Transvaginal sonography in endometrial carcinoma: preoperative assessment of the depth of myometrial invasion in 50 cases.

OBJECTIVE: A prospective study was designed for patients previously diagnosed of endometrial carcinoma to evaluate the accuracy of transvaginal sonography (TVS) in determining both the presence and the depth of myometrial invasion. Patients with advanced stage disease (III and IV) were specifically excluded from the analysis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Sixty patients with endometrial carcinoma underwent transvaginal ultrasonography. Ten of these patients were ruled out due to various reasons. In the remaining 50 cases, TVS findings were compared with those obtained after total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (AHT). RESULTS: The sensitivity of TVS in detecting deep invasion, i.e. more than 50% of the myometrial thickness was 94.1%, while the specificity was 84.8% and the overall accuracy was 88%. Following the classification of the International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology, stage I, which divides myometrial invasion into three categories (none, superficial involvement and deep invasion) sensitivity was 66.2%, specificity was 83.1% and overall accuracy was 77.2%. CONCLUSION: These findings are consistent with those reported in literature with regard to overall accuracy of TVS. Results are similar to those obtained with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) without contrast and slightly lower than MRI plus contrast.

[Skin lesions in epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma (AIDS): local control assessment and esthetic results of a schedule of superficial radiotherapy]. / Lesiones cutáneas del sarcoma epidémico de Kaposi (SIDA): valoración del control local y resultados estéticos de un esquema de radioterapia superficial.

This prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical response of 51 cutaneous lesions of epidemic Kaposi sarcoma in patients with AIDS (EKS/AIDS), obtained with the use of a scheme of superficial radiotherapy (3 Gy/fraction, three fractions weekly up to a total dose of 30 Gy). The mean follow-up time was 9.3 months and the mean time to progression of EKS/AIDS disease was 7-8 months. The initial clinical parameters (pain, size, edema, and esthetics) of each cutaneous lesion were compared with those obtained after one week, one month and three months of therapy. An objective pain improvement was observed in 72% of early lesions and with statistic significance (after one week p = 0.003). After one month of therapy a decrease in lesion size, edema, and esthetic improvement was observed in 78%, 71% and 77%, respectively. Although the evolution and prognosis of EKS/AIDS remains unchanged, it indeed provided palliation, with improvement of local control and esthetics, which together with the simplicity of its application and absence of untoward effects render this radiotherapy technique a very useful indication.