Interinstitutional variation of caesarean delivery rates according to indications in selected obstetric populations: a prospective multicenter study.

The aim of the study was to identify which groups of women contribute to interinstitutional variation of caesarean delivery (CD) rates and which are the reasons for this variation. In this regard, 15,726 deliveries from 11 regional centers were evaluated using the 10-group classification system. Standardized indications for CD in each group were used. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to calculate (1) relationship between institutional CD rates and relative sizes/CD rates in each of the ten groups/centers; (2) correlation between institutional CD rates and indications for CD in each of the ten groups/centers. Overall CD rates correlated with both CD rates in spontaneous and induced labouring nulliparous women with a single cephalic pregnancy at term (P = 0.005). Variation of CD rates was also dependent on relative size and CD rates in multiparous women with previous CD, single cephalic pregnancy at term (P < 0.001). As for the indications, "cardiotocographic anomalies" and "failure to progress" in the group of nulliparous women in spontaneous labour and "one previous CD" in multiparous women previous CD correlated significantly with institutional CD rates (P = 0.021, P = 0.005, and P < 0.001, resp.). These results supported the conclusion that only selected indications in specific obstetric groups accounted for interinstitutional variation of CD rates.

Deep retroperitoneal pelvic endometriosis: MR imaging appearance with laparoscopic correlation.

Deep pelvic endometriosis is defined as subperitoneal infiltration of endometrial implants in the uterosacral ligaments, rectum, rectovaginal septum, vagina, or bladder. It is responsible for severe pelvic pain. Accurate preoperative assessment of disease extension is required for planning complete surgical excision, but such assessment is difficult with physical examination. Various sonographic approaches (transvaginal, transrectal, endoscopic transrectal) have been used for this purpose but do not allow panoramic evaluation. Furthermore, exploratory laparoscopy has limitations in demonstrating deep endometriotic lesions hidden by adhesions or located in the subperitoneal space. Despite some limitations, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is able to directly demonstrate deep pelvic endometriosis. The MR imaging features depend on the type of lesions: infiltrating small implants, solid deep lesions mainly located in the posterior cul-de-sac and involving the uterosacral ligaments and torus uterinus, or visceral endometriosis involving the bladder and rectal wall. Solid deep lesions have low to intermediate signal intensity with punctate regions of high signal intensity on T1-weighted images, show uniform low signal intensity on T2-weighted images, and can demonstrate enhancement on contrast-enhanced images. MR imaging is a useful adjunct to physical examination and transvaginal or transrectal sonography in evaluation of patients with deep infiltrating endometriosis.

Staging of pelvic endometriosis using magnetic resonance imaging compared with the laparoscopic classification of the American Fertility Society: a prospective study.

PURPOSE: To introduce a staging of pelvic endometriosis based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) features, compared with the American Fertility Society (AFS) laparoscopic classification. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-five consecutive females with clinically suspected endometriosis underwent MRI examination using TSE T1, T2W, and SE FAT-SAT T1W sequences, to demonstrate the presence of endometriomas and pelvic implants. Laparoscopy was performed within two weeks (mean 8 days) of the examination. A radiologist experienced in pelvic pathology evaluated the presence of endometriomas and implants and calculated a score to classify endometriosis in four classes, comparable with those of AFS laparoscopic staging. The MRI score was based on size, edges, wall thickness, septations, signal intensity on T2-weighted images of endometriomas and presence of pelvic implants. The concordance between MRI and laparoscopic classification was evaluated using k-statistics. RESULTS: Laparoscopy confirmed 47/48 endometriomas, ranging in size from 10 to 62 mm, detected by MRI, with only one false positive due to an hemorrhagic corpus luteum. Nevertheless, 2 intra-ovarian endometriomas were detected by laparoscopy only thanks MRI guidance. Implants were discovered in 17/30 patients with MRI, laparoscopically in 18/30. MRI detected 46 endometrial implants out of 57 detected by laparoscopy (80.7%): 17/46 implants were directly confirmed by laparoscopy, 29/46 were indirectly confirmed by the presence of adhesions. As regards staging, there was agreement between the MRI and AFS classification in 33/35 patients with only two case of discordance (K= 0,892). CONCLUSIONS: Although MRI has limitations such as suboptimal depiction of small implants and adhesions, this technique is very useful for guiding laparoscopy. Moreover, the high level of agreement (96.6%) between the MRI staging proposed in this paper and laparoscopic classification demonstrates a further advantage of the use of MRI in the preoperative staging of endometriosis.