM: To report single-center outcomes of laparoscopic management of patients with ureteral endometriosis and perform a meta-analysis in order to select the best approach for these patients. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted during a 6-year period (2015-2021) in the referral endometriosis center on 353 patients with ureteral endometriosis. For the meta-analysis, 10 articles, including 505 patients, were found to be eligible. In our meta-analysis, as well as our study, all endometriosis-related pain symptoms and complications of surgery were evaluated, analyzed, and reported. RESULTS: Of the 326 patients whose ureteral involvement was confirmed in pathology, hydronephrosis and intrinsic ureteral lesions were detected in only 10.76% and 3.1% of the patients. Mean operating time and hospitalization were 3.25 ± 1.83 h and 86 ± 2.58 days, respectively. The most common site of concomitant involvement with endometriosis was uterosacral ligament (92.9%) and rectosigmoid (70.53%). Type II and III of Cliven-Dindo complications were seen in 5.66% and 1.13% of patients, respectively. During a follow-up period, no evidence of bladder or ureteral re-involvement was observed. Similar to our meta-analysis, all endometriosis-related pain decreased significantly following operation (p ≤ 0.001). In our meta-analysis, the rate of ureteral endometriosis recurrence, stenosis/stricture, bladder atonia, urinary tract infection, hematuria, and fistula formation after surgery were: 2.0% (I2 : 50.42%), 15.0% (I2 : 0.00%), 14.0% (I2 : 8.76%), 6.0% (I2 : 0.00%), 7.0% (I2 : 79.28%), and 2.0% (I2 : 0.0%), respectively. CONCLUSION: The laparoscopic resection of the UE could be suggested as a feasible and safe method associated with favorable functional outcomes.

Evaluation and comparison of the accuracy of transvaginal ultrasound and MRI for the diagnosis of deep rectal endometriosis: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine and compare the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transvaginal sonography (TVS) in the diagnosis of rectal endometriosis. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 555 patients with rectal endometriosis, who had undergone MRI and TVS before laparoscopic operation, were included. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of these two imaging modalities were evaluated and compared based on histopathologic reports and three different kinds of rectal endometriosis surgeries (shaving as a first group and disk and segmental resection methods combined as a second group). RESULTS: Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio of ultrasound in the diagnosis of rectal endometriosis were, respectively, 69.55% (65.4%-73.4%), 91.30% (72%-98.9%), 70.4% (66.4%-74.17%), 11.48% (9.77%-13.43%), 99.46% (98%-99.86%), 8.0 (2.12-30.1), and 0.3 (0.28-0.4). These values were 51.37% (47.1%-55.6%), 79.17% (57.8%-92.9%), 52.53% (48.3%-56.6%), 6.64% (5.39%-8.16%), 98.26% (96.26%-99.2%), 2.47 (1.13-5.4), and 0.6 (0.49-077) for MRI. Even though ultrasound had better accuracy for detection of superficial rectal endometriosis (Group 1) (P < 0.001), the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of both imaging modalities in diagnosis of deep rectal lesions (Group 2) were almost identical. CONCLUSION: TVS should be considered as a first-line modality for diagnosis of rectal endometriosis, mainly because of its greater availability, lower cost, and higher accuracy.

Comparing the quality of life of endometriotic patients' before and after treatment with normal and infertile patients based on the EHP30 questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the quality of life (QOL), in patients with endometriosis ± infertility (B and C groups) and compare those to healthy women, and also infertile groups without endometriosis as a control groups (A and D), considering the fact that endometriosis and infertility reduces the quality of life in patients. METHODS: The present prospective comparative study was carried out between January 2018 and September 2020. A total of 400 women were included (100 women in each group). The participants filled in a validated questionnaire of quality of life, Endometriosis Health Profile-30 (EHP-30), and a visual analog scale of pain used, at the first visit, and 3 months after the medical or surgical treatment in the endometriosis group without infertility, additionally. RESULTS: The majority of the patients were married, categorized in the middle-class of socio-economic state and housewives. They were of Persian descent. BMI was high in the infertile groups; however, the time of infertility was not different between the two groups of B and C (P = 0.054). The mean score of QOL was significantly lower in B, C, and D groups in comparison to the healthy women as the control group (A) (P < 0.001). Moreover, the infertile group (B), in comparison to endometriosis ± infertility groups (C and D), had the lowest mean score of QOL (P < 0.001). In each group, those who were older and had better educational level reported a better quality of life than other participants in that group. Social support plays a very important role in reducing the endometriosis related pain symptoms both before and after treatment. Three months after the treatment of endometriosis (D), a significant improvement was observed in all the aspects of QOL-related endometriosis. Nonetheless, the improvement of the quality of life in the surgical group was significantly higher than that in the medical treatment. The mean visual analog score of pain decreased from 62.22 ± 22.78, to 5.15 ± 2.73 following the surgical treatment (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The lowest quality of life belonged to the infertile group, followed by the endometriosis group. The quality of life of the endometriosis group improved after the treatment. Thus, endometriotic patients' treatment in terms of improvement of quality of life should be considered by all professional health care teams.

Colorectal endometriosis: Diagnosis, surgical strategies and post-operative complications.

Objective: The present work aimed to investigate the feasibility, complications, recurrence rate, and infertility outcomes of the radical and conservative surgical methods for colorectal endometriosis in short- and long-term follow-ups. Methods: In this prospective study, the patients with confirmed diagnosis of colorectal DIE were included from March 2015 to March 2021, who were referred to an Endometriosis Surgery Center affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS). Information on demographics, surgical approaches, intra-operative, and post-operative findings as well as complications were collected and compared. Six- and 12-month interviews were conducted to evaluate the functional outcomes of all the procedures. Results: Out of 3,111 patients who underwent endometriosis surgery, 837 (28.19%) with the average age of 34.2 ± 5.9 years and average ASRM score of 102.1 ± 36.8 had rectosigmoid endometriosis. Laparoscopic rectal shaving was performed in 263(30.0%) patients while 326 (37.2%) underwent segmental bowel resection, and 248 (28.30%) were treated with disc excision. Prophylactic ileostomy was performed in six (0.68%) patients and peritonitis was reported in four (0.45%). Five (0.58%) subjects developed rectovaginal fistula and one (0.11%) was diagnosed with bladder atonia. The recurrence rate was 3.8%, 1.2%, and 0.3% in rectal shaving, disc, and segmental bowel resection techniques, respectively. Dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and dyschezia were improved after surgery by 7.3, 9.4, and 12.5 times, respectively. We observed 25.2% of total pregnancy following the operation, the majority of which occurred in the first year after the surgery. Conclusion: There were very few short-term or long-term complications in the three different techniques when the choice was correct.

A rare case of obstructed labor due to sever uterine prolapse; a case report and literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Uterine prolapse in pregnancy is a rare problem reported in literature and might increase problems such as emergency cesarean section, preterm delivery, and other materno-fetal complications. Prolapse becomes a life-threatening condition for both mother and baby when it creates a labor abstraction. PRESENTATION OF CASE: Here, a 37 years old lady (BMI = 26, gestational age = 37 weeks), without any obvious risk factors, with sever uterine prolapse (stage IV) and obstructed labor was presented. Congested and incarcerated cervix along with the onset of uterine contractions led to emergency cesarean section, by incision made in fundal part of uterus, because the lower segment was not accessible or visible at all. Apical and lateral vaginal defect in the patient was corrected at cesarean section time. CONCLUSION: As a result: with timely action for cesarean delivery, maternal-fetal complications were reduced, however the correction of apical uterovaginal defects during cesarean time is possible and improves the quality of life of women in the reproductive age.

The effect of vasopressin injection on ovarian reserve in patients with ovarian endometrioma: a randomized controlled trial.

RESEARCH QUESTION: Does injecting vasopressin into the mesovarium during endometrioma cystectomy further preserve postoperative ovarian reserve by reducing intraoperative bleeding and electrocoagulation points? DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial conducted between March 2016 and March 2020. One hundred and twenty patients with unilateral and unilobulated endometrioma were included and divided into two groups: group 1 (n = 60) comprised all patients with ovarian cystectomy after vasopressin injection in the mesovarium space; group 2 included the controls. In both groups, the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentration was examined before surgery and 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery. In both groups, the number of bipolar cauterization points and the amount of bleeding during cystectomy as well as the pain symptoms related to endometriosis and pregnancy rate were further assessed and compared. RESULTS: Compared with the vassopressin group, the controls had significantly higher haemostasis points and bleeding (P = 0.0001). No significant difference was found between the two groups in serum AMH concentration at 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery. A significant reduction in pain symptoms was reported in both groups 6 months after surgery (P = 0.0001). No significant difference was found between the two groups in spontaneous pregnancy, miscarriage rate and pregnancy time after surgery. CONCLUSION: Despite the reduction in the amount of bleeding and electrocoagulation points in the vasopressin group, ovarian reserve had a similar downward trend in both groups, which is attributed to the nature of these cysts.

Co-administration of GnRH agonists with vaginal progesterone compared to vaginal progesterone in luteal phase support of the frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycle: An RCT.

BACKGROUND: Since progesterone alone does not seem to be enough for luteal phase support (LPS), especially in frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles, so gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) is suggested as an adjuvant therapy in combination with progesterone for LPS. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of the administration of GnRH-a with vaginal progesterone compared to vaginal progesterone alone in luteal phase support of the frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this randomized controlled clinical trial, 240 infertile women who were candidates for FET were evaluated into two groups (n = 120/each). Group I received 400 mg vaginal progesterone twice a day from the time of transfer. The second group received vaginal progesterone and also 0.1 mg diphereline on days 0, 3, and 6 of FET for LPS. Finally, the clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates, and the implantation, and spontaneous abortion rates were compared in two groups. RESULTS: Results showed that there was no significant difference between the mean age of women and the duration of infertility (p = 0.78, p = 0.58, respectively). There were no significant differences between groups in the terms of implantation and spontaneous abortion rates (p = 0.19, p = 0.31, respectively). However, in terms of clinical and ongoing pregnancy rates, the significant differences were seen between groups (p = 0.008 and p = 0.005, respectively). CONCLUSION: Co-administration of GnRH-a and vaginal progesterone in LPS may be superior to vaginal progesterone alone in women who underwent a frozen-selected embryo transfer cycle.

Does laparoscopic hysterectomy + bilateral salpingectomy decrease the ovarian reserve more than total abdominal hysterectomy? A cohort study, measuring anti-Müllerian hormone before and after surgery.

BACKGROUND: Decreased ovarian function and reserve is one of the complications of hysterectomy. In this study, we aimed to compare anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) levels between total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), and total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH). METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, serum levels of AMH were compared between the groups undergoing TAH + bilateral salpingectiomy and TLH, in 66 patients (33 in each group) who referred to the hospitals of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences for hysterectomy during one years of work. The collected information included age, weight, gravidity, parity, regularity of menstrual cycle, uterine weight, blood loss during surgery, and serum levels of AMH before and 6 months after surgery, compared between groups. RESULTS: Most patients (88% in TAH and 73% in TLH group) aged 40-50 years. Mean age, weight, parity of patients was similar in both groups, while blood loss was significantly less in TLH group (P < 0.01). Median (IQR) of pre-surgical AMH values were 0.40 (0.55) ng/ml in the TLH group and 0.92 (1.23) ng/ml in the TAH group (P = 0.12) that decreased to 0.29 (0.44) ng/ml in the TLH group and 0.15 (0.31) ng/ml in the TAH group (P = 0.02). Also Median (IQR) of the difference between pre and post-surgical AMH values were 0.12 (0.31) and 0.58 (1.17) in TLH and TAH group, respectively (P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: The serum levels of AMH decreased significantly after both methods of hysterectomy (laparoscopy and laparotomy), while this decrease was greater in TAH group that shows.

Assisted reproductive technique outcomes in patients with endometrioma undergoing sclerotherapy vs laparoscopic cystectomy: Prospective cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: The authors compared assisted reproductive technique (ART) outcomes and the recurrence rate of endometrioma in the infertile patients undergoing sclerotherapy vs laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy. METHODS: In this prospective cross-sectional study, a total of 101 infertile patients, with unilateral endometriomas, were divided into two groups. The first group (n = 57) underwent ART after 1 year of unsuccessful spontaneous pregnancy after laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy; the second group (n = 44) had ethanol sclerotherapy (EST) at the time of oocyte retrieval. The authors measured the number of oocytes, clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), live birth rate (LBR), complication, and recurrence of endometriomas as the primary and secondary outcomes. RESULTS: The two groups had no significant differences in baseline characteristics and ovarian stimulation markers and also total number of oocytes. 42.1% and 34.1% of the patients (n = 24 and 15) had clinical pregnancy, and 38.6% and 29.5% (n = 22 and 13) had live birth following ART cycles in the surgery group and sclerotherapy group (P = .41, 0.34). The recurrence rates were 14.0% and 34.1% in the surgery and sclerotherapy groups (P = .017, X 2 = 5.67). CONCLUSIONS: Ethanol sclerotherapy can be a good alternative to surgery concerning the treatment of endometrioma; however, the recurrence of the disease in this group is significantly higher.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) manifestations during pregnancy in all three trimesters: A case series.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has raised concerns about the susceptibility amongst different groups of the population. Pregnant women are one such group. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of COVID-19 on pregnancy and maternal/neonatal outcomes. CASE PRESENTATION: This case series was conducted on 16 pregnant women with COVID-19 from March 21 to May 11, 2020. Clinical characteristics, pregnancy complications, medication used, maternal/neonatal outcomes, and fatality rate were investigated through this study. The mean age of the patients was 30.06 yrs. Patients from all three trimesters were included (1 in first, 5 in second, and 10 in the third trimesters). The most common clinical symptoms were shortness of breath (n = 10), dry cough (n = 10), myalgia (n = 8), and chills (n = 7). Also, three cases had papulosquamous skin lesions with fissuring. The most common laboratory results were leukocytosis (n = 8), increased liver enzymes (n = 6), elevated CRP (n = 5), and thrombocytopenia (n = 4). There was one case of maternal mortality, five of premature labor pain (PLP), two of preeclampsia, and two of placenta accreta. Twelve pregnancies were terminated (nine cesarean sections, three vaginal deliveries). Among neonates, we had 6 cases of preterm labor. All neonates had negative PCR results. CONCLUSION: Clinical manifestations and paraclinical results were similar to non-pregnant patients. There was no evidence of vertical transmission. PLP and premature rupture of membranes (PROM) were the most common complications in the second and third trimesters of pregnant COVID-19 women, which can lead to rupture of the uterus. Termination and delivery should be planned individually.

A Detailed Study in Adenomyosis and Endometriosis: Evaluation of the Rate of Coexistence Between Uterine Adenomyosis and DIE According to Imaging and Histopathology Findings.

The current study was designed to evaluate the relationship between adenomyosis and its subtypes with endometriotic lesions (ovarian endometrioma (OMAs) and posterior deep infiltrative endometriosis (DIE)), to examine the probability of existence of a common cause of these mysterious diseases, and to evaluate the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of both transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) and MRI in diagnosis of adenomyotic uterus. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, we selected 154 women with coexistence of endometriosis and adenomyosis according to their imaging, intraoperative, or pathological findings who were nominated for laparoscopic surgery. Eighty-six patients with just DIE resection without LH (laparoscopic hysterectomy) (group 1), and 68 patients with LH + DIE resection (group 2). The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of ultrasonographic and MRI findings for diagnosing adenomyosis were 72.1%, 77.6%, 40.0% and 49.2%, 41.5%, 90.0% respectively. So, TVS is a more sensitive diagnostic tool for diagnosing adenomyosis. However, MRI was more specific than TVS in the diagnosis of diffuse adenomyosis especially with simultaneous presence of uterine leiomyoma. Regarding the association of different types of adenomyosis (focal and diffuse) with different endometriosis lesions (OMA and posterior compartment DIE), we just found diffuse type of adenomyosis more frequent in the absence of rectal and rectovaginal septum (RVS) DIE (p ≤ 0.05). In addition to the questionable different nature of rectal and RVS DIE lesion, there is no relationship between adenomyosis subtypes and endometriotic lesions.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Cervical Pap Smear and Colposcopy in Detecting Premalignant and Malignant Lesions of Cervix.

The objective of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of pap smear and colposcopy in detecting the premalignant and malignant lesion of the cervix. In this cross-sectional study, a total number of 160 women who presented with abnormal clinical problem or routine checkup during a 6-month period were included. All the patients underwent pap smear and colposcopy by the same gynecologists team, and finally, cervical biopsy was performed in all the individuals. The demographic and clinical characteristics as well as the obstetrics history were recorded. The diagnostic accuracy of each test was calculated according to the biopsy as gold standard. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive values (NPV) were recorded and compared between two modalities. Overall, we included a total number of 160 patients with mean age of 37.6 ± 7.32 (ranging from 24 to 63) years. The sensitivity and specificity of pap smear were found to be 47.19% and 64.79%, respectively. The PPV and NPV of the pap smear were calculated to be 88.69% and 38.46%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity, PPV, and NPV of the colposcopy were calculated as 64.72%, 52.74%, 76.32%, and 95.41%, respectively. The overall diagnostic accuracy of the pap smear and colposcopy was reported to be 82.2% and 96.3%, respectively. The results of this study demonstrate that colposcopy has a higher diagnostic accuracy in detecting cervical premalignant and malignant lesions compared to the pap smear.

Effects of clarithromycin on inflammatory markers and clinical manifestations in postsurgical follow-up of patients with endometriosis: a double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.

PURPOSE: Studies showed anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of macrolide antibiotics such as clarithromycin in endometriosis. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of clarithromycin in patients with endometriosis. METHODS: This was a double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled trial conducted on endometriotic women during March 2016-2017 in Dena Hospital, Shiraz, Iran. Immediately after surgery, the patients were randomly divided into clarithromycin (real) (n = 120) and placebo group (n = 169). The real group received 500 mg of clarithromycin everyday for 6 months and the placebo group received the placebo. The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-10 (IL-10), Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein as well as clinical symptoms at baseline and 3 and 6 months of post-surgery were compared within and between groups. RESULTS: The scores of dysmenorrhea, dyschezia, dyspareunia, and non-menstrual pain significantly decreased in both real and placebo groups compared with the baseline values. However, the real group showed greater reductions compared with the placebo group (p < 0.001). Similarly, the serum levels of CRP, TNF-α, and IL-10 decreased in both groups compared with the baseline values, but the real group showed greater reductions. Interestingly, the reductions in the clinical symptoms and serum levels did not significantly differ between the real and placebo groups. Moreover, the reductions in the studied variables showed no dependence on the time. CONCLUSION: Clarithromycin may be an appropriate treatment in endometriotic patients. However, the non-significant differences between the real and placebo groups necessitate further studies on the therapeutic efficacy of clarithromycin.

Effects of clomiphene citrate for prevention of premature luteinizing hormone surge in those undergoing intrauterine insemination outcome: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

The objective of the study is to determine the effects of clomiphene citrate (CC) on preventing premature luteinizing hormone (LH) surge in infertile patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) undergoing intrauterine insemination (IUI). This was a randomized clinical trial being performed at Shiraz Mother and Child Hospital. We included 162 women with PCOS selected for IUI cycles. Patients were randomly allocated to receive 150 mg/day CC from the 8th of the cycle though the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) injection (n = 81) or nothing in the same period (n = 81). Main outcomes included the incidence of premature LH surge, pregnancy rate, abortion and ongoing pregnancy rates, number of maturing follicles, and endometrial thickness. The incidence of premature LH surge was significantly lower in those who received CC (3.0% vs. 14.9%; P = 0.021). The pregnancy rate was 10 (15.1%) and 6 (8.9%) in CC and control groups, respectively (P = 0.342). The ongoing pregnancy rate found to be comparable between two study groups (12.1% vs. 5.9%; P = 0.068). Serum level of estradiol (E2) level at the time of hCG administration was significantly higher in those who were treated with CC when compared to control (1153.5 ± 326.4 vs. 943.2 ± 215.3; P < 0.001). Patients who received CC also had higher number of mature follicles >18 mm when compared to controls (3.85 ± 1.3 vs. 2.94 ± 1.01; P < 0.001). Administration of CC from the 8th day of the cycle to the day of hCG injection in combination with Gonal-f in infertile patients with CC-resistant PCOS undergoing IUI cycles is associated with decreased incidence of premature LH surge, higher E2levels, and higher number of mature ovarian follicles. This protocol is safe and simple and could be considered to be cost-effective.