Glomerular disease and acute kidney injury in Sudan: Demographics, histological diagnosis and outcome.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a relatively common clinical condition, associated with high rates of mortality. Although there is extensive literature on the nature and consequence of AKI in the developed world, much less is known in the developing world and more specifically in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). OBJECTIVES: To describe the demographics, histological diagnosis and clinical course of patients presenting with AKI to a single centre in Sudan. METHODS: Retrospective data were collected on 100 consecutive patients with AKI and an active urinary sediment, who underwent diagnostic native percutaneous renal biopsy. RESULTS: The mean (standard deviation) age of those biopsied was 33.6 (14.1) years of age, with a preponderance (58%) of females. The most common clinical indications for biopsy were AKI associated with haematuria and proteinuria (72%), AKI and proteinuria (22.5%) or AKI and haematuria (5%). The frequencies of the most common primary glomerulonephritides (GN) were focal segmental GN (15%) and mesangiocapillary GN (8%). Lupus nephritis was the most frequent secondary GN associated with AKI (31%) and the most common overall histological diagnosis. Peak creatinine, but not oliguria, at presentation predicted likelihood of remaining dialysis-dependent. Age at presentation but not baseline renal function by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), was associated with the likelihood of having residual chronic kidney disease following an episode of AKI. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggested differences in the pattern of intrinsic renal/glomerular disease leading to AKI to those published and mainly derived from the developed world and patients in SSA.

An increased number of replaced embryos counteracts the adverse effect of hydrosalpinges on IVF/ET outcome.

PURPOSE: The relationship between the number of replaced embryos and the outcome of IVF-ET in patients with hydrosalpinges was investigated in a retrospective, nonrandomized study performed at a governmental IVF center. METHODS: One hundred patients undergoing 161 IVF cycles ending in embryo transfer were studied. Previously diagnosed hydrosalpinges were evident on transvaginal sonography in 48 cycles in 26 patients (group I) and not evident in 15 cycles in 10 patients (group II). The control group included 98 cycles in 64 patients with tubal lesions other than hydrosalpinx. Pregnancy and implantation rates were the main outcome measures. RESULTS: Replacement of three or fewer embryos was associated with significantly lower implantation rates in group I compared to controls. Despite the difference in the rank of IVF trial within the same group, significantly lower implantation rates were found when four or fewer embryos were replaced in the control group and not in group I. CONCLUSION: An increased number of replaced embryos counteracts the adverse effect of hydrosalpinges on IVF/ ET outcome.

Excess concepti compared with number of embryos transferred in in vitro fertilization.

To reduce the risk of multiple pregnancy, most in vitro fertilization programs limit the number of embryos transferred; because monozygotic twinning may occur, it is possible that more concepti are produced than the number of embryos transferred. To quantify the prevalence of this phenomenon, 1820 clinical pregnancies generated from 11,601 in vitro fertilization treatment cycles were reviewed. Two patients conceived four fetuses each after having had three embryos transferred, while one conceived three fetuses after having had two embryos transferred. The overall prevalence rate was, therefore, one in 607 cases. The obstetric details of these three pregnancies are reported.

A prospective study comparing the outcome of oocytes retrieved in the aspirate with those retrieved in the flush during transvaginal ultrasound directed oocyte recovery for in-vitro fertilization.

OBJECTIVE: To study prospectively the fate of oocytes collected from the follicular aspirate and subsequent flushes during transvaginal ultrasound directed oocyte recovery for in-vitro fertilization (IVF). SETTING: A tertiary referral assisted conception centre. SUBJECTS: 100 consecutive patients undergoing 100 cycles of IVF. Four patients were withdrawn because their embryos were electively cryopreserved. Therefore 96 cycles were studied. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The oocyte recovery rate, viability, fertilization and cleavage rates and outcome of embryos generated from oocytes that were obtained from either the initial aspirate (A1), dead space in the collecting system (A2) or the first two 2 ml flushes (F1 and F2) were compared. RESULTS: The overall oocyte recovery rate was 87.8%. Of the 1046 oocytes collected, 40.3% were from A1, 41.3% from A2, 13.7% from F1 and 4.7% from F2. There were comparable numbers of viable and fertilized oocytes and cleaved, transferred and frozen embryos in tubes A1 and A2 but all these parameters were significantly lower in tubes F1 and F2 (P < 0.0001). All these parameters were also significantly higher in F1 compared with F2 (P < 0.001), except for the number of embryos frozen, in which there was no difference. The overall pregnancy rate per cycle was 28.1% and the pregnancy rate per embryo transfer was 31.0%. There were no pregnancies in any of the cycles in which embryos originating from F2 were transferred, nor were there pregnancies in cycles in which only embryos from F1 were transferred. CONCLUSION: Follicular aspiration together with one 2 ml flush maximises the recovery of oocytes that will result in pregnancies.

The administration of glucocorticoids for the prevention of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in in vitro fertilization: a prospective randomized study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the administration of glucocorticoids reduced the rate of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in high-risk patients after ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF). DESIGN: Prospective randomized study. PATIENTS: Thirty-one patients who were stimulated with human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) after pituitary desensitization by gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist and who developed greater than 20 follicles greater than 12 mm and/or had a serum estradiol (E2) level of greater than 10,000 pmol/L on the day of administration of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomly divided into two groups. Those who were randomized to receive glucocorticoids (group A) (n = 17) were administered intravenous hydrocortisone, 100 mg, immediately after ultrasound (US)-directed oocyte recovery. Prednisolone, 10 mg three times per day, was given for 5 days starting on the day of oocyte recovery followed by prednisolone 10 mg two times a day for 3 days and 10 mg/d for 2 days. Those in group B (n = 14) did not receive any glucocorticoid treatment. In both groups, luteal support was provided by intramuscular injections of gestone 100 mg/d. RESULTS: The two groups of patients were comparable in terms of age, duration of infertility, and total dose of hMG used. All had polycystic ovaries on US examination. On the day of hCG administration, the mean number of follicles in the two groups were 26.76 +/- 2.49 and 25.93 +/- 1.44 and the serum E2 concentration 13,404 +/- 710 and 13,915 +/- 901 pmol/L, respectively. There were no significant differences in the number of oocytes collected or in the fertilization, cleavage, and implantation rates in the two groups. The pregnancy rates per initiated cycle were 41.18% and 35.71%, respectively. Seven of the 17 patients (41.2%) who received glucocorticoids developed ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome compared with 6 of the 14 patients (42.9%) who did not receive glucocorticoids. CONCLUSIONS: Administrations of glucocorticoids to high risk patients did not reduce the rate of OHSS after ovarian stimulation for IVF.

Successful in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer after treatment of invasive carcinoma of the breast.

Carcinoma of the breast is the most common female malignancy and may occasionally affect women in the reproductive age group. We report a patient who had primary infertility after surgical extirpation of breast carcinoma. Successful pregnancy and delivery of a healthy baby were achieved after two cycles of IVF-ET therapy.

A prospective randomized study of the optimum timing of human chorionic gonadotropin administration after pituitary desensitization in in vitro fertilization.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if there is an optimum time for the administration of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) after pituitary desensitization with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRH-a) has been achieved before ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF). DESIGN: Prospective randomized study. PATIENTS: Two hundred forty-seven patients undergoing an IVF treatment cycle who were randomly divided into three groups. INTERVENTIONS: All patients were administered subcutaneously buserelin acetate 500 micrograms/d from day 1 of the menstrual cycle. After pituitary desensitization had been achieved at least 14 days later, ovarian stimulation with human menopausal gonadotropin was commenced. Ovarian stimulation, cycle monitoring, oocyte recovery, and IVF and embryo transfer (ET) techniques were identical in all three groups. Patients in group 1 (n = 79) had hCG administered when the mean diameter of the largest follicle had reached 18 mm, at least two other follicles were greater than 14 mm, and serum estradiol (E2) levels were consistent with the number of follicles observed on ultrasound. Patients in groups 2 (n = 84) and 3 (n = 84) had hCG administered 1 day and 2 days, respectively, after the above criteria had been reached. RESULTS: The mean day of hCG administration (P less than 0.01), maximum serum E2 concentration (P = 0.06), number of days of serum E2 rise (P = 0.03), and mean diameter of the largest follicle (P less than 0.0001) were significantly different. There were, however, no significant differences in the mean number of preovulatory and medium size follicles, number of oocytes recovered or embryos transferred. There were also no significant differences in the oocyte recovery, fertilization and cleavage rates, in the number of embryos frozen, or in the pregnancy rates per initiated cycle and per ET. CONCLUSIONS: There is no significant advantage in the precise timing of hCG administration after pituitary desensitization with GnRH-a.