Uterine arteriovenous malformations are a rare cause of puerperal haemorrhage, but their incidence is increasing due to both improved diagnosis and the more frequent use of uterine surgery in recent years. The use of ultrasound, both B-mode and Doppler, is recommended for diagnosis and follow-up, as it has been shown to be the simplest and most cost-effective method. Endometrial thickening associated with an anechoic and vascular intramiometrial structure is very useful for diagnosis and can help to exclude other causes of dysfunctional bleeding. Pulsed Doppler shows low-resistance vessels and high pulsatility indices with a high peak systolic velocity (PSV). In a healthy myometrium, the vessels have a peak systolic velocity of 9–40 cm/s and a resistance index between 0.6 and 0.8, whereas in the case of AVMs, the systolic and diastolic velocities are 4–6 times higher (PSV 25–110 cm/s with a mean of 60 cm/s and a resistance index of 0.27–0.75 with a mean of 0.41). For treatment, we must individualise each case, taking into account haemodynamic stability, the patient’s reproductive wishes, and the severity of the AVM as assessed by its size and PSV.
It would be logical to think that single-incision mini-slings (SIMS) should behave like the rest of the tension-free vaginal tape and, therefore, to believe that they present a similar ultrasound appearance, but there are no studies on this matter. Therefore, the main aim of our research is to determine which ultrasound parameters are associated with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in patients carrying SIMS. A prospective observational study was carried out including 94 patients who were candidates for SUI corrective surgery with SIMS between 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021 at the Universitary Hospital of Valme (Seville, Spain). A transperineal ultrasound evaluation was performed (six months after surgery) in order to study: the bladder neck–symphyseal distance, the posterior urethro–vesical angle, the pubic symphysis–tape gap, the tape–urethral lumen distance, the sagittal tape angle, the tape position, the concordance of movement between the tape and the urethra, and the axial tape angle. A total of 92 patients completed the study (63 asymptomatic and 29 symptomatic). Statistical differences were observed in the concordance of movement between the tape and the urethra (84.1% vs. 25.0%; p: 0.001) and in the axial tape angle at rest (139.3 ± 19.0 vs. 118.3 ± 15.4; p: 0.003) and at Valsalva (145.1 ± 20.2 vs. 159.1 ± 9.0; p: 0.034). Sagittal tape angle at rest was higher in urge urinary incontinence (UUI) patients (132.5 ± 35.7 vs. 143.3 ± 29.8; p: 0.001) and mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) patients (132.5 ± 35.7 vs. 157.8 ± 23.6; p: 0.025) compared to asymptomatic patients. In conclusion, the concordance between the movement of the tape and the urethra is the most useful ultrasound parameter to define continence in patients with SIMS.
The relationship between the anorectal angle (ARA) and the levator ani muscle (LAM) is well known. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate that the ARA changes when LAM avulsion occurs after vaginal delivery. This was a secondary, observational retrospective study with data obtained from three previous studies. Using transperineal ultrasound, the presence of avulsion was assessed when abnormal insertion of the LAM was observed in three central slices. In addition, the ARA was assessed in the midsagittal plane (at rest, in Valsalva and at maximum contraction) as the angle between the posterior border of the distal part of the rectum and the central axis of the anal canal. The ARA was higher in patients with bilateral LAM avulsion than in patients without LAM avulsion at rest (131.8 ± 14.1 vs. 136.2 ± 13.8), in Valsalva (129.4 ± 15.5 vs. 136.5 ± 14.4) and at maximum contraction (125.7 ± 15.5 vs. 132.3 ± 13.2). The differences between both groups expressed as the odds ratio (OR) adjusted for maternal age were 1.031 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.001–1.061; p = 0.041) at rest, 1.036 (95% CI, 1.008–1.064; p = 0.012) in Valsalva and 1.031 (95% CI, 1.003–1.059; p = 0.027) at maximum contraction. In conclusion, LAM avulsion produces an increase in the ARA at rest, during contraction and in Valsalva, especially in cases of bilateral LAM avulsion.
Background/Objectives: Up to 30% of cervical dysplastic lesions are missed by colposcopy alone. We performed a comparative evaluation of the diagnostic capacity for identifying cervical dysplastic lesions between shear wave elastography (SWE) of the endocervix and exocervix, defined as SonoElastoColposcopy (SEC), and colposcopy. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in 84 patients indicated for cervical conization surgery (presence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 or 3 (CIN-2 or 3), adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), or high-grade suspicious lesions). All patients underwent colposcopy with lesion identification and biopsy, and SEC and SWE evaluation of the endocervix and exocervix with measurement of lesion stiffness (KPa). Cervical lesions identified by colposcopy or SEC were localized in quadrants, and a comparative evaluation of the diagnostic capacity of both techniques was performed in relation to the anatomical pathology of the cone biopsy. Results: A total of 82 women were evaluated (two cases were lost). The mean age was 38.84 ± 8.44 years. Colposcopy was adequate in 95.12% of cases. In SEC, we observed an elasticity in the lesion area of 105.42 ± 36.32 KPa compared to 19.98 ± 9.29 KPa (p < 0.0001) in the healthy area of the exocervix. In the endocervix, the results were 109.8 ± 40.86 KPa versus 18.5 ± 9.07 KPa (p < 0.0001), respectively. The concordance for colposcopy was 0.456 compared to 0.815 (p < 0.05) for SEC. Conclusions: SEC demonstrates a better ability to identify the area of cervical dysplastic lesions than colposcopy.
16 October 2026 in Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology
Background: Sexual dysfunction is a common but often under-addressed concern among breast cancer survivors and may substantially affect quality of life. Evidence specifically addressing sexual function in premenopausal survivors remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate sexual function in premenopausal breast cancer survivors compared with healthy women and to identify factors associated with sexual dysfunction during survivorship. Methods: A cross-sectional case–control study was conducted in 80 premenopausal women, including 40 breast cancer survivors and 40 healthy controls, recruited from hospital-based clinics in Spain. Sexual function was assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Sociodemographic and clinical variables were collected. Between-group comparisons were performed using appropriate statistical tests, and logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate associations. Results: Breast cancer survivors showed significantly lower total FSFI scores compared with controls (median 26.1 vs. 31.4; p < 0.05), with impairments observed in the domains of desire, arousal, lubrication, satisfaction, and pain. Sexual dysfunction (FSFI ≤26.55) was identified in 55% of survivors and 10% of controls. Breast cancer survivorship was significantly associated with sexual dysfunction (odds ratio [OR]: 11.0; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.29–36.80). No significant differences were observed according to type of surgery or treatment-induced menopause. Conclusions: Breast cancer survivorship was associated with significantly higher odds of sexual dysfunction across multiple domains of sexual health. These findings highlight the need for routine assessment and management of sexual function as part of survivorship care.
1 December 2024 in Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery
Editorial Small-vessel vasculitis: a potential rare adverse event following hysterosalpingo-foam sonography (HyFoSy) Cristina Fernández-Conde de Paz, Alberto Armijo Sánchez, Laura Castro Portillo, María Pilar Tirado Carrillo, Manuel Fernández-Sánchez, Teresa Zulueta Dorado, Ana Ortiz-Vallecillo, Esther Santamaría-López, Elena Mantrana Bermejo