The Senhance ® assisted laparoscopy in urogynaecology: case report of sacral colpopexy with subtotal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy for pelvic organ prolapse *: * Video Article, to see the video use this link: https://qrco.de/bbdi3G

The aim of this case report was to evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of nerve-sparing laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (SCP) performed with a minimally invasive approach by using 2.9-mm Senhance ® surgical robotic system (Senhance ® , TRANSENTERIX Inc., USA). A 60-year-old Caucasian woman with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse-Q (POP-Q) Aa: 2, Ba: 3, C: +4, Bp:2, Ap: 2, TVL:10 underwent subtotal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, with nerve-sparing SCP performed using the Senhance surgical robotic system.. The urogynaecological assessment on the day of discharge and at the 3 month follow-up showed surgical anatomic success (<2 POP-Q stage). The patient was fully satisfied with the cosmetic result. This is the first case of SCP performed with this innovative system. SCP using "Senhance ®" is a feasible and effective approach with good results in terms of operative time, cosmesis, postoperative pain and length of hospitalisation.

Diagnostic accuracy and economic impact of three work-up strategies identifying risk groups in endometrial cancer, fully incorporating sentinel lymph node algorithm

BACKGROUND

According to the European Society for Medical Oncology/ European Society of Gynaecological Oncology/European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESMO/ESGO/ESTRO) Consensus Conference, the role of preoperative risk groups (RGs) in endometrial cancer (EC) is to direct surgical nodal staging. We compared diagnostic accuracy and economic impact of three work-up strategies to identify RGs.

METHODS

A retrospective multicentre study including patients with early-stage EC. The three different work-up strategies were as follows:-Mondovì Hospital: transvaginal ultrasonography, pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); frozen section examination of the uterus in case of imaging discordance. High-risk patients underwent abdominal computed tomography.-Gemelli Hospital: transvaginal ultrasonography, MRI, One-Step Nucleic Acid Amplification (OSNA) of sentinel lymph node (SLN); frozen section examination of the uterus in case of imaging discordance.-Negrar Hospital: positron emission tomography (PET), frozen section examination of the uterus and of SLN. For statistical purposes patients were assigned, preoperatively and postoperatively, to two groups: group A (high-risk) and group B (not high-risk).

RESULTS

Three hundred eighty-five patients were included (93 Mondovì, 215 Gemelli, 77 Negrar). Endometrial biopsy errors led to 47.3% misclassifications. Test accuracy of Mondovì, Gemelli and Negrar strategies was 0.83 (95%CI 0.734-0.901), 0.95 (95%CI 0.909-0.975) and 0.94 (95%CI 0.866-0.985), respectively. Preoperative work-up mean cost per patient in group A was €514.5 at Mondovì, €868.5 at Gemelli, and €1212.8 at Negrar hospital (p-value < 0.001), while in group B was €378.8 at Mondovì, €941.2 at Gemelli, and €1848.4 at Negrar hospital (p-value < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, work-up strategies with more relevant economic impact showed a better diagnostic accuracy. Upcoming guidelines should specify recommendations about the gold standard work-up strategy, including the role of SLN.

Bevacizumab as maintenance treatment in BRCA mutated patients with advanced ovarian cancer: A large, retrospective, multicenter case-control study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between BRCA mutational status and response to bevacizumab in a large advanced ovarian cancer (AOC) series.

METHODS

This is a multicenter, retrospective case-control study including upfront AOC treated between January 2015 and June 2019. The main inclusion criteria were: having received three weekly carboplatin-paclitaxel as first-line treatment, with or without Bevacizumab maintenance, knowledge of the BRCA mutational status.

RESULTS

Overall, 441 patients were included; 183 (41.5%) patients received bevacizumab (Cases), and 258 (58.5%) did not receive it (Controls). The BRCA mutated patients (BRCAmut) were 58 (39%) in the Cases group and 90 (34.9%) in the Controls group (p = .77). Patients who received bevacizumab had a significant 4-months increase in median progression free survival (mPFS: 21 vs. 17 months, p = .033). Concerning BRCAmut patients, no differences were shown between those who received bevacizumab or not in terms of mPFS (24 vs. 22 months, p = .3). Conversely, in BRCA wild-type (BRCAwt) population bevacizumab administration significantly prolonged mPFS (20 vs 15 months, p = .019). At multivariate analysis, independent factors of prolonged PFS were BRCA status (OR = 0.60), having received PDS (OR = 0.69), and complete cytoreduction (OR = 0.50), but not the bevacizumab administration (OR = 0.83, p = .22).

CONCLUSIONS

No evidence of oncological benefit in terms of PFS and OS related to bevacizumab maintenance therapy was found in BRCAmut patients. Differently, BRCAwt patients seem to benefit from antiangiogenic treatment in terms of mPFS.

When a mimicker wears strange faces: description of an osteogenic melanoma arising within an ovarian teratoma with focus on its late peritoneal relapse

Secondary malignancies arising within mature teratomas are a rare event, originating from malignant transformation of the tissues derived from one of the three germ cell layers. Osteogenic melanoma is exceedingly rare histologic variant of malignant melanoma, in which the melanoma is associated to an osteogenic sarcoma component. To the best of our knowledge, first case of osteogenic melanoma arising within mature ovarian teratoma in a 30-year-old woman without evidence of a primary cutaneous or visceral melanoma. The present case showed an unusual morphological and immunohistochemical pattern and was incorrectly diagnosed as undifferentiated carcinoma. After a 15 years follow-up period, the patient presented a peritoneal recurrence histologically constituted by epithelioid cells with prominent osteoid formation and with immunohistochemical expression of melanocytic markers (S100, HMB-45). Heterozygote Mutation V600E/E complex has been detected in the BRAF exon 15 sequence. The case was then interpreted as osteogenic melanoma. The present case contributes to widen the spectrum of neoplasms derived from malignant transformation of ovarian teratomas and provides also new insights about the clinical behavior of osteogenic melanoma when arising outside its usual anatomical location.

Clinical role of lung ultrasound for diagnosis and monitoring of COVID-19 pneumonia in pregnant women

Lung ultrasound has been suggested recently by the Chinese Critical Care Ultrasound Study Group and Italian Academy of Thoracic Ultrasound as an accurate tool to detect lung involvement in COVID-19. Although chest computed tomography (CT) represents the gold standard to assess lung involvement, with a specificity superior even to that of the nasopharyngeal swab for diagnosis, lung ultrasound examination can be a valid alternative to CT scan, with certain advantages, particularly for pregnant women. Ultrasound can be performed directly at the bed-side by a single operator, reducing the risk of spreading the disease among health professionals. Furthermore, it is a radiation-free exam, making it safer and easier to monitor those patients who require a series of exams. We report on four cases of pregnant women affected by COVID-19 who were monitored with lung ultrasound examination. All patients showed sonographic features indicative of COVID-19 pneumonia at admission: irregular pleural lines and vertical artifacts (B-lines) were observed in all four cases, and patchy areas of white lung were observed in two. Lung ultrasound was more sensitive than was chest X-ray in detecting COVID-19. In three patients, we observed almost complete resolution of lung pathology on ultrasound within 96 h of admission. Two pregnancies were ongoing at the time of writing, and two had undergone Cesarean delivery with no fetal complications. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis of cord blood and newborn swabs was negative in both of these cases. Copyright © 2020 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

How to perform lung ultrasound in pregnant women with suspected COVID-19

Under certain circumstances, such as during the current COVID-19 outbreak, pregnant women can be a target for respiratory infection, and lung examination may be required as part of their clinical evaluation, ideally while avoiding exposure to radiation. We propose a practical approach for obstetricians/gynecologists to perform lung ultrasound examination, discussing potential applications, semiology and practical aspects, which could be of particular importance in emergency situations, such as the current pandemic infection of COVID-19. Copyright © 2020 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Role of vitamin K2 in bone metabolism: a point of view and a short reappraisal of the literature

Vitamin K₂ (vit K₂) belongs to a large group of fat-soluble compounds whose formulation is MK (menaquinone) (MK-2 to MK-14), that seem to be involved in different biological functions. In particular, vit K₂ has been recently recognized as efficacious and safe in treatment of bone loss, as it contributes to structural integrity of osteocalcin (OC), the major non-collagenous protein typically found in bone matrix. Several studies proved low vit K₂ intake is linked to bone loss and to increased fracture risk in both sexes. Nowadays, vit K₂ supplementation is considered a significant manner to enhance the association of calcium and vitamin D whose role on bone health is largely recognized. On the other hand, vit K₂ may be used alone or with other drugs to preserve bone quality/strength from skeletal degradation after menopause and/or in patients affected by secondary osteoporosis. In this paper, we review the most recent data about vit K₂ on skeleton.

Recurrent miscarriage and fetal congenital malformations: Is there a neglected causal association?

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study is to investigate the correlation between pregnancies complicated by morphological or chromosomal fetal anomalies and an obstetric history of two or more pregnancy losses, analyzing the association with any maternal risk factor.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective analysis of women who had access to the Day Hospital Clinic of Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS in Rome from 2012 to 2018 for a pregnancy complicated by fetal malformation and/or abnormal karyotype, and who had an obstetric history of at least one pregnancy loss. Patients were divided into four groups depending on the number of miscarriages and the presence of a genetic anomaly: Group 0 included women with <2 miscarriages and fetal malformations, Group 1 included women with ≥2 miscarriages and fetal malformations, Group 2 included women with <2 abortion, fetal malformations and the presence of genetic anomalies; Group 3 included women with 2 ≥ abortions, fetal malformations and genetic anomalies. Statistical analysis was performed using the SAS v. 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA).

RESULTS

A total of 466 patients were included in the present analysis. Out of these, 379 patients belonged to Group 0; 40 patients entered in Group 1; Group 2 included 42 patients, and 5 patients were part of Group 3. Pregnancies complicated by fetal congenital malformations in patients with two or more pregnancy losses were significantly associated with maternal trombophilic disease and previous birth defects. Recurrent miscarriage and fetal structural anomalies were also significantly correlated with advanced maternal age.

CONCLUSIONS

An adequate periconceptional counseling regarding the risk of fetal congenital anomalies may be indicated in patients affected by thrombophilic disease, as well as in those of advanced maternal age and with a pregnancy history of fetal malformations. The screening for thrombophilia may be advisable in patients with an obstetric history of congenital birth defects.

Ultrasound morphometric and cytologic preoperative assessment of inguinal lymph-node status in women with vulvar cancer: MorphoNode study

OBJECTIVE

To assess the accuracy of preoperative ultrasound examination for predicting lymph-node (LN) status in patients with vulvar cancer.

METHODS

This was a single-institution retrospective observational study of all women with a histological diagnosis of vulvar cancer triaged to inguinal surgery within 30 days following ultrasound evaluation between December 2010 and January 2016. For each groin examined, 15 morphological and dimensional sonographic parameters associated with suspicion for LN involvement were examined. A morphometric ultrasound pattern (MUP) was expressed for each groin, classifying the inguinal LN status into five groups (normal; reactive-but-negative; minimally suspicious/probably negative; moderately suspicious; and highly suspicious/positive) according to subjective judgment, followed by stratification as positive or negative for metastasis according to morphometric binomial assessment (MBA). In cases of positive MBA, fine-needle aspiration cytology was performed. Combining the information obtained from MUP and cytologic results, a binomial final overall assessment (FOA) was assigned for each groin. The final histology was considered as the reference standard. Comparison was performed between patients with negative and those with positive LNs on histology, and receiver-operating-characteristics curves were generated for statistically significant variables on univariate analysis, to evaluate their diagnostic ability to predict negative LN status.

RESULTS

Of 144 patients included in the analysis, 87 had negative inguinal LNs and 57 had positive LNs on histology. A total of 256 groins were analyzed, of which 171 were negative and 85 showed at least one metastatic LN on histology. The following parameters showed the greatest accuracy, with the best balance between specificity and sensitivity, in predicting negative LN status: cortical (C) thickness of the dominant LN (cut-off, 2.5 mm; sensitivity, 90.0%; specificity, 77.9%); short-axis (S) length of the dominant LN (cut-off, 8.4 mm; sensitivity, 63.9%; specificity, 90.6%); C/medulla (M) thickness ratio of the dominant LN (cut-off, 1.2 mm; sensitivity, 70.4%; specificity, 91.5%), the combination of S length and C/M thickness ratio (sensitivity, 88.9%; specificity, 82.4%); and the FOA analysis (sensitivity, 85.9%; specificity, 84.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative ultrasound assessment, with or without the addition of cytology, has a high accuracy in assessing inguinal LN status in patients with vulvar cancer. In particular, the combination of two ultrasound parameters (S length and C/M thickness ratio) provided the greatest accuracy in discriminating between negative and positive LNs. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Outcome of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome in monochorionic monoamniotic twin pregnancy: systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

To explore the outcome of monochorionic monoamniotic (MCMA) twin pregnancies affected by twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS).

METHODS

MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched for studies reporting the outcome of MCMA twin pregnancies complicated by TTTS. The primary outcome was intrauterine death (IUD); secondary outcomes were miscarriage, single IUD, double IUD, neonatal death (NND), perinatal death (PND), survival of at least one twin, survival of both twins and preterm birth (PTB) before 32 weeks' gestation. Outcomes were assessed in MCMA twins affected by TTTS not undergoing intervention and in those treated with amniodrainage, laser therapy or cord occlusion. Subgroup analysis was performed including cases diagnosed before 24 weeks. Random-effects meta-analysis of proportions was used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Fifteen cohort studies, including 888 MCMA twin pregnancies, of which 44 were affected by TTTS, were included in the review. There was no randomized trial comparing the different management options in MCMA twin pregnancies complicated by TTTS. In cases not undergoing intervention, miscarriage occurred in 11.0% of fetuses, while the incidence of IUD, NND and PND was 25.2%, 12.2% and 31.2%, respectively. PTB complicated 50.5% of these pregnancies. In cases treated by laser surgery, the incidence of miscarriage, IUD, NND and PND was 19.6%, 27.4%, 7.4% and 35.9%, respectively, and the incidence of PTB before 32 weeks' gestation was 64.9%. In cases treated with amniodrainage, the incidence of IUD, NND and PND was 31.3%, 13.5% and 45.7% respectively, and PTB complicated 76.2% of these pregnancies. Analysis of cases undergoing cord occlusion was affected by the very small number of included cases. Miscarriage occurred in 19.2%, while there was no case of IUD or NND of the surviving twin. PTB before 32 weeks occurred in 50.0% of these cases.

CONCLUSIONS

MCMA twin pregnancies complicated by TTTS are at high risk of perinatal mortality and PTB. Further studies are needed in order to elucidate the optimal type of prenatal treatment in these pregnancies. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Salvage lymphadenectomy in recurrent ovarian cancer patients: Analysis of clinical outcome and BRCA1/2 gene mutational status

OBJECTIVE

This study is aimed to analyze the clinical outcome of recurrent ovarian cancer patients bearing isolated lymph-node recurrence (ILNR) who underwent salvage lymphadenectomy (SL). The prognostic role of clinicopathological variables and the mutational status of BRCA1/2 have also been investigated.

METHODS

This retrospective, single-institutional study included women with platinum-sensitive lymph node recurrence underwent to SL between June 2008 and June 2018. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of clinical parameters, and BRCA1/2 mutational status on post salvage lymphadenectomy progression-free survival (PSL-PFS).

RESULTS

As of June 2019, the median follow-up after SL was 30 months, and the relapse has been documented in 48 (56.5%) patients. In the whole series, the median PSL-PFS was 21 months, and the 3-year PSL-PFS was 36.7%. The median PSL-PFS, according to patients with ILNR (N = 71) versus patients with lymph-nodes and other sites of disease (N = 14), was 27 months versus 12 months, respectively. Univariate analysis of variables conditioning PSL-PFS showed that platinum-free interval (PFI) ≥12 months, normal Ca125 serum levels, and number of metastatic lymph-nodes ≤3 played a statistically significant favorable role. In multivariate analysis, PFI duration ≥12 months and the number of metastatic lymph nodes ≤3 were shown to keep their favorable, independent prognostic value on PSL-PFS.

CONCLUSIONS

In the context of SL, the patients with long PFI and low metastatic lymph node numbers at ILNR diagnosis have the best outcome. The BRCA mutational status seems not associated with clinical variables and PSL-PFS, differently from other sites of disease in ROC patients.

Minimal residual disease at primary debulking surgery versus complete tumor resection at interval debulking surgery in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer: A survival analysis

OBJECTIVES

To compare survival outcomes and peri-operative complications in patients with advanced ovarian cancer with 1-10 mm residual disease (RD) at primary debulking surgery (PDS) versus those achieving no gross residual disease (NGR) at interval debulking surgery (IDS).

METHODS

Patients operated with the intent of complete cytoreduction for epithelial ovarian/fallopian tube/primary peritoneal cancer, FIGO stage IIIC-IV, RD 1-10 mm at PDS and NGR at IDS, between 01/2010 and 12/2016, were retrospectively included. All patients had at least 2-years of follow-up completed.

RESULTS

207 patients were included (59 PDS and 148 IDS). Patients in PDS group were younger and had a higher surgical complexity score. There was a higher rate of intra- and major early post-operative complications in the group of PDS vs IDS (16.9% vs 1.3% and 28.8% vs 2.0%, p < 0.0001 respectively). After a median follow up of 56.4 months (range 59.2-65.4), 117 (56.5%) patients died of disease in the whole population. Forty-eight (81.4%) patients had progression/recurrent disease in the PDS group and 120 (81.1%) in the IDS group. Median PFS was 16.2 months and 18.9 months for PDS and IDS group, respectively (p = 0.111). Median OS was 41.4 months and 52.4 months for PDS and IDS group, respectively (p = 0.022).

CONCLUSIONS

IDS should be considered the preferred treatment in case millimetric residual disease is expected at PDS in view of the superimposable PFS and the reduced number of perioperative complications.

Preliminary evaluation of HER-2/neu oncogene and epidermal growth factor receptor expression in normal and neoplastic human ovaries

The HER-2/neu oncogene (a member of the Erb-like oncogene family) is distinct from but closely related to the c-erb B gene which encodes the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr). HER-2/neu gene amplification was found in a large number of mammary carcinomas and there was a strong correlation between this phenomenon and poor prognosis. In our study HER-2/neu oncogene expression was determined in 16 malignant ovarian tumors, 2 ovarian lymphomas and 5 normal ovaries. The HER-2/neu gene was found both in normal ovaries and malignant tumors, without any apparent difference among the various histological types. In all the specimens examined, HER-2/neu expression did not seem to be related to EGF binding capacity.

The INTERNATIONAL MISSION study: minimally invasive surgery in ovarian neoplasms after neoadjuvant chemotherapy

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this retrospective multicenter study was to investigate the extent, feasibility, and outcomes of minimally invasive surgery at the time of interval debulking surgery in different gynecological cancer centers.

METHODS/MATERIALS

In December 2016, 20 gynecological cancer centers were contacted by e-mail, to participate in the INTERNATIONAL MISSION study. Seven centers confirmed and five were included, with a total of 127 patients diagnosed with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and minimally invasive interval surgery. Only women with a minimum follow-up time of 6 months from interval surgery or any cancer-related event before 6 months were included in the survival analysis. Baseline characteristics, chemotherapy, and operative data were evaluated. Survival analysis was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS : All patients had optimal cytoreduction at the time of interval surgery: among them, 122 (96.1%) patients had no residual tumor. Median operative time was 225 min (range 60 - 600) and median estimated blood loss was 100 mL (range 70 - 1320). Median time to discharge was 2 days (1-33) and estimated median time to start chemotherapy was 20 days (range 15 - 60). Six (4.7%) patients experienced intraoperative complications, with one patient experiencing two serious complications (bowel and bladder injury at the same time). There were six (4.7%) patients with postoperative short-term complications: among them, three patients had severe complications. The conversion rate to laparotomy was 3.9 %. Median follow-up time was 37 months (range 7 - 86): 74 of 127 patients recurred (58.3%) and 31 (24.4%) patients died from disease. Median progression-free survival was 23 months and survival at 5 years was 52 % (95% CI: 35 to 67).

CONCLUSIONS

Minimally invasive surgery may be considered for the management of patients with advanced ovarian cancer who have undergone neoadjuvant chemotherapy, when surgery is limited to low-complexity standard cytoreductive procedures.

Prevalence of cervical HPV and attitude towards cervical screening in IBD patients under immunomodulatory treatment: a multidisciplinary management experience

OBJECTIVE

Therapeutic strategies for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD: Crohn's disease and Ulcerative Colitis) have improved but the risk for HPV infection in patients under immunomodulatory/biologic treatment is unclear. Objective of the study is to identify the attitude of patients and caregivers to cervical screening. To determine the prevalence of HPV and cervical lesions in IBD patients receiving immunomodulatory/biological treatment.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

IBD patients treated with immunomodulators were enrolled from November 2016 to September 2017, thanks to a multidisciplinary cooperation. A survey was administered to enrolled patients as well as to a selected network of IBD expert physicians. Patients who consented underwent gynecological examination, smear, HPV DNA test, colposcopy, vaginal and cervical microbiological swabs.

RESULTS

294 patients from AMICI Onlus Association, 119 patients from the hospital clinic, 30 doctors from national IBD centers participated to the survey. 19 patients from the IBD clinic underwent cervical screening. More than 90% of doctors consider their patients at risk of cervical cancer. A low prevalence of high-risk genotypes and related HPV lesions and an increased prevalence of bacterial vaginosis emerged in the studied population.

CONCLUSIONS

Biological drugs could lead to a positive immunomodulation towards HPV infection. In IBD patients an alteration of the vaginal and intestinal microbiota seems to be coexisting.