Luigi Marino, Maria Antonietta Castaldi, Rosa Rosamilio, Enrico Ragni, Rosa Vitolo, Caterina Fulgione, Salvatore Giovanni Castaldi, Bianca Serio, Rosario Bianco, Maurizio Guida, Carmine Selleri. IJSC 1999;0:. https://doi.org/10.15283/ijsc18034

In 1963 George Mathé announced to the world that he had cured a patient of leukaemia by means of a bone-marrow transplant. Since than much progress has been made and nowadays Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) is considered the most effective treatment of numerous severe haematological diseases. Gynaecological complications in HSCT women represent a serious concern for these patients, but often underestimated by clinicians in the view of Overall Survival. The main gynaecological complications of HSCT are represented by: premature ovarian failure (POF), thrombocytopenia-associated menorrhagia, genital symptoms or sexual problems in course of chronic GVHD (cGVHD), osteoporosis, secondary solid tumours due to immunosuppressive drugs to treat cGVHD and severity of cGVHD, and fertility and pregnancy issues. In particular fertility-related issues are always more relevant for patients, whose life expectation is constantly growing up after HSCT. Thus, taking care of a patient undergoing HSCT should primarily include gynaecological evaluation, even before conditioning regimen or chemotherapy for the underlying malignancy, as, in our opinion, it is of great importance to ensure a complete diagnostic work-up and intervention options to guarantee maximum reproductive health and a better quality of life in HSCT women. The present review aims at describing principal features of the aforementioned gynaecological complications of HSCT, and to define, on the basis of current international literature, a specific protocol for the prevention, diagnosis, management and follow-up of gynaecological complications of both autologous and heterologous transplantation, before and after the procedure.

Beta-thalassemia (BTM) major is the most common haemoglobin disorder in the world, with high prevalence in people of Mediterranean, Arab or Asian origin. It has been estimated that about 1.5% of the global population (80–90 million people) are carriers of BTM. In patients with BTM, long-term transfusion therapy for the correction of anaemia leads to toxic iron overload, resulting in significant morbidity including liver damage, cardiac complications and endocrine dysfunction. The commonest abnormality is hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, which presents with primary amenorrhoea, delayed puberty or secondary amenorrhoea with consequent infertility. Nevertheless, current improvements in the management of thalassemia disorders offer patients the possibility of having a regularly functioning reproductive system and increased chances of achieving a pregnancy. The aim of the present review is to analyse all aspects of fertility management in BTM women, by examining the main causes of infertility, in order to give practical tools to ensure a complete diagnostic work-up and discuss intervention options to guarantee maximum reproductive health.

Introduction: Uterine leiomyomas are seen in 1.6% to 4% of pregnancies. With the increasing age of obstetric patients, more cases are being encountered during pregnancy. Case presentation: We report the case of a 31-year-old Caucasian woman with acute recurrent abdominal pain due to a subserous fundic myoma, measuring 48 × 52 × 63 mm, with an implantation base of 22 × 18 mm, which was successfully treated by laparoscopy at 14 weeks of pregnancy. At a gestational age of week 40, the patient spontaneously delivered a healthy 3216 g girl baby. Conclusion: As far as we know, this is the first reported case of laparoscopic myomectomy this early during a pregnancy. Our experience together with an analysis of cases reported in the literature suggests that myomectomy during pregnancy may be considered safe, but only in the hands of experienced laparoscopic surgeons. There are a few reports in the literature about laparoscopic myomectomy during the first half of pregnancy that demonstrate its feasibility in selected cases. Some technical tools could improve the procedure with a minimum of risk for the ongoing pregnancy.