Assessment of transcranial Doppler indices after MgSO4 administration in severe preeclamptic women with neurologic symptoms.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of intravenous MgSO4 on maternal cerebral hemodynamics as well as the association between altered Doppler indices of the ophthalmic arteries and ocular lesions in patients with preeclampsia. METHODS: After each of the 15 included patients was diagnosed with preeclampsia, MgSO4 was infused followed by transcranial Doppler tests of the indices of the ophthalmic, anterior, middle, posterior cerebral, vertebral, and basilar arteries, followed by a second MgSO4 infusion. The peak, mean, diastolic velocity, and pulsatile and resistance indices of each artery were automatically measured during testing. Based on the emergent data, the cerebral perfusion pressure, resistance-area product, and cerebral flow index were calculated. RESULTS: The cerebral perfusion pressure of the posterior cerebral arteries significantly decreased following the infusion of MgSO4 (p < 0.05). Before the infusion of MgSO4, cerebral perfusion pressure and cerebral flow index of the ophthalmic arteries were significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the preeclamptic pregnant patients with ocular lesions compared those without ocular lesions. After the infusion of MgSO4, the cerebral perfusion pressure and cerebral flow index of both ophthalmic arteries were slightly decreased, but the difference was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Altered Doppler indices following the infusion of MgSO4 suggest significant changes in the hemodynamics of the posterior cerebral and ophthalmic arteries that are particularly related to the neurological signs and symptoms of women with preeclampsia. These findings may improve the understanding of the mechanism of the cerebral complications of preeclampsia. Advancing comprehension of these underlying mechanisms is postulated to play a pivotal role in the mitigation of hypertensive encephalopathy associated with preeclampsia.

Aggravation of Reflux Finding Score (RFS) after thyroidectomy.

Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) has been suggested as a possible cause of post-thyroidectomy syndrome. However, the pathophysiology and relationship between thyroidectomy and LPR have not been well investigated. We aimed to evaluate the correlation between thyroidectomy and LPR by assessing changes in LPR-related symptoms and laryngoscopic findings before and after thyroidectomy. Ninety-five patients who underwent thyroidectomy with or without central neck dissection were included. The reflux finding score (RFS) and reflux symptom index (RSI) were investigated one day before surgery and two, four, six, and twelve months after surgery. The RFS scores increased significantly after thyroidectomy and decreased to the preoperative level 12 months after surgery. The RSI scores increased after surgery and decreased gradually by 12 months postoperatively, although it was not statistically significant. The RSI and RFS scores improved with the administration of proton pump inhibitors. In conclusion, LPR-related laryngoscopic findings were exacerbated after uncomplicated thyroidectomy. Further studies using pH-monitoring and esophageal manometry are required to investigate the possible deterioration of LPR itself and the UES pressure after thyroidectomy.

The relationship of ovarian endometrioma and its size to the preoperative serum anti-Mullerian hormone level.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of ovarian endometrioma according to its size on the serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels compared to that of other benign ovarian cysts. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The current study retrospectively evaluated preoperative serum AMH level and its association to presenting ovarian cyst size which were measured in clinical setting. Women with surgically diagnosed endometrioma or other benign ovarian cysts were included. All patients underwent transvaginal or transrectal ultrasonography to determine the size of the ovarian cysts. Preoperative serum AMH level was checked and evaluated according to histologic type of the cyst, which were endometrioma or other benign ovarian cysts, respectively. Both groups were classified into ≤ 4 cm, > 4 cm and ≤ 8 cm, > 8 cm and ≤ 12 cm, > 12 cm according to the diameter of cyst and analyzed the difference of mean AMH levels in both groups. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in preoperative serum AMH level between the two groups (3.36 ± 2.3 versus 3.76 ± 2.64, p = 0.331). The difference of preoperative AMH levels according to categorized cyst size also was not statistically significant in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative serum AMH levels were not statistically different between endometrioma and other benign ovarian cyst groups and were not related to the size of endometrioma.