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Uterine fibroids are the most common pelvic benign tumours occurring in women of reproductive age. Current treatment options include surgical procedures, pharmacological therapies, and minimally invasive procedures. The most commonly applied and accepted minimally invasive procedure used in the treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroid is uterine artery embolisation (UAE). Uterine artery embolisation is a minimally invasive procedure that can be used either as an auxiliary method or the main treatment method of symptomatic uterine fibroids. We would like to present the application of pre-operative UAE before hysterectomy in anaemic women with giant uterine fibroid (21.9 × 14.9 × 10.4 cm) and HIV-associated nephropathy. Among the possible treatment options for uterine fibroids in cases like the one presented in our manuscript, hysterectomy is the treatment of choice. However, surgical treatment in a patient with severe comorbid conditions and giant uterine fibroid carries serious risk of perioperative complications. Pre-operative UAE decreases such risk by reducing blood loss during hysterectomy and shortening operation/anaesthesia time. Although the benefits of pre-operative UAE before planned myomectomy or hysterectomy in high surgical risk patients with large fibroids has yet to be confirmed in a well-designed clinical trial, this procedure seems to be a promising tool to reduce the risk of perioperative complications in such patients., Competing Interests: None., (Copyright © 2024 Termedia.)

Two important studies evaluating the safety profile of oral estrogen-progestogen hormonal therapies conducted in standard clinical practice with respect to the venous system were recently published. A large prospective controlled cohort study (PRO-E2) based on the non-inferiority design has shown that the relative risk of developing venous thrombosis (VTE) in women using combined oral hormonal contraceptives (COHC) containing 17β-estradiol (1.5 mg) and nomegestrol acetate (2.5 mg) (E2/NOMAC) was not statistically different from that in users of COHC containing ethinylestradiol and levonorgestrel (EE/LNG). The aim of the recently presented study was to compare the risk of VTE in patients treated with a product for oral continuous combined menopausal hormone therapy containing 1 mg of 17ß-estradiol and 100 mg of micronized progesterone (1 mgE2/100 mgP4) with patients taking conjugated equine estrogens and medroxyprogesterone acetate (CEE/MPA). The study was based on an analysis of records retrieved from a US health insurance database, and was therefore concerned the real-life clinical practice. The hazard ratio of VTE when comparing 1 mgE2/100 mgP4 with CEE/MPA was 0.70 (95% CI: 0.53-0.92). The difference was found to be statistically significant ( p < 0.05). The rewieved studies provide further evidence that the use of hormones bioidentical with endogenous steroids in oral contraception and menopausal hormone therapy creates an opportunity to combine high efficacy with a favorable safety profile., Competing Interests: MB – received honoraria as consultant/member of advisory boards/lecturer from: Bayer, Exeltis, Gedeon Richter, Polpharma, Theramex; AJ – received honoraria as consultant/member of advisory boards/lecturer from: Exeltis, Gedeon Richter, Theramex; TP – received honoraria as consultant/member of advisory boards/lecturer from: Adamed, Bayer, Exeltis, Gedeon Richter, Janssen Cilag, MSD, Polpharma, Teva, Theramex; LP – received honoraria as consultant/member of advisory boards/lecturer from: Exeltis, Gedeon Richter, Novo Nordisk, Theramex; VSP – received honoraria as consultant/member of advisory boards/lecturer from: Adamed, Angelini, Bayer, Exeltis, Gedeon Richter, Janssen Cilag, MSD, Polpharma, Teva, Theramex., (Copyright © 2022 Termedia.)

At a meeting held on 20 May 2021, reviewed the available literature on the use of the medicinal product Bijuva® for the relief of menopausal symptoms., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Termedia.)

Competing Interests: The authors report no conflict of interest.

This manual has been prepared by the Expert Team of the Polish Menopause and Andropause Society for physicians representing various medical specialties who see patients with menopausal symptoms in their daily practice. In order to make the manual as practical as possible, the current state of knowledge on menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is presented in the form of questions and answers. They address issues which are essential for initiating and managing MHT based on the most up-to-date treatment algorithms and, at the same time, in line with the old maxim " primum non nocere "., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflict of interest.

Perimenopausal changes caused by oestrogen deficiency are accompanied by a decrease in the content of collagen and elastin in the tissues, leading to thinning of the epithelium and the resultant disappearance of the superficial layer, which leads to smooth muscle dysfunction as well as connective tissue degradation. This aetiopathogenetic chain results in a set of symptoms experienced by approximately 50% of women in the peri- and postmenopausal period. Symptoms of dryness, burning, dyspareunia and urgency contribute to a significant reduction in the quality of sexual function and general comfort of life due to recurrent infections of the vagina, vulva and urinary tract. Different therapeutic methods may benefit genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), while innovative methods such as lasers or radiofrequency deserve further study in this area.

Over 30% of women suffering from menopausal symptoms use products of plant origin. This paper presents the results of a study devoted to evaluation of the efficacy of the Femelis Meno dietary supplement containing standardized flower pollen and pistil extracts (PI 82-GC FEM).

Uterine fibroids are the most common benign uterine tumours. Clinical symptoms include abnormal bleeding, pelvic pressure, pelvic pain, infertility and obstetric complications. Approximately one third of women with fibroids will require treatment. The management also depends on the number, size, and location of the fibroids. There are surgical and non-surgical treatment options. The choice of therapy depends on different factors, such as the severity of symptoms, tumour characteristics, age, and wish to preserve the uterus and fertility. There is growing evidence of the main role of progesterone pathways in the pathophysiology of uterine fibroids due to the use of selective progesterone receptor modulators such as ulipristal acetate. The efficacy of long-term intermittent use of UPA was recently demonstrated by randomised controlled studies. There is great demand for alternatives to surgical intervention, especially in women seeking to preserve their fertility. One of these alternatives is ulipristal acetate, which is proven to treat fibroid symptoms effectively., Competing Interests: Authors report no conflict of interest.

Phytoestrogens are polyphenol, non-steroidal substances of plant origin, resembling 17β-estradiol in structure. These substances can act as either agonists or antagonists of oestrogen receptors α and β. Phytoestrogens are widely used to alleviate menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes and night sweats. Most of the currently available products of plant origin registered to soften climacteric symptoms consist of extracts obtained from soy, red clover, or black cohosh. Non-hormonal phytotherapy is a new alternative for patients suffering from menopausal symptoms. Active ingredients such as PI 82-GC FEM extract do not show any direct hormonal mechanisms of action typical for oestrogens and phytoestrogens. There are concerns about the safety and tolerability of phytoestrogens. In this review we summarise the current literature regarding the clinical aspect of safety and tolerance of different phytotherapies used to relieve menopausal symptoms.

Uterine fibroids are considered to be the most frequent female benign tumours. Fibroids affect mainly women of reproductive age. The most frequently reported signs and symptoms of fibroids include disturbances of the menstrual cycle such as heavy bleeding and painful menstruation, pelvic masses associated with pelvic pain, urinary problems or constipation, as well as infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss. The mainstay of fibroid treatment is still surgery. However, many patients seek alternative treatment options for fibroids, to preserve their uterus and fertility. One of the most important alternative treatment options for fibroids is uterine artery embolisation (UAE). However, there are some concerns that UAE may negatively influence ovarian function and even result in premature menopause. Moreover, the use of UAE in patients with future reproductive plans is still controversial, due to the possible pregnancy complications. The purpose of this review is to summarise the current knowledge regarding the possible influence of UAE on fertility, pregnancy outcome, and ovarian reserve.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most important carcinogens in humans. Vaccines against HPV are now considered the first anti-cancer vaccinations. Since 2007, in many developed countries, there have been recommendations present for preventive vaccines against HPV. At present, the degree of implementation of these recommendations depends on a number of country-specific factors such as the health care system organization or the ways of funding. HPV vaccines are primarily to prevent the development of cervical cancer and other genital cancers. Therefore, only their long-term effectiveness can be measured, when a correspondingly large cohort of vaccinated teenagers reaches the age of the greatest incidence of these cancers. However, great care should be taken in assessing the results of vaccinations due to the possibility of misinterpretation and possible erroneous data. Undoubtedly, teenagers are the target population of HPV vaccines. However, vaccinating young sexually active women is also justified from an individual point of view. A 9-valent vaccine has been registered in the USA and in Europe - including Poland - as one of the three preventive vaccines. It is recommended to vaccinate women between 13 and 26 and men between 13 and 21, previously unvaccinated. It is also recommended to vaccinate men aged 26 years or less who have sexual relations with other men and people with reduced immunity, including HIV-positive people who have not been vaccinated previously.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hyperandrogenic disorder, is the commonest endocrinopathy in premenopausal women. This syndrome is associated with fertility problems, clinical manifestations of hyperandrogenism and metabolic disturbances, particularly insulin resistance and obesity. There is a great body of evidence that patients with PCOS present multiple cardiovascular risk factors and cluster components of metabolic syndrome from early ages. The presence of comorbidities such as abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, hypertension places these females at an increased risk of future cardiovascular events. However, the extent to which PCOS components are present in perimenopausal women and the degree to which PCOS increases various risk factors in addition to the known risk of the perimenopausal period have not been fully determined. The perimenopausal period per se is associated with weight gain and an increased cardiovascular risk, which may be additionally aggravated by the presence of metabolic disturbances connected with PCOS. The phenotype of PCOS may improve with aging and it is still uncertain whether the presence of PCOS significantly increases the cardiovascular risk later in women's life. Most recent data suggest that the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and the related long-term consequences in females with PCOS seem to be lower than expected. This manuscript reviews long-term consequences of PCOS and considers their clinical implications in perimenopause.

Introduction and Objective: Uterine artery embolization (UAE) is a minimally invasive treatment option for symptomatic fibroids. Long-term follow-up studies have shown that at five-year follow-up after UAE, up to 30% of patients required a hysterectomy. Therefore, it seems of utmost importance to identify patients, who are unlikely to benefit from UAE. It has been postulated that the percentage volume reduction of fibroids may predict long-term UAE outcome. The results of available studies are equivocal, therefore it seemed of interest to investigate the correlation between the preinterventional intramural fibroid volume and imaging outcome of UAE in premenopausal patients., Material and Methods: Uterine artery embolization was performed in 65 premenopausal patients with symptomatic, intramural fibroids. Dominant fibroid volume was assessed using an integrated VOCAL (Virtual Organ Computer-aided AnaLysis) imaging program at baseline and 3 months after UAE. The percentage reduction of fibroid volume was calculated. The association between preinterventional fibroid volumes and percentage volume reductions was determined with the Spearman rank correlation test., Results: Before UAE, the median dominant fibroid volume was 101 cm(3) (range 23.6-610). At three-month follow-up the median dominant leiomyoma volume decreased to 50.4 cm(3) (range 6.9-193.9). Median percentage reduction of fibroid volume three months after UAE was calculated at 50.1% (range 2.7-93.5). The Spearman correlation test between the preinterventional dominant fibroid volume and percentage volume reduction showed a statistically significant, positive correlation (R = 0.33; p = 0.006)., Conclusions: The percentage volume reduction of intramural leiomyomas after UAE seems to be more pronounced in the case of larger tumors.

Aim of the Study: The purpose of the study was to monitor the effect of ulipristal acetate treatment on symptomatic uterine fibroids within 12-months follow-up., Material and Methods: Fifty six patients with symptomatic uterine fibroids qualified for surgical treatment were included in the prospective observational study. All patients received preoperative oral UPA treatment for 3 months (1 × 5 mg). Patients that refused surgical treatment after UPA therapy were followed-up for the next 9 months. The volume of the intramural fibroid was estimated by TV-US using and integrated VOCAL 3D imaging program at baseline, after 3 months of UPA treatment and further at 3-months intervals., Results: Before UPA mean dominant fibroid volume was estimated to be 216.0 cm(3) (38.4-768.2 cm(3)) and decreased to 117.6 cm(3) (12.6-668.0 cm(3)) after 3 months of UPA therapy. Mean percentage volume reduction was 45.6%. Mean hemoglobin level increased from an initial 10.1 g/dL (6.8-12.9 g/dL) to 12.6 g/dL (10.1-14.8) after 3 months of UPA therapy. At 12 months after initiating UPA treatment mean dominant fibroid volume decreased by 43.9%. In one third of followed-up patients the effect of 3 month UPA therapy persisted for the next 9 months., Conclusions: Three month UPA therapy decreases fibroid volume and improves hemoglobin level before planned surgical treatment. In one third of followed-up patients the effect of 3 month UPA therapy persisted for the next 9 months.