Prevalence, risk factors, and predictors of pelvic organ prolapse: a community-based study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in a village in East Lebanon and to evaluate related risk factors and clinical predictors. METHODS: Five hundred four ever-married women, aged 15 to 60 years, were interviewed and underwent physical and pelvic examinations and laboratory testing. Prolapse was determined according to a simplified version of the POP quantification system. RESULTS: Two hundred fifty-one (49.8%) women had clinically significant POP. When stratified by life decade, POP prevalence was 20.4% for women aged 20 to 29 years, 50.3% for women aged 30 to 39 years, 77.2% for women aged 40 to 49 years, and 74.6% for women aged 50 to 59 years, suggesting a plateau in prevalence in the decade after menopause. Clinically significant POP was found in 3.6% of nulliparous, 6.5% of primiparous, 22.7% of secondiparous, 32.9% of triparous, and 46.8% of tetraparous women. Increasing age, increasing vaginal parity, and a body mass index higher than 24 kg/m were found to be significant risk factors for POP, with relative risks of 1.09 (P < 0.001), 2.31 (P < 0.0001), and 1.62 (P = 0.048) respectively. Combined clinical symptoms of pelvic heaviness, urinary disturbances, and a feeling of bulge in the vagina were predictive of POP. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that cost-efficient interventions to reduce the burden of POP in this and similar remote communities include the following: family planning awareness campaigns focusing on the risks of grand multiparity; nutritional education and weight management programs to help reduce the progression of POP before the age of menopause; and consideration of symptom-based screening to identify affected women who might benefit from a referral to specialty care at a tertiary care center.

Cervical obstruction complicating second-trimester abortion: treatment with misoprostol.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cone biopsy or loop electrosurgical excision procedures (LEEP) may lead to cervical scarring, agglutination, or stenosis. Leiomyomas may also obstruct the lower uterine segment such that instruments cannot be passed from the vagina to the gestation. CASE: Two women requested second trimester abortion. Both women had undergone cervical LEEP. In addition, one woman had a 10-cm leiomyoma, which seemed to be obstructing the lower segment. In both, the external cervical os was essentially obliterated. After administration of misoprostol, the cervix softened markedly in 18-24 hours. In both women, the cervix dilated readily and allowed dilation and evacuation of the uterus. CONCLUSION: Misoprostol resulted in the ability to evacuate the uterus vaginally, in a situation that might have otherwise resulted in hysterotomy.

The clinical content of preconception care: reproductive history.

A history of previous birth of a low birthweight infant, previous cesarean sections, multiple previous spontaneous abortions, prior stillbirth, or uterine anomaly identifies women at increased risk for recurrent abortion, preterm birth, or stillbirth. We review the evidence for the potential benefit of reproductive history in identifying strategies for evaluation and treatment to prevent recurrent adverse pregnancy outcome. We offer evidence-based recommendations for management of women with these histories.

Puerperal group A Streptococcus infection: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Group A Streptococcus (GAS) sepsis is a rare event but carries a high risk of maternal mortality. CASE: A case of puerperal infection occurred with GAS. This patient had had an uneventful prenatal and intrapartum course. She was noted to have high, spiking fevers immediately postpartum, with minimal clinical symptoms. Her blood cultures were positive for GAS, most likely from a urinary tract infection. She was started on broad-coverage antibiotics and defervesced on postpartum day 4. She remained afebrile and was discharged on postpartum day 8. CONCLUSION: Patients with puerperal GAS sepsis commonly appear well clinically, with minor somatic complaints. GAS bacteremia should be suspected and promptly treated in women with high, spiking fevers early in the postpartum period. There are currently no guidelines on preventing vertical transmission. It is unclear how a patient with a previous history of GAS should be managed. Prophylactic use of penicillin during future labor may be warranted.

Association between cervical schistosomiasis and cervical cancer. A report of 2 cases.

BACKGROUND: HPV is now considered the most important risk factor for the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and cancer. Although CIN and cancer have been previously reported in association with cervical schistosomiasis, those reports failed to control for the potential coexistence of high-risk HPV. CASES: Two women, 1 with high grade CIN and 1 with invasive cervical cancer, were negative for high-risk HPV subtypes. Evidence of cervical and systemic schistosomal infestation was evident in both cases. CONCLUSION: In support of prior published studies, cervical schistosomiasis seems to be a possible risk factor for the development of CIN and cancer. As populations around the world migrate, North American colposcopists need to become aware of this association.

Bone metabolism and the perimenopause overview, risk factors, screening, and osteoporosis preventive measures.

In summary, FDA-approved therapies for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis are all antiresorptive agents. There are no approved therapies at this time that stimulate bone formation, although one such agent (PTH) is awaiting approval. Screening perimenopausal women at risk should identify osteopenic women early in the menopause before the accelerated bone loss of estrogen deficiency causes further irreversible erosion in bone density. The National Osteoporosis Foundation advocates initiating therapy to reduce fracture risk in postmenopausal women with T scores below -2 in the absence or factors and with T scores below -1.5 if other risk factors are present. Estrogen, alendronate, residronate, and raloxifene have all been shown to reduce the incidence of radiographic vertebral fractures in women at risk. Only alendronate and residronate have been shown in large randomized trials to reduce the incidence of nonvertebral fractures including hip fractures in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. These antiresorptive therapies provide benefits above and beyond those of calcium and vitamin D alone. There is insufficient published evidence from randomized controlled trials convincingly to support a role for soy products, androgens, calcitonin, or fluoride in prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis or reduction of fracture rates in women at risk.