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International audience; AIM: Clinical Practice Guidelines of the French College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians concerning operative deliveries were published in December 2008. That is why a national survey was performed for the year 2007 so as to obtain an inventory of obstetrical practices regarding the geographical distribution of the type of instrument used for operative deliveries following the level of each teaching hospital concerned. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included in our study 49 teaching hospitals from metropolitan France and the overseas departments and territories. For the year 2007, we noted the number of operative deliveries, the type of instrument used, as well as the level of the maternity concerned with its total number of patients, births, cesarean sections, vaginal deliveries, and episiotomies. RESULTS: We obtained data from all 49 centres. The mean number of deliveries per year was 2203 for level I teaching hospitals, 2060 for level II and 2720 for level III, respectively. The rate of operative delivery was quite different from one centre to the other, ranging from 5.3 to 34.1% of all births. Similarly, for the type of instrument used, there existed clear geographical disparities although the notion of "School's instrument" was not as preeminent as before since most centres used at least two instruments. Moreover, the rate of cesarean varied from 9 to 29.5% (all levels concerned) with a national mean rate of 20.7% for teaching hospitals. Finally, mean rate of episiotomies ranged from 3.6 to 60%. DISCUSSION: This study showed that important differences existed between teaching hospitals in the use of instruments and that obstetrical practices are far from being uniform. However, in 2007, the routine use of more than one instrument in each centre was most usual, as opposed to the situation some decades ago. The use of obstetrical vacuum extractors has been largely disseminated. Each of the three types of instruments has specific indications and mastering at least two instruments seems more secure in the management of the numerous obstetrical situations. It is up to teaching hospitals to make sure that the use of at least two instruments is taught for operative deliveries. The recent publication of Clinical Practice Guidelines would probably help in standardizing operative deliveries in years to come.

International audience; OBJECTIVE: To compare fetal and maternal morbidities between operative deliveries by long Teissier's spatulas and Minicup vacuum extractor. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted from January 2003 to July 2008 at the maternity ward, Besançon teaching hospital. Operative deliveries in term cephalic singleton pregnancies performed by Teissier's spatulas (case group) were compared to previous deliveries by vacuum extractor Minicup (control group). RESULTS: During the study period, 69 operative deliveries by Teissier's spatulas have been performed. No significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of maternal characteristics. Two third-degree perineal tears occurred following delivery by Teissier's spatulas with no third-degree tear in the vacuum extractor group (p = ns). The episiotomy rate in the Teissier's spatulas group was 15,9% compared to 11.6% in the vacuum extractor group (p = ns). Duration of operative delivery was significantly shorter in the Teissier's spatulas group (3.4 min vs 4.95 min; p = 0.007). Fetal morbidity was identical in the two groups. CONCLUSION: This study found no significant difference in terms of fetal and maternal morbidities between operative deliveries by Teissier's spatulas and vacuum extractor. Moreover, as opposed to Thierry's spatulas, the long Tessier spatulas can be adequately used in accordance with patient's wish and practice guidelines recommending a policy of restrictive episiotomy. However, a larger study is needed to confirm these preliminary results.

International audience; We report a case of spontaneous uterine rupture in a 19 year-old patient Gravida 1 para 2 with no past history of uterine surgery. The diagnosis of uterine rupture, evoked in the early post-partum in the presence of acute abdominal pain, collapsus and haemoperitoneum on ultrasonography, was confirmed by laparotomy. Treatment consisted in hysterorrhaphy. The etiopathogenesis, clinical and therapeutical aspects of spontaneous unscarred uterine ruptures are discussed throughout a literature review.

International audience; Carcinosarcomas are rare uterine cancers and carry poor prognosis. Although these tumours usually arise de novo, some cases developed under tamoxifen therapy have been reported. We report two more cases of uterine carcinosarcoma occurring in two postmenopausal patients benefiting from tamoxifen therapy as adjuvant treatment of breast cancer. A review of the literature is undertaken.

International audience; Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) of the uterine corpus is rare in adult females. This tumor can be encountered in two distinct histopathological contexts: usually as a component of a malignant mixed mullerian tumor and exceptionally as a pure heterologous sarcoma. We report two cases of pure RMS of the uterine corpus occurring in postmenopausal women. The two patients suffered from vaginal bleeding and preoperative diagnosis was achieved in both cases. Both patients benefited from exploratory laparotomy, total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Both of them were free from the disease 15 months and 1 year respectively, after initial surgery. These two observations are worthy of publication because pure RMS of the uterine corpus is exceptional in postmenopausal women.