Current aspects of gynecological pathology in postmenopause.

Between 1982 and 1984 330 women in postmenopause for at least one year were admitted to the First Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Catania University Medical School, Catania, Italy, with a frequency of 10.04% of gynecological admissions. The most frequent pathologies were metrorrhagia (32.72%; 108 cases) from an atrophic endometrium or glandular hyperplasia of the endometrium, vaginoperineal lacerations with cystorectocoele with or without urinary incontinence (10.90%; 36 cases), cancer (11.21%; 37 cases) and ovarian cystoma (11.21%; 37 cases), uterine prolapse (9.30%; 31 cases), and endometrial polyps (9.09%; 30 cases). Uterine fibromyoma (3.93%; 13 cases) and carcinoma of the portio (3.93%; 13 cases) were among the rare pathologies. Uterine pathologies were the most prevalent (68.78%; 227 cases), followed by ovarian (15.15%; 50 cases), pathology of involving the pelvic and perineal containment (10.90%; 36 cases), vulvar pathology (2.72%; 6 cases), and vaginal pathology (1.51%; 5 cases). Malignant neoplastic pathology was reported in 25.45% of cases (84 cases) consisting only of uterine cancer (47.61%; 40 cases) and ovarian cancer (45.23%; 38 cases). In comparison with the study performed by Cetroni in 1952 one notes a net reduction in the frequency of uterine prolapse (by about three times), and a smaller reduction in cancer of the uterine cervix with a slight increase in cervical polyps, endometrial cancer, and above all in metrorrhagia from atrophic endometrium or glandular hyperplasia of the endometrium.

New trends in cesarean section.

The Authors studied the frequency of Cesarean section in relation to deliveries in the last trimester of pregnancy, the frequency of repetitive Cesarean section, age and parity of the patients, indication for cesarean section, week of delivery, and perinatal and maternal morbidity and mortality at the First Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy, from 1972 to 1974 and from 1983 to 1985. The frequency of Cesarean section has increased from 12.07% (735 cases out 6,086 deliveries) to 16.89% (837 cases out of 4,955 deliveries). There was a decrease in frequency of repetitive Cesarean section from 30.47% (224 cases) to 27.95% (234 cases) and in perinatal mortality rate from 4.35% (32 cases out of 735) to 3.19% (27 cases out of 845 newborn). There were no cases of maternal death, while the most common cause of maternal morbidity was uterine atonia. From 1972 to 1974 mechanical causes were the most frequent indication for Cesarean section (28.16% -207 cases), while from 1983 to 1985 previous hysterotomy (32.73% -274 cases) was the main indications for Cesarean section.