Utility of bipolar electrocautery scissors for cervical conization.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of bipolar electrocautery scissors for cervical conization. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Forty patients with severe dysplasia/in situ carcinoma of the uterine cervix underwent cervical conization: 20 randomly selected patients were operated on with the unipolar energy scalpel and the other 20 were operated on with bipolar electrocautery scissors. In both groups operating time, number of ligations, blood loss, duration of recovery, perioperative complications and adequacy of the margins of the lesion were assessed. Data were compared by analysis of variance. RESULTS: In the bipolar group the average operating time and duration of recovery were significantly reduced (halved), no ligations were needed and the amount of blood loss was significantly reduced. Regarding perioperative complications, in the bipolar group there were no hemorrhages nor need of a second operation or transfusion. Infections did not occur in either group. We found no difference between the two groups regarding adequacy of the margins of the lesion for a good pathologic examination. CONCLUSION: Bipolar electrocautery scissors were safe and useful in cervical conization by reducing the operating time and blood loss without increasing postoperative morbidity.

Intracystic evaluation of tumor markers in benign and malignant ovarian pathology.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate, in patients with benign and malignant ovarian cysts, serum samples and ovarian intracystic fluids for the presence of tumor markers such as CA 125, CA 15.3, tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA), CA 19.9 and the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). MATERIAL AND METHOD: We studied overall 64 patients with ovarian pathology. Sixteen patients were affected by functional cysts, 28 women by benign cystic tumors and 20 by cystoadenocarcinomas. RESULTS: Average serum levels of all but CA 15.3, TPA and CEA tumor markers of benign cystic ovarian tumors were higher than those of functional cysts. All but CA 19.9 mean intracystic fluid markers levels were more elevated in benign tumors than in functional cysts. In patients with malignant cystic tumors, all but CEA mean serum marker levels were higher than those of benign tumors; furthermore even all mean intracystic levels of markers were more elevated than those of benign tumors. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the high positivity of tumor markers such as CA 125, CA 15.3, TPA, CA 19.9 and CEA in both the serum and intracystic fluid of patients with malignant epithelial ovarian tumors.

Prognostic value of p53, c-erb-B2 and MIB-1 in endometrial carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the immunohistochemical expression of p53 protein, a tumour suppressor gene of the oncogene c-erb-B2 and MIB-1 proliferation marker (Ki-67 antigen) in endometrial carcinoma. METHODS: We studied 29 cases of endometrial carcinoma in which the p53, c-erb-B2 and MIB-1/Ki-67 antigens were investigated by an immunohistochemical method. We evaluated the correlations among the immunohistochemical positivity and the grading, depth of myometrial invasion, stage of the neoplasia and follow-up. RESULTS: Both p53 and c-erb-B2 were positive in 16 out of 29 cases (55.2%), whereas MIB-1 was positive in 19 out of 29 cases (65.5%). All these three antigens showed a positive correlation with the grading, myometrial invasion and FIGO stage. Regarding follow-up, p53, c-erb-B2 and MIB-1 were, respectively, positive in 100%, 83.4% and 66.7% of neoplasias of patients who died of disease whereas they were positive in 40%, 40% and 60%, respectively, of tumours of patients with no evidence of disease. CONCLUSION: The overexpression of p53, c-erb-B2 and MIB-1 seem to indicate a more malignant tumour phenotype.