Efficacy and safety of Tramadol as an analgesic in women undergoing vaginoscopic hysteroscopy: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

Pain or discomfort during the hysteroscopy remains a challenge even after the introduction of small calibre instruments and vaginoscopic techniques. Tramadol, a centrally acting analgesic, is one among the medications used to reduce pain; however, the experience with its use in the vaginoscopic technique is limited. This was a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial conducted to study the effectiveness of oral Tramadol as an analgesic in 100 women undergoing diagnostic vaginoscopic hysteroscopy. Median pain score assessed by the Visual Analogue Scale was lower in the study group compared to the placebo group during the procedure (7 versus 8; p < .001) and immediately after the procedure (6 versus 7; p < .001) Ease of entry, procedure entry time and the adverse effects were similar in both the groups. Administration of oral Tramadol 50 mg, 1 h prior to the procedure may be a safe and effective analgesic in women undergoing diagnostic vaginoscopic hysteroscopy.Impact statementWhat is already known on this subject? Even with the use of newer hysteroscopes with small calibres and vaginoscopic techniques, pain and discomfort to the patient during negotiation through the cervix remain the main challenge to the surgeon. Among the several medications reported to reduce pain during the procedure, Tramadol a centrally acting drug with dual analgesic action, both by the µ opioid receptor agonist action and by the inhibiting uptake of serotonin and norepinephrine, can be used. However, studies using oral Tramadol during vaginoscopic hysteroscopy are limited.What do the results of this study add? The median pain score assessed by the Visual Analogue Scale was lower in the study group compared to the placebo group during the procedure (7 versus 8; p < .001) and immediately after the procedure (6 versus 7; p < .001). Ease of entry, procedure entry time and the adverse effects were similar in both the groups.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? This study suggests that administration of oral Tramadol 50 mg, 1 h prior to the procedure, may be used as a safe and effective analgesic in women undergoing diagnostic vaginoscopic hysteroscopy. Future trial with a larger sample size is required to confirm the tolerability of its use, as the incidence of adverse effects was low in the study.

Large fetal intra-abdominal umbilical vein varix: Antenatal sonographic diagnosis and follow-up.

Fetal intra-abdominal umbilical vein varix is an uncommon antenatal finding defined as focal dilatation of umbilical vein >9 mm or more than two standard deviations above the mean for the gestational age. We report the case of a 28-year-old gravida 2 diabetic lady, who presented at 35 weeks of gestation, whose antenatal ultrasonography showed a cystic lesion of size 4 × 3.8 cm showing turbulent venous flow in the fetal abdomen in continuity with the umbilical vein, diagnosed as umbilical vein varix without any other anomaly. Postnatal ultrasonography showed size reduction and thrombosis of varix. Isolated umbilical vein varix has a favorable outcome, whereas those associated with other structural anomalies have a variable prognosis. This case was reported because of the unusually large size of varix with a good outcome and also to stress the importance of detailed sonography and close fetal monitoring in the presence of umbilical vein varix.

Prenatal diagnosis of fetal right and left congenital ventricular aneurysms.

AIM: To describe the ultrasonographic appearance of fetal ventricular aneurysm. METHODS: Ultrasound characteristics of two cases of prenatally diagnosed fetal ventricular aneurysm were reviewed. RESULTS: There was one case of left ventricular aneurysm diagnosed by prenatal ultrasound at 38 weeks of gestation. Another case of fetal right ventricular aneurysm was diagnosed prenatally at 36 weeks of gestation. Both the babies expired in the immediate post-natal period. CONCLUSION: Congenital ventricular aneurysm is a rare cardiac malformation characterized by protrusion or out pouching of a portion of the ventricular wall. It is important to differentiate an aneurysm from diverticulum, as the latter has favorable prognosis. The aneurysms are usually large and have broad-based communication with the ventricular cavity in contrast to diverticuli, which are small and connected by a narrow base.