Archives of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Ultrasounds are acoustic vibrations that are not perceived by the human ear as their frequency is greater than 20,000 Hz. They are artificially generated by the action of the electric current, whose polarity is periodically reversed, on a quartz crystal, subjecting it, by the action of the electromagnetic field created, to successive contractions and expansions. This alternation of movements generates vibrations, which, transmitted to cellular and intercellular structures, cause collisions and generate heat.

Advanced ultrasound offers an important diagnostic clinical tool for the specialty of Obstetrics (OB) and Gynecology (GYN). The advanced ultrasound technologies, such as power Doppler angiography, with its assessment of vascular flow, adds to the described clinical benefits. The imaging technology that this represents, offers diagnostic abilities for a variety of obstetric and gynecologic conditions

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide, affecting nearly one in eight women. Accurate cancer staging is essential for determining the patient’s prognosis and for choosing the appropriate treatment. The staging system most often used is the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM system, where T refers to the size of the tumor, N refers to spread of the primary cancer to nearby lymph nodes, and M refers to the spread of metastasis to distant sites in the body.

Purpose: As long-acting reversible contraceptive choices are becoming more popular among young women, proper informed consent over potential complications should be addressed when such decisions are made. A local case series was analyzed to consider the risk of intrauterine device (IUD) fracture. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of provider experience with the intrauterine device over a seven-year period was undertaken, to specifically analyze the incidence of IUD embedment and fracture in the studied population.

Liver biopsy continues to be the gold-standard with regards to diagnosis and staging of the majority of liver diseases. Serologic markers certainly have helped in diagnosing various autoimmune and viral-related liver diseases. Furthermore, laboratory testing and imaging studies such as liver elastography have allowed us to non-invasively assess fibrosis. Unfortunately, there are shortcomings with these forms of testing. False positives or laboratory errors will lead to misleading diagnoses. Situations can also arise during which there are diagnostic dilemmas, such as an obese patient with positive autoimmune serology and elevated liver chemistries.

Cardiovascular disease causes 30% of global mortality and is still the number one cause of death worldwide. A main patho-physiological process is the coronary disease leading to malperfusion and ischemic cardiac disease as well as cardiac infarction.

The study “knowledge and health beliefs of reproductive-age women in Alexandria about tetanus toxoid immunization” has shed a new light on the attitude of obstetricians in Alexandria (Egypt) towards recommending tetanus toxoid vaccination to pregnant females. According to the study, the use of tetanus toxoid vaccine among females in child-bearing age in Alexandria was low.

Chronic hypertension is present in 1-2% of pregnant women. Women with chronic hypertension are at an increased risk of maternal and perinatal complications when compared with normotensive women. It is not uncommon for the women with chronic hypertension to present first time during pregnancy and obstetricians are the first one to encounter them during antenatal checkup. Secondary hypertension is often unrecognised and misdiagnosed thus leading to improper treatment with significant risk to the mother and fetus. 

In 2020 we published a series of 18 patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and vaginal radical trachelectomy (VRT) as a fertility sparing alternative in stage 1B2 cervical cancer.

This manuscript reviews treatment of Sickle Cell disease over time. The application of allogeneic stem cells proved the sickle cell disease could be permanently corrected and cured but limited to those with a compatible donor.

Since the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic in March 2020, there have been more than 100 million reported cases of COVID-19 worldwide and more than 2.1 million deaths. The purpose of this editorial is to review recent updates regarding COVID-19 disease and SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in cancer patients.

Introducing cisplatin-based therapy into testicular cancer treatment represents a substantial progress in therapy leading to a longer survival of patients and less adverse effects; currently it represents the standard therapy.

Metatarsalgia is a frequent cause of forefoot pain. Surgical treatment is based on the performance of osteotomies at the level of the minor radii to restore a normal distribution of pressure within the forefoot and improve the biomechanics during gait.

In this study, the safety and efficacy of liver biopsies performed by endoscopic ultrasound (EUS-LB) were compared with those performed via the traditional percutaneous route at our Medical Center between January 2018 and August 2019.

“Women are not dying because of diseases we cannot treat. They are dying because societies have yet to make the decision that their lives are worth saving.”

Ultrasound elastography is a diagnostic method, to measure elasticity and strain in tissues and organs. The aim of this review was to highlight the usefulness of sciatic nerve ultrasound elastography in clinical practice. Different changes affect the sciatic nerves through various diseases and conditions. 

Treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD) remains varied with only a minority of patients benefiting from stem cell transplant as a near cure. Others await the promise of more effective and less toxic treatments than hydroxyurea, especially children who are most susceptible to the morbidities and mortalities of SCD. The recent report of Hebert, Rakotoson et al. points to an evolution of in vitro diagnostics (IVD) testing of blood cells with the emerging need for cell-by-cell measurement of red blood cell (RBC) specific hemoglobin variant levels. The study further provides clinical validation as to the utility of measuring HbF content in RBCs of SCD patients, not just as a prognostic test, but likely serving as a companion diagnostic in phase 3 clinical trials of new SCD therapies. 

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging as a key mediator of intercellular communication as well as a major mechanism of functional reprogramming of cells in disease. All cells produce EVs, which freely circulate and are found in all body fluids. EVs are heterogenous, consisting of subsets of vesicles with different sizes, distinct origins, and various functions (Figure 1). They mediate a broad variety of biological events ranging from cellular activation, inflammation, blood coagulation, angiogenesis, cellular transport, and others.

While TCD is an indicator of risk, not a biopsy diagnosis (such as proof of cancer), at some point in the velocity spectrum the high velocity detected by TCD reaches what many believe is an unacceptable risk of stroke.

Preeclampsia, a placental disease, is typically characterized by hypertension and proteinuria in pregnant mothers. There is a need for improved noninvasive detection and diagnosis of this condition. Extracellular microvesicles (EVs), including exosomes, are tissue specific nanoparticles released by many tissue types including the placenta into peripheral circulation.