The Cochrane database of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a common cause of physical, psychological and social problems in women of reproductive age. The key characteristic of PMS is the timing of symptoms, which occur only during the two weeks leading up…

BACKGROUND: Dysmenorrhoea is a common gynaecological complaint that can affect as many as 50% of premenopausal women, 10% of whom suffer severely enough to be rendered incapacitated for one to three days during each menstrual cycle. Primary…

BACKGROUND: Menopause can be a distressing and disruptive time for many women, with many experiencing hot flushes, night sweats, vaginal atrophy and dryness. Postmenopausal women are also at increased risk of osteoporosis. Interventions tha…

BACKGROUND: Caesarean section rates are progressively rising in many parts of the world. One suggested reason is increasing requests by women for caesarean section in the absence of clear medical indications, such as placenta praevia, HIV i…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is characterized by the presence of tissue that is morphologically and biologically similar to normal endometrium in locations outside the uterus. Surgical and hormonal treatment of endometriosis have unpleasant si…

BACKGROUND: Reduced circulating estrogen levels around the time of the menopause can induce unacceptable symptoms that affect the health and well-being of women. Hormone therapy (both unopposed estrogen and estrogen/progestogen combinations…

BACKGROUND: Uterine fibroids are the most common benign uterine tumours present in women of reproductive age. Mifepristone (RU-486) competitively binds and inhibits progesterone receptors. Studies have suggested that fibroid growth depends …

BACKGROUND: Small bowel obstruction (SBO) is one of the most common emergent complications of general surgery. Intra-abdominal adhesions are the leading cause of SBO. Because surgery can induce new adhesions, non-operative management is pre…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a chronic, recurring condition that occurs during the reproductive years. It is characterized by endometrial tissue developing outside the uterine cavity. This endometrial tissue development is dependent on oest…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory condition defined by the presence of glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity. It occurs in 7% to 10% of all women of reproductive age and may present as pain or infertility. The pelvi…

BACKGROUND: Psychological therapies have been developed for parents of children and adolescents with a chronic illness. Such therapies include parent only or parent and child/adolescent, and are designed to treat parent behaviour, parent me…

BACKGROUND: Previous systematic reviews comparing stapled and handsewn colorectal anastomosis that are available in the medical literature have not shown either technique to be superior. An update of this systematic review was performed to …

BACKGROUND: Hysterectomy using an abdominal approach removes either the uterus alone (subtotal hysterectomy) or both the uterus and the cervix (total hysterectomy). The latter is more common but the outcomes have not been systematically com…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a prevalent gynaecological condition, significantly affecting women's lives. Clinical presentations may vary from absence of symptoms to complaints of chronic pelvic pain, most notably dysmenorrhoea. The managem…

BACKGROUND: Aspirin is used to improve the outcome in women undergoing in vitro fertilisation despite inconsistent evidence of its efficacy. The most appropriate time to commence aspirin therapy and the length of treatment required are also…

BACKGROUND: Traditionally Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been used widely in Chinese hospitals to treat ectopic pregnancy. Many studies have been published supporting its use but the evidence has not been systematically reviewed. This is…

BACKGROUND: The presence of bowel contents during colorectal surgery has been related to anastomotic leakage, but the belief that mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) is an efficient agent against leakage and infectious complications is based…

BACKGROUND: Functional ovarian cysts are a common gynecological problem among women of reproductive age worldwide. When large, persistent, or painful, these cysts may require operations, sometimes resulting in removal of the ovary. Since ea…

BACKGROUND: Uterine fibroids (UFs) are benign growths within the uterine muscle and are present in 30% of women during their reproductive years. With the exception of hysterectomy, there are no effective medical and surgical treatments for …

BACKGROUND: Cholecystectomy is a common surgical procedure. In the open cholecystectomy area, antibiotic prophylaxis showed beneficial effects, but it is not known if its benefits and harms are similar in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Some …

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a chronic, recurring condition that can develop during the reproductive years. It is characterized by the development of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. It is the most common cause of pelvic pain …

BACKGROUND: Migraine is a common, disabling condition and a burden for the individual, health services and society. Many sufferers choose not to, or are unable to, seek professional help and rely on over-the-counter analgesics. Co-therapy w…

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of clomiphene citrate has been demonstrated in the treatment of subfertility associated with infrequent or irregular ovulation. The physiologic effects and clinical benefits in ovulatory women with unexplained …

EDITORIAL NOTE: See https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37341141/ for a more recent review that covers this topic and has superseded this review. BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a common gynaecological condition, characterised by the presence of …

BACKGROUND: In an effort to improve outcomes of in-vitro fertilisation cycles the use of growth hormone has been considered. Improving the outcomes of in-vitro fertilisation is especially important for subfertile women who are considered 'p…