Maternal mortality in Yazd Province, Iran.

INTRODUCTION: Five hundred thousand maternal deaths occur each year worldwide, many of which are in developing countries. The maternal mortality rate is a measure that demonstrates the degree of adequacy of prenatal care and of economic and social conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and causes of pregnancy-related mortality rates in Yazd Province. METHODS: This cross-sectional study examined the maternal deaths related to pregnancy that were recorded in Yazd Province, Iran, from 2002 to 2011. All maternal deaths that occurred during pregnancy, during delivery, and 42 days after birth were analyzed in this study. The data were collected through a questionnaire, and both direct and indirect causes of maternal deaths were determined. RESULTS: Forty pregnancy-related deaths occurred in this period, and the maternal mortality rate was 20.8 deaths per 100,000 live births. The mean age of death in the mothers in this study was 29.17. Fifty-five percent of women of the women who died delivered their babies by cesarean section, and only 20% of them delivered their babies vaginally. Bleeding was the most common cause of maternal mortality (30%), and it was associated directly with maternal mortality. Furthermore 20% of the mothers died due to heart disease and cardiac complications, which were associated indirectly with maternal mortality. CONCLUSION: Cesarean section and its complications were the main cause of death in many cases. Thus, providing a strategic plan to reduce the use of this procedure, educate mothers, and ensure adequate access to pre-maternal care and to care during pregnancy are the most important measures that can be taken to decrease the maternal mortality rate.

Effects of a single rectal dose of Misoprostol prior to abdominal hysterectomy in women with symptomatic leiomyoma: a randomized double blind clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Fibroma, the most common benign pelvic tumor in women, affects 25 to 30% of women of reproductive age. Primary treatment for patients with symptomatic or large fibroma is surgery. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a single rectal dose of Misoprostol on bleeding during abdominal hysterectomy. METHODS: This double blind randomized clinical trial was conducted with 80 candidates for abdominal hysterectomy, due to uterine myoma, in the Shahid Sadoughi hospital of Yazd in 2012. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of single rectal dose of Misoprostol on peri-operational abdominal hysterectomy bleeding. Following administration of 400 micrograms of Misoprostol in the case group (n=40), predetermined criteria were compared with control group (n=40). RESULTS: Volume of bleeding during the operation was significantly lower in cases where Misoprostol was used. (268.71 ± 156.85 vs. 350.38 ± 152.61 cc in the case and control groups, respectively). Our findings also showed that Hemoglobin (Hb) levels before, 8, and 30 hours following the operation differed significantly (p=0.001), but these changes were similar in both groups. Pre-operative Hb levels were 11.90 ± 1.7 and 11.90 ± 2.0 in the case and control groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: A single rectal dose of Misoprostol has positive effect on reducing peri-operational bleeding in women undergoing abdominal hysterectomy due to symptomatic leiomyoma.

The Clinicopathologic Characteristics and 5-year Survival Rate of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer in Yazd, Iran.

INTRODUCTION: Ovarian cancer is the second most common malignancy in women, the most common cause of gynecologic cancer deaths, and most patients have advanced stage disease at the time of diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to estimate the 5-year survival of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer based on age, tumor histology, stage of disease, and type of treatment. METHODS: This study was conducted on 120 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer referred to Shahid Sadoughi hospital and Shah Vali oncology clinic of Yazd from 2006 to 2012. Demographic data and patient records were studied to evaluate the treatment outcome, pathology of the tumor, and stage of disease. Finally, the overall survival rate and tumor-free survival of patients was assessed. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 53.87± 14.11 years. Most participants had stage I (36.7%) or stage II (35%) disease. Serous adenocarcinoma (57.6%) was the most common pathology found in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. The overall survival of patients in this study was significantly associated with the histological tumor type (p = 0.000) and disease stage (p = 0.0377). Stage I (84.18%) and serous adenocarcinoma (72.81%) demonstrated the best survival. The tumor-free survival rates were not associated with histology types (p = 0.079), surgical procedure (p = 0.18), or chemotherapy (p = 0.18). CONCLUSION: The survival of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer was significantly associated with disease stage. Serous adenocarcinoma also had the best prognosis among the pathologies studied. Therefore, early detection of ovarian cancer can substantially increase the survival rate.

Diagnostic Value of the Risk of Malignancy Index (RMI) for Detection of Pelvic Malignancies Compared with Pathology.

INTRODUCTION: Pelvic masses are among most the common causes of patient admission into gynecology clinics and one of the most common reasons for referral to gynecologic oncology departments due to the risk of uterine or ovarian malignancies. The aim of this study is to compare the four indices of the risk of malignancy index (RMI 1-4), as a combination of menstrual status, radiological findings, and serum CA125 concentration, for discrimination of benign from malignant pelvic masses. METHODS: This retrospective descriptive and analytic study was conducted on 200 patients with pelvic mass, post-surgery, and who were referred to the oncology department in Shahid Sadoughi hospital of Yazd (Iran) between June 2007 and September 2011. Data regarding demographics, pathology reports, paraclinical and clinical tests were analyzed. The four RMI indices were separately used for determination of benign vs. malignant masses using the optimized cutoff points, ROC curve, sensitivity, specificity, predictive value of positive and negative, and accuracy. Finally, p value for each index was calculated, and a final discrimination power was measured by using SPSS version 17 software. RESULTS: The calculated p values in the four RMI indices in ultrasound findings indicated statistical significance, and the RMI 2 showed the highest level of accuracy or diagnostic performance. RMI 2 had a cutoff point of 90, an under-chart area 86.7, 79.36% sensitivity, 78.95% specificity, 58.44%, positive predictive value, 90.08% negative predictive value, and 78.93% accuracy, and a p value of 0.004. However, this relationship was found not to be meaningful using CT scan images. CONCLUSIONS: Using RMI 2 for differentiation of malignant from benign pelvic masses is a reliable method with ultrasound findings.

Comparison of Pap Smear and Colposcopy in Screening for Cervical Cancer in Patients with Secondary Immunodeficiency.

INTRODUCTION: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women worldwide. The sensitivity of conventional Pap smear in detecting cervical lesions before cervical cancer is 51%, which means the false negative value is 49%. The aim of this study was to compare two methods for screening for cervical cancer in patients with secondary immunodeficiency, i.e., the conventional Pap smear and colposcopy. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 101 immunodeficient patients who were referred to the Gynecologic Clinic at Shahid Sadughi Hospital in Yazd from March 2011 to August 2012. All patients underwent the Pap test, a colposcopy, and a cervical biopsy, with the latter being considered as the gold-standard test. RESULTS: The most frequency of immunodeficiency was noted among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (53.3%), and this was followed by patients who were undergoing chemotherapy (30.7%), patients with lupus erythematosus (12.9%), and patients with AIDS (3%). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of the Pap smear were 18.2, 98.5, 85.5, 71.3, and 72.2%, respectively. The respective values for colposcopy were 66.7, 98.94, 80, 97.9, and 97%, respectively. CONCLUSION: In this study the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive values of colposcopy were higher than those for the Pap smear in detecting high-grade, cervical, pre-malignant lesions (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: CIN ≥ 2). Therefore, an annual colposcopy is advised for secondary immunodeficient patients instead of a Pap smear.

Evaluation of diagnostic value of CT scan, physical examination and ultrasound based on pathological findings in patients with pelvic masses.

OBJECTIVE: Because benign and malignant cervical and ovarian masses occur with different percentages in different age groups, the importance of primary diagnosis and selection of a suitable surgical procedure is underlined. Diagnosis of pelvic masses is carried out using ultrasound, physical examination, CT scan and MRI. The objective of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of CT scan in pelvic masses in comparison with physical examination-ultrasound based on pathology of the lesion in patients undergoing laparotomic surgery. METHODS: This analytic-descriptive study focused on age, sonographic findings, physical examinations, CT scan and pathological findings in 139 patients with pelvic mass, gathered with questionnaires and statistically analayzed using the SPSS software programme. RESULTS: Of 139 patients with pelvic mass (patients aged from 17 to 75 years old), 62 (44%) cases were diagnosed as benign and 77 (55.4%) as malignant; among them malignant tratoma serocyst adenocarsinoma with 33 (23.7%) cases and benign myoma with 21 (15.2%) cases comprised the most frequent cases. The sensitivity and specificity of sonography-physical examination were 51.9% and 87.9% respectively and the sensitivity and specificity of CT scan images were 79.2% and 91.6% respectively. It was shown that CT scan images were more consistant with pathological findings in predicting appropriate surgical procedures than do sonography-physical examinations. CONCLUSION: The sensitivity of CT scan is far higher than that of sonography-physical examination in the diagnosis of pelvic mass malignancy.

Value of colposcopy in the early diagnosis of cervical cancer in patients with abnormal pap smears at Shahid Sadoughi hospital, Yazd.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cervical cancer is preventable, although it is common in developing countries and Iran, where there is no defined approach to "atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance" (ASCUS) on Pap smears. This study determined the value of colposcopy in the early diagnosis of cervix cancer in females with ASCUS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This accuracy study examined 213 ASCUS cases referred from different cities from 2007 to 2009. All patients underwent a repeated conventional Pap smear, colposcopy, endocervical curettage, and a cervical biopsy, considered the gold-standard diagnostic test. RESULTS: There was no significant relationship between age, age of first intercourse, smoking, or number of children and a positive cervical biopsy. The sensitivity and specificity of a repeat Pap smear for ASCUS were 15 and 93%, respectively, while the respective values for diagnosing cervical cancer with colposcopy were 80 and 80%. Endocervical curettage had 64% sensitivity and 100% specificity for diagnosing cervical cancer, and 11 positive neoplastic or malignant lesions reported on endocervical curettage were confirmed by biopsy. DISCUSSION: Based on the low accuracy of the Pap smear in Iran as a developing country and the need for an early diagnosis of cervical cancer, a cervical biopsy and colposcopy are recommended for these patients. Colposcopy and endocervical curettage alone are better diagnostic tools than a repeat Pap smear for unsatisfactory Pap smears.

Fertility sparing treatments in young patients with gynecological cancers: Iranian experience and literature review.

With increase in the marriage age some women experience gynecological cancers before giving birth. Thus fertility sparing in these patients is an important point and much work has been done on conservative management. We here report our experience on fertility sparing with cervical, endometrial and ovarian cancers and include a review of the literature. With cervical cancer, radical trachelectomy with para-aortic and pelvic lymphadenectomy can be performed in patients with early stage IA1-IB cancers, because they have low recurrence rates. The complications are fewer than with radical hysterectomy. For endometrial cancer, the accepted treatment is total abdominal hysterectomy+bilateral salpango-oopherectomy (TAH+BSO), but in young patients with early stage 1 lesions, we can suggest use of hormonal therapy in place of radical surgery if we evaluate with MRI and the result is early stage disease without the other site involvement and the grade of tumor is well differentiated. GNRH analog, oral medroxyprogestrone acetate (MPA), 100-800 mg/day, megestrol acetate 40-160 mg/day and combination of tamoxifen and a progestin have been applied, but we must remember, they should underwent repeated curettage for investigating medical outcome after 3 months. With normal pathology we follow medical therapy for 3 months and can evaluate for infertility treatment. The best option for patients who treated by medical therapy is TAH+BSO after normal term pregnancy. With ovarian cancer, there is much experience on fertility sparing surgery and in Iran conservative surgical management in young patients with stage I (grade 1,2) of epithelial ovarian tumor and sex cord-stromal tumor and patients with borderline and germ cell ovarian tumors is being successfully performed.