Facts, views & vision in ObGyn

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the seventh most common cancer in women. Although women diagnosed with OC are usually treated frontline with platinum-based chemotherapy, most of them relapse once treatment is halted. Therefore, maintenance therapies…

OBJECTIVE: cohort study describing clinical and laboratory outcomes in ICSI patients using self-operated endovaginal tele-monitoring (SOET). SETTING: University department of reproductive medicine. PATIENTS: 78 patients undergoing 100 con…

There is a general trend towards delay in childbearing age amongst women. The ovarian reserve clearly falls with increasing age and the impact is greater with advancing age, particularly from late 30s. Presence of other risk factors can inc…

AIM: The objective of this study was to compare the use of clomiphene citrate and letrozole in an IVF setting in which the objective was to produce only one or two embryos. Either clomiphene citrate or letrozole was used in conjunction with…

INTRODUCTION: Preoperative characterisation of ovarian masses into benign or malignant is of paramount importance to optimise patient management. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we developed and validated a computerised model to characterise ov…

Adnexal masses during pregnancy are not uncommon. Ovarian cysts or masses during pregnancy should be accurately evaluated to identify the patients who need surgical interventions from those where a 'wait-and-see' strategy can be followed. U…

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to find the best 3D reconstruction technique to visualize the endometrial-myometrial junction (EMJ). METHODS: Retrospective observational study on 240 stored 3D volumes of 80 patients. The first author…

OBJECTIVE: Surgery remains the mainstay in the diagnosis and management of endometriosis. The number of surgeries performed for endometriosis worldwide is ever increasing, however do we have evidence for improvement of infertility after the…

Whilst the outcomes for patients with ovarian cancer clearly benefit from centralised, comprehensive care in dedicated cancer centres, unfortunately the majority of patients still do not receive appropriate specialist treatment. Any improve…

BackgroundMany studies on assisted reproductive technology examine live birth rate per cycle. However, after a cycle fails, couples often want to know what their chances are of having a live birth if they continue treatment. From a patients…

Magnetic Resonant Imaging (MRI) has demonstrated that we can differentiate the uterus in 3 important functional areas. Exploration of the uterus in the infertile patient should implement the evaluation of the endometrium, the Junctional zon…

Preterm birth (PTB), defined as a delivery before 37 weeks of gestation, is the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Diagnosis of preterm labour as well as accurate prediction of PTB is notoriously difficult. Preter…

AIM: Persistent or recurrent pain after hysterectomy is one of the most frustrating clinical scenarios in benign gynaecology. We attempt to review the current evidence regarding the recurrence of pelvic pain after hysterectomy for endometri…

OBJECTIVE: To determine reproductive outcome after in-vitro fertilization/embryo transfer (IVF-ET) in women with primary infertility following hysteroscopic septoplasty of incomplete uterine septum or arcuate uterine anomaly. METHODS: This…

A hybrid technique of robot-assisted, laparoscopic hysterectomy using the ENSEAL(®) Tissue Sealing Device is described in a retrospective, consecutive, observational case series. Over a 45 month period, 590 robot-assisted total laparoscopic…

There are now convincing data showing that cystectomy of the endometrioma is not only no cure of infertility, but may harm follicle reserve. The question arises why is cystectomy for an endometrioma, in contrast with other -benign cysts, a …

Evidence-based medicine has become the golden standard of good medical practice. I analysed meta-analyses and systematic reviews, the cornerstones of evidence-based medicine, pertaining to two important problems in in vitro fertilization: f…

Hormonal contraception has recently drawn the attention of both national and international Health Organizations mainly because of new data on the risk of venous and arterial thrombosis. This has, fortunately, not led to a 'pill scare' as ha…

The aim of this pictorial essay is to describe the ultrasound characteristics of the mucocele of the appendix (MA) by transvaginal ultrasound. The databases of the pathology and gynaecology departments of two Belgian hospitals were retrospe…

The tremendous development of knowledge, the accumulation of clinical experience, and the enriching of everyday practice with the results of basic and clinical research created the need for splitting medicine in specialities and sub-special…

AIMS: To analyze the prevalence and type of karyotype abnormalities in RIF patients and to evaluate the adequate timing for analysis and the presence of possible risk factors. METHODS: 615 patients (317 women and 298 men) with RIF, having …

Poor responders represent more than a third of women undergoing assisted reproduction. Typically they are patients with advanced maternal age and low ovarian reserve. However, there is a younger group that unexpectedly demonstrates impaired…

Perimenopause, women's normal midlife reproductive transition, is highly symptomatic for about 20% of women who are currently inaccurately counseled and inappropriately treated with oral contraceptives, menopausal hormone therapy or hystere…