Endometriosis (E) and adenomyosis (A) are associated with a wide spectrum of symptoms and may present various histopathological transformations, such as the presence of hyperplasia, atypia, and malignant transformation occurring under the influence of local inflammatory, vascular and hormonal factors and by the alteration of tumor suppressor proteins and the inhibition of cell apoptosis, with an increased degree of lesion proliferation. Material and methods: This retrospective study included 243 patients from whom tissue with E/A or normal control uterine tissue was harvested and stained by histochemical and classical immunohistochemical staining. We assessed the symptomatology of the patients, the structure of the ectopic epithelium and the presence of neovascularization, hormone receptors, inflammatory cells and oncoproteins involved in lesion development. Atypical areas were analyzed using multiple immunolabeling techniques. Results: The cytokeratin (CK) CK7+/CK20− expression profile was present in E foci and differentiated them from digestive metastases. The neovascularization marker cluster of differentiation (CD) 34+ was increased, especially in areas with malignant transformation of E or A foci. T:CD3+ lymphocytes, B:CD20+ lymphocytes, CD68+ macrophages and tryptase+ mast cells were abundant, especially in cases associated with malignant transformation, being markers of the proinflammatory microenvironment. In addition, we found a significantly increased cell division index (Ki67+), with transformation and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes p53, B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) and Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in areas with E/A-transformed malignancy. Conclusions: Proinflammatory/vascular/hormonal changes trigger E/A progression and the onset of cellular atypia and malignant transformation, exacerbating symptoms, especially local pain and vaginal bleeding. These triggers may represent future therapeutic targets.
Objective: Omentum involvement resulting from uterine perforation is a rare complication following intrauterine procedures that might require immediate intervention due to severe ischemic consequences. This review examines the prevalence of this complication, risk factors, the mode and timing of diagnosis, the proper management and the outcome. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed, PubMed Central and Scopus using uterine perforation, D&C, abortion and omentum as keywords. The exclusion criteria included the presence of the uterus or placenta’s malignancy and uterine perforation following delivery or caused by an intrauterine device. Results: The review included 11 articles from 133 screened papers. We identified 12 cases that three evaluators further analysed. We also present the case of a 32-year-old woman diagnosed with uterine perforation and omentum involvement. The patient underwent a hysteroscopic procedure with resectioning the protruding omentum into the uterine cavity, followed by intrauterine device insertion. Conclusion: This paper highlights the importance of a comprehensive gynaecological evaluation following a D&C procedure that includes a thorough clinical examination and a detailed ultrasound assessment. Healthcare providers should not overlook the diagnosis of omentum involvement in the presence of a history of intrauterine procedures.
Ectopic endometrial epithelium associates a wide spectrum of symptomatology. Their evolution can be influenced by inflammatory and vascular changes, that affect not only the structure and cell proliferation rate, but also symptoms. This prospective study involved tissue samples from surgically treated patients, stained using classical histotechniques and immunohistochemistry. We assessed ectopic endometrial glands (CK7+, CK20−), adjacent blood vessels (CD34+), estrogen/progesterone hormone receptors (ER+, PR+), inflammatory cells (CD3+, CD20+, CD68+, Tryptase+), rate of inflammatory cells (Ki67+) and oncoproteins (BCL2+, PTEN+, p53+) involved in the development of endometriosis/adenomyosis. A CK7+/CK20− expression profile was present in the ectopic epithelium and differentiated it from digestive metastases. ER+/PR+ were present in all cases analyzed. We found an increased vascularity (CD34+) in the areas with abdominal endometriosis and CD3+−:T-lymphocytes, CD20+−:B-lymphocytes, CD68+:macrophages, and Tryptase+: mastocytes were abundant, especially in cases with adenomyosis as a marker of proinflammatory microenvironment. In addition, we found a significantly higher division index-(Ki67+) in the areas with adenomyosis, and inactivation of tumor suppressor genes-p53+ in areas with neoplastic changes. The inflammatory/vascular/hormonal mechanisms trigger endometriosis progression and neoplastic changes increasing local pain. Furthermore, they may represent future therapeutic targets. Simultaneous-multiple immunohistochemical labelling represents a valuable technique for rapidly detecting cellular features that facilitate comparative analysis of the studied predictors.
Background: The ultrasound scan represents the first tool that obstetricians use in fetal evaluation, but sometimes, it can be limited by mobility or fetal position, excessive thickness of the maternal abdominal wall, or the presence of post-surgical scars on the maternal abdominal wall. Artificial intelligence (AI) has already been effectively used to measure biometric parameters, automatically recognize standard planes of fetal ultrasound evaluation, and for disease diagnosis, which helps conventional imaging methods. The usage of information, ultrasound scan images, and a machine learning program create an algorithm capable of assisting healthcare providers by reducing the workload, reducing the duration of the examination, and increasing the correct diagnosis capability. The recent remarkable expansion in the use of electronic medical records and diagnostic imaging coincides with the enormous success of machine learning algorithms in image identification tasks. Objectives: We aim to review the most relevant studies based on deep learning in ultrasound anomaly scan evaluation of the most complex fetal systems (heart and brain), which enclose the most frequent anomalies.
Background/Objectives: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect, an important cause of morbidity and mortality, with a reported prevalence of 5–12 per 1000 live births. The aim of our study was to identify the role of fetal morphological ultrasound examination in the first and second trimester of pregnancy in the detection of fetal congenital cardiac anomalies in a low-risk population. Methods: We performed a retrospective study in a tertiary fetal medicine center in Emergency Hospital Craiova, Romania. The longitudinal analysis combined first- and second-trimester screening using improved ultrasound protocols. Our study evaluated 8944 pregnant women with singleton pregnancies in a 6-year period between January 2018 and December 2023. All ultrasound examinations were performed using a standard extended protocol according to the main guidelines’ recommendations for the detection of fetal anomalies. Results: In the first trimester of pregnancy, 37 cases with cardiac anomalies were diagnosed. Thirteen of these cases were associated with genetic anomalies (Down syndrome—eight cases, Edwards syndrome—four cases, Turner syndrome—one case). Some of these pregnancies were associated with at least one of the minor ultrasound markers (inverted ductus venosus, abnormal flow in the tricuspid valve, presence of choroid plexus cysts, absent/hypoplastic nasal bone). In the second trimester of pregnancy, 17 cases of cardiac anomalies were diagnosed. From these cases, one was associated with genetic anomalies (DiGeorge Syndrome), and one case developed hydrops and delivered prematurely in the early third trimester. Conclusions: Ultrasound screening for the detection of congenital heart disease is feasible early in pregnancy, but some anomalies would be obvious later in pregnancy. An early diagnosis using an extended ultrasound protocol, genetic testing, and a multidisciplinary evaluation would improve the prognosis and the overall survival rate by delivering in a tertiary center that allows for rapid cardiac surgery in dedicated cases.
Doppler ultrasound techniques are essential tools in the noninvasive assessment of fetal cardiovascular function, particularly for measuring atrioventricular (AV) time intervals. These measurements provide important information about the heart’s function and can aid in the diagnosis of fetal arrhythmias, especially heart blocks. We tried to evaluate how long does it take to obtain cardiac rhythm with measurable AV intervals by three Doppler methods in all cases. We used mitral and aortic Doppler, Ao and SVC Doppler, and pulmonary vein – pulmonary artery Doppler. The target was to obtain good images of all three in the same patient, without prolonging the examination time, and obtain them for 10 consecutive scans of different patients. It took us 32 examinations (including the last 10 consecutive cases) to arrive at proficiency using these three methods. Training with new techniques in everyday practice prepares us for those rare difficult situations. We should not live with the false impression that they are easy, because at the time we will need them, we will not only have to provide good images, but also reliable measurements that matter in the diagnosis.