Evaluation of Post-Menopausal Bleeding in Two Patients with Sigmoid Neovaginoplasty.

Introduction: Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome or vaginal agenesis, is the rare congenital absence of the vagina with varying degree of hypoplasia of the Mullerian duct system and uterine development. One of the reconstructive surgical options for a vaginoplasty involves the usage of the large bowel. Case Description: We report two cases of patients who have had a sigmoid neovaginoplasty presenting many years later with postmenopausal bleeding. Discussion: The authors describe the evaluation that can be performed by the gynecologist and gastroenterologist to initiate the work-up for this rare presentation.

Large abdominal wall endometrioma following laparoscopic hysterectomy.

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a common condition in women that affects up to 45% of patients in the reproductive age group by causing pelvic pain. It is characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity and is rarely found subcutaneously or in abdominal incisions, causing it to be overlooked in patients with abdominal pain. METHODS: A 45-year-old woman presented with lower abdominal pain 2 years following a laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy. She was found to have incidental cholelithiasis and a large abdominal mass suggestive of a significant ventral hernia on CT scan. RESULTS: Due to the peculiar presentation, surgical intervention took place that revealed a large 9cm×7.6cm×6.2cm abdominal wall endometrioma. CONCLUSION: Although extrapelvic endometriosis is rare, it should be entertained in the differential diagnosis for the female patient who presents with an abdominal mass and pain and has a previous surgical history.

Incidental appendectomy during endoscopic surgery.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The first laparoscopic appendectomy was performed over 25 years ago, and yet controversy still exists over the open method vs. the laparoscopic approach, and whether an incidental appendectomy is warranted. This study aimed to evaluate our experience in performing a laparoscopic incidental appendectomy and to address these issues. METHODS: A total of 772 laparoscopic appendectomies were performed and analyzed and statistically evaluated. RESULTS: Mean age of the patients was 30.8+/-7.0 years. Mean operating time for an incidental appendectomy was 12.3+/-4.5 minutes. Most common pathology result was adhesions, and the rarest was endometriosis. Of patients with confirmed appendicitis, 75.8% did not have an initial preoperative diagnosis of appendicitis. When warranted, 103 (13.3%) patients underwent a second-look laparoscopy: 75.5% had no adhesions, 23.5% had mild adhesions, 2% had moderate adhesions. Backward elimination logistic regression revealed that endometriosis (P=0.016), endometrioma (P=0.039), pelvic or abdominal adhesions (P=0.015) were associated with a reduced likelihood of encountering appendicitis on pathology examination. The complication rate was 0.13%. Anesthesia cost was lower for an incidental appendectomy compared with an urgent one. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic incidental appendectomy is safe and quick to perform. Due to the complex nature of confirming the diagnosis of pelvic and abdominal pain, this study supports the routine performance of an incidental appendectomy in the female patient.

Pancreatitis in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence, cause, and complications of pancreatitis in pregnancy and to identify factors associated with adverse outcomes. METHODS: This study was a chart review of all pregnant patients diagnosed with pancreatitis from 1992-2001 at 15 participating hospitals. Information was collected on presentation, management, and outcome, along with the number of deliveries at each hospital. RESULTS: During the 10 years of the study, 101 cases of pancreatitis occurred among 305,101 deliveries, yielding an incidence of one in 3,021 (.03%). There were no maternal deaths; perinatal mortality was 3.6%. Eighty-nine women had acute pancreatitis, and 12 women had chronic pancreatitis. The majority (66%) of cases of acute pancreatitis were biliary in origin, and they were associated with better outcomes than nonbiliary causes. Cases of gallstone pancreatitis that received surgical or endoscopic intervention during pregnancy had lower rates of preterm delivery and recurrence than those that were conservatively managed, but this difference was not significant (P=.2). Alcohol was responsible for 12.3% of acute pancreatitis cases and 58% of chronic pancreatitis cases and was associated with increased rates of recurrence and preterm delivery. A calcium level, triglycerides, or both was not obtained in half of cases identified as idiopathic. CONCLUSION: Pancreatitis is a rare event in pregnancy, occurring in approximately 3 in 10,000 pregnancies. Although it is most often acute and related to gallstones, nonbiliary causes should be sought because they are associated with worse outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

A pregnant patient with renal vein thrombosis successfully treated with low-dose thrombolytic therapy: a case report.

OBJECTIVE: An 18-year-old woman with membranous glomerulonephritis was seen at 26 weeks of gestation with a right renal vein thrombosis with 95% occlusion. RESULTS: Both thrombolytic and anticoagulation therapy were administered with success. CONCLUSION: Thrombolytic therapy, when used cautiously under intensive care settings, may prolong gestation to enhance the chances of a favorable outcome.

Laparoscopic appendectomy in a female patient with situs inversus: case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Situs inversus is an uncommon condition caused by a single autosomal recessive gene of incomplete penetration. A potential diagnostic dilemma can occur in the young female patient with a history of situs inversus who presents with pelvic pain. METHODS: A 32-year-old multiparous patient with a known history of situs inversus presented with complaints of pelvic pain. A medical history and full physical examination were indicative of possible endometriosis. RESULTS: The patient underwent an operative laparoscopy, which revealed stage II pelvic endometriosis based on the American Fertility Society Revised Classification for Endometriosis (R-AFS), with appendicular and periappendicular adhesions involving the cecum. Ablation of endometriosis and an appendectomy were performed. CONCLUSION: The authors believe the laparoscopic approach to an appendectomy is ideal in a patient with situs inversus and should be performed at the time of laparoscopy performed for another reason.