Evaluation of antimullerian hormone levels before and after laparoscopic management of endometriosis

Beyond the surface: Does stage I-II endometriosis impact fertility? Exploring the challenges of mild disease

Endometriosis is one of the most common gynecologic conditions that women face throughout their lives. Despite advances in technology, diagnosis and treatment of this relapsing and remitting condition is still challenging for many women. This review focuses on literature pertaining to minimal/mild (stage I/II) endometriosis and its impact on fertility. The effectiveness of medical interventions to improve infertility and obstetric outcomes in both natural and assisted reproductive technologies cycles remains debated. The recent ESHRE guidelines suggests that operative laparoscopy could be considered for rASRM stage I/II endometriosis as it improves ongoing pregnancy rates.

Laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis and anti-Müllerian hormone levels: Findings from the Nurses' Health Study II

OBJECTIVE

Anti-Müllerian hormone is a reliable measure of ovarian reserve associated with menopause timing and fertility. Previous studies have observed that individuals with endometriosis have lower anti-Müllerian hormone levels than those without. However, sample sizes have been small and information is limited regarding the long-term influence of endometriosis on anti-Müllerian hormone levels among the general population, which may have important implications for menopause timing and chronic disease risk.

METHODS

Among 1961 premenopausal women in the Nurses' Health Study II who provided a blood sample and had not been pregnant in the last 6 months, we used generalized linear models to determine the association between laparoscopically-confirmed endometriosis and log-transformed plasma anti-Müllerian hormone level, adjusted for age (continuous and squared) and other potential confounding variables.

RESULTS

Participants were on average 40 years old (interquartile range 37-42 years) at blood draw. Women with endometriosis diagnosed prior to blood draw (n = 119) had a lower mean anti-Müllerian hormone level (1.6 ng/mL [SD = 2.3]) than women without known endometriosis (n = 1842) (2.8 ng/mL [SD = 3.0]). In multivariable adjusted models, women with endometriosis had 29.6 % lower anti-Müllerian hormone levels (95 % CI: -45.4, -9.2 %) than women without. This association was greater among women with a body mass index of 25 kg/m2 or more (percent difference: -44.0 % (-63.7, -13.8)), compared to those with a body mass index of under 25 kg/m2 (percent difference: -19.8 % (-41.7, 10.4)), but did not vary by parity or infertility history.

CONCLUSIONS

Lower anti-Müllerian hormone levels in women with endometriosis may be one mechanism through which endometriosis influences risk of infertility, younger age at menopause, and cardiovascular disease.

Ethanol Sclerotherapy versus Laparoscopic Surgery in Management of Ovarian Endometrioma; a Randomized Clinical Trial

Introduction

A variety of therapeutic modalities are available in management of ovarian endometrioma. This study aimed to compare the effects of ethanol sclerotherapy and laparoscopic surgery on disease recurrence and ovarian factors of these patients.

Methods

70 women with ovarian endometrioma and chronic pelvic pain were randomly divided into two groups. The first group underwent sclerotherapy with a puncture needle (cook) and the second group underwent laparoscopic surgery. Both groups were followed up every three months to investigate the recurrence rate. In this regard, ultrasonography was performed 3 months and 12 months after treatment, and serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels were also reassessed 12 weeks after the intervention.

Results

70 women with the mean age of 31.46 ± 4.71 years, and the mean body mass index (BMI) of 23.12 ± 1.01 were studied. The two groups were similar regarding age (p = 0.770), BMI (p = 0.371), history of gastrointestinal signs (p = 0.794), history of urinary diseases (p = 0.324), dysmenorrhea (p = 0.403), pelvic pain (p = 0.454), dyspareunia (p = 0.448), location of cyst (p = 0.448), and diameter of cyst (p = 0.250). In the laparoscopic group, a significant decrease in anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels was observed after 12 weeks (p < 0.0001), while in the sclerotherapy group, no significant changes were found between pre-and post-operative AMH levels (p = 0.120). Cyst size decreased significantly in both groups three months (p < 0.001) and twelve months (p < 0.0001) after treatment. In the third month, 8 patients in the sclerotherapy group and 13 patients in the laparoscopic group had recurrences, and in the twelfth month, 17 patients in the sclerotherapy group and 15 patients in the laparoscopic group had recurrence of symptoms (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Although AMH level and mean cyst diameter were significantly lower one year after laparoscopy, recurrence rate of ovarian endometrioma was similar between ethanol sclerotherapy and laparoscopy methods.

The effects of vasopressin injection technique on ovarian reserve in laparoscopic cystectomy of bilateral ovarian endometrioma: a retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effects of vasopressin injection technique (VIT) on ovarian reserve in laparoscopic cystectomy of bilateral ovarian endometrioma.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 122 patients with bilateral ovarian endometrioma undergoing laparoscopic cystectomy were assigned to control or the VIT group. Coagulation-event count and blood loss were recorded. Levels of serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) were assessed at 1 day pre-operation, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months post-operation. The follicles in the tissue sections were counted, and the maximum thickness of cyst wall was measured.

RESULTS

Coagulation-event count and blood loss in the VIT group were statistically less than those in control group (P<0.05). In both groups, AMH levels at pre-operation were the highest among different time-points (P<0.05); a remarkable decrease of AMH level was observed at 1 month post-operation, and the values were the lowest among different time-points (P<0.05). At 3 months post-operation, AMH levels gradually increased to approximately 60% of those at pre-operation (P<0.05); at 6 months post-operation, AMH levels were significantly higher than those at 3 months post-operation in VIT group (P<0.05). AMH levels in VIT group were significantly higher than those in control group at each time-point post-operation (P<0.05). The cyst walls in control group were statistically thicker than those in VIT group (P<0.05). Consistent with results of cyst wall thickness, numbers of total follicle loss, primordial and primary follicles in VIT group were less than those of control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

VIT effectively protected ovarian reserve in laparoscopic cystectomy of bilateral ovarian endometrioma.

The Clinical Outcome of Laparoscopic Surgery for Endometriosis on Pain, Ovarian Reserve, and Cancer Antigen 125 (CA-125): A Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Endometriosis is an important cause of chronic pain and infertility. Surgery is considered the gold standard for diagnosis and treatment. In this study, we aim to describe the clinical outcomes of women who undergo laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this cohort study, a total of 174 women who referred to Farmaniyeh Hospital, Tehran, Iran from August 2015 to December 2017 with surgical diagnoses of endometriosis stages III and IV enrolled. The participants' demographic, gynaecological, and clinical characteristics were recorded and they were asked to use a numeric rating scale (NRS) to record their severity of pain before and three months after surgery. Blood samples were also taken from the patients before and three months after surgery for measurement of serum levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and cancer antigen 125 (CA-125). Data were analysed using SPSS version 21.

RESULTS

The patients had a mean age of 34.86 ± 6.47 years, 60.9% were married, and 49.4% were housewives. The primary indication for surgery was pain (68.4%), followed by both pain and infertility in the remainder of patients. Types of endometriotic lesions included endometrioma (19%), deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE, 3.4%), and both endometrioma and DIE (77.6%). There was a reduction in pain from 6.79 ± 2.19 before surgery to 1.48 ± 1.68 after surgery; serum AMH levels reduced from 2.80 ± 1.86 ng/mL to 1.76 ± 1.40 ng/mL and CA125 reduced from 257.06 ± 220.25 U/mL to 23.27 ± 23.25 U/mL (all P<0.001). Of the 21.2% who experienced recurrence, 13.5% underwent additional surgery. The total additional surgery rate was 2.8%. Of the 55 patients with infertility, 78.1% became pregnant after surgery, 54.5% of which was spontaneous.

CONCLUSION

Surgical treatment of endometriosis had a favourable effect on the patients' pain and inflammation and resolved the patients' infertility with a minimal need for additional surgery.

The Influence of Cesarean Delivery on Ovarian Reserve: a Prospective Cohort Study

To assess the association between cesarean delivery and ovarian reserve, as compared to vaginal delivery. A prospective case control study conducted at a single tertiary medical center between June 2018 and June 2019. Study population included women with singleton pregnancy that underwent first cesarean delivery that were compared to women undergoing normal vaginal delivery. Women with low ovarian reserve, endometriosis, previous pelvic surgery, chronic maternal disease, and active labor were excluded. Ovarian reserve was estimated by Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels that was determined twice for each participant: up to a week before and 3 months after delivery. Primary outcome was defined as the delta in AMH levels. Data were analyzed by non-parametric tests. During the study period, 135 women were enrolled, of them 63 (47%) underwent cesarean delivery and 72 (53%) had vaginal delivery. Women in the cesarean delivery group were older (34 (31-38) vs. 32 (29-35); p = 0.001); nevertheless, AMH levels measured before delivery were comparable between the two groups (0.92 (0.51-1.79) vs. 0.95 (0.51-1.79) pg/mL; p = 0.42). AMH levels measured after delivery were more than doubled in the study and control groups (2.15 (1.24-3.05) vs. 2.62 (1.05-5.09); p = 0.50), and delta AMH levels were also found comparable (1.25 (0.61-2.22) vs. 1.59 (0.63-3.41), respectively; p = 0.43). Linear regression analysis including age, mode of delivery, gestational age at delivery, and delta hemoglobin levels revealed that only maternal age was significantly associated with delta in AMH levels (B =  - 0.09, p = 0.04). Cesarean delivery does not decrease ovarian reserve as estimated by AMH.

The effect of unilateral and bilateral laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis on Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) level after 3 and 6 months: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Endometriosis is one of the most common causes of infertility. The causes of the disease and its definitive treatments are still unclear. Moreover, Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) is a glycoprotein dimer that is a member of the transient growth factors family. This research work aimed to identify the effect of unilateral and bilateral laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis on AMH levels after 3 months, and 6 months, using meta-analysis.

Methods

In this study, the articles published in national and international databases of SID, MagIran, IranMedex, IranDoc, Cochrane, Embase, Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science (ISI) were searched to find electronically published studies between 2010 and 2019. The heterogeneous index between studies was determined using the I² index.

Results

In this meta-analysis and systematic review, 19 articles were eligible for inclusion in the study. The standardized mean difference was obtained in examining of unilateral laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis (before intervention 2.8 ± 0.11, and after 3 months 2.05 ± 0.13; and before intervention 3.1 ± 0.46 and after 6 months 2.08 ± 0.31), and in examining bilateral laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis examination (before intervention 2.0 ± 08.08, and after 3 months 1.1 ± 0.1; and before intervention 2.9 ± 0.23 and after 6 months 1.4 ± 0.19).

Conclusion

The results of this study demonstrate that unilateral and bilateral laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis is effective on AMH levels, and the level decreases in both comparisons.