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Abstract Riga Fede disease is a reactive mucosal disease as a result of repetitive trauma of the tongue by the anterior primary teeth during forward and backward movement. Although the aspect of the lesion might be impressive, its nature is relatively benign. The history and clinical features are most often so typical that there is seldom a need for addititonal histopathological examination. Riga Fede disease can most often be treated with conservative measures only. Beside the presentation of a six-month-old boy with Riga Fede disease, the literature has been reviewed as well. From this review it can be concluded that Riga Fede disease is almost exclusively restricted to the tongue, occurs soon after birth when associated with (neo)natal teeth, has a male predilection, and is in one quarter of the cases associated with neurologic disorders. In the later case, Riga Fede disease develops after the age of 6 months.

Background: Despite the adoption of minimally invasive techniques, recovery after abdominal surgery takes a long time. Electronic health (eHealth) modalities can provide guidance to patients, facilitating early return to normal activities. We aimed to assess the impact of a personalised eHealth programme on patients' return to normal activities after major abdominal surgery., Methods: This single-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial was done at 11 teaching hospitals in the Netherlands. Eligible participants were aged 18-75 years who underwent a laparoscopic or open colectomy or hysterectomy. An independent researcher randomly allocated participants (in a 1:1 ratio) to either the intervention or control group by use of computer-based randomisation lists, with stratification by sex, type of surgery, and hospital. Participants in the intervention group had access to a perioperative, personalised eHealth programme consisting of both standard face-to-face care and eHealth, that comprised interactive tools offering goal attainment and a personalised outcome measurement, which managed recovery expectations and provided postoperative guidance tailored to each patient. Patients were provided with an activity tracker and had access to a website and mobile app with an electronic consultation (eConsult) functionality. The control group received standard care and access to a placebo website containing recovery advice provided by the hospital. The primary outcome was the number of days between surgery and personalised return to normal activities, assessed with Kaplan-Meier curves. Intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses were done with a Cox regression model. This trial is registered with the Netherlands National Trial Register (NTR5686)., Findings: Between Feb 11, 2016, and Aug 9, 2017, 355 participants were randomly assigned to the intervention (n=178) or control (n=177) groups. 342 participants were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. The median time until return to normal activities was 52 days (IQR 33-111) in the intervention group, and 65 days (39-152) in the control group (adjusted hazard ratio 1·30 [95% CI 1·03-1·64]; p=0·027). The frequency of postoperative complications did not differ between groups., Interpretation: This eHealth programme, delivering personalised care based on goal attainment scaling, enabled patients to return to their normal activities 13 days earlier than those who received standard care., Funding: ZonMw., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests CMdB, FGS, EvdM, HJB, JAFH, and JRA are the developers of the eHealth care programme under study. JAFH and JRA are consultants and certificate-holders of a spin-out company for implementation of the mobile application concerning the IkHerstel intervention in the Netherlands (ie, the intervention under study). JAFH received grants from Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, ZonMw, and Samsung, during the conduct of the study; and received a fee from Olympus, outside the submitted work. JRA holds a chair in insurance medicine paid by the Dutch Social Security Agency; and has received grants from ZonMw, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Instituut Gak, Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen, Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid, VWS (volksgezondheid, welzijn en sport), Pfizer, Achmea, CVZ (college voor zorgverzekeringen), and Zorginstituut; all outside the submitted work. CMdB, FGS, ECJC, SESK, EvdM, PMvdV, and HJB declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Data regarding the inter- and intraobserver variability in the radiological assessment of sialolithiasis using cone beam computed tomography are missing in the current literature. This study assessed the inter- and intraobserver variability in the radiological assessment of sialolithiasis using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)., Material and Methods: In 107 patients, 130 salivary glands (65 parotid and 65 submandibular) with clinical signs of obstruction were assessed by four independent observers; 2 residents OMFS and 2 experienced OMFS. The observers analyzed the CBCT images and determined the absence or presence of one or more salivary stones in the affected gland. This procedure was repeated after three months., Results: Interobserver agreements showed kappa values of 0.84 for the parotid gland, and 0.93 for the submandibular gland. Intraobserver agreements for the whole group reported kappa values between 0.83 - 0.95. There was no significant difference between residents and experienced OMFS., Conclusions: Due to the good inter- and intraobserver agreement, CBCT appears to be a reproducible imaging modality for detecting salivary stones in patients with signs and symptoms of obstructed parotid and submandibular glands.

Objective: To study the reproductive outcomes after surgical management of women with Asherman syndrome (AS)., Design: Cohort study., Setting: International referral hospital for women with AS., Patient(s): A total of 500 women who were diagnosed with and treated for AS between January 2003 and December 2016 and followed for a minimum of 2 years., Intervention(s): Hysteroscopic adhesiolysis using conventional instruments with concomitant fluoroscopy as a guidance method., Main Outcome Measure(s): Live birth rate., Result(s): Of the 500 women included in the cohort, 569 pregnancies were achieved within 3 years after surgery. The miscarriage rate was 33.0%, and the live birth rate was 67.4%. Age, the causal procedure, and at least one miscarriage after adhesiolysis strongly predicted the outcome of a live birth., Conclusion(s): The overall take-home newborn rate was 67.4% after adhesiolysis in women with AS. Women with AS who are relatively young, with a first-trimester procedure preceding AS, and with low grades of adhesions and no miscarriage after adhesiolysis have the best chance of a newborn delivery., (Copyright © 2021 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Successful removal of salivary stones depends on exact pretreatment information of the location, the size and shape of the stones. This study aimed to compare the volume of submandibular sialoliths determined by preoperative Cone-Beam Computer Tomography (CBCT) scans with the volume of the removed stones on micro-Computer Tomography (micro-CT) scans., Material and Methods: In this study, using twenty-one submandibular sialoliths, the pretreatment volumes in-vivo measured on CBCT were compared to the volumes of removed stones determined by micro-CT scans. The volume measured on micro-CT scans served as the gold standard. Pre-operative CBCT's and in-vitro micro-CT's were converted into standard tessellation language models (STL-models) using an image segmentation software package. The CBCT and micro-CT images of the stones were subsequently metrologically assessed and compared to each other using reverse engineering software., Results: Volumes of submandibular sialoliths determined by CBCT's correlated significantly with volumes measured on micro-CT's (Spearman's coefficient r = 0.916). The interquartile range (IQR) for the volume measured with micro-CT was 117.23. The median is 26.41. For the volume measured with CBCT the IQR was 141.3 and the median 36.61. The average volume on micro-CT is smaller than on CBCT., Conclusions: When using CBCT-scans for the detection of submandibular sialoliths one should realize that in-vivo those stones are actually a fraction smaller than assessed on the preoperative scan. This is important when cut-off values of sizes of stones are used in the pretreatment planning of stone removal.

Background: Decision making regarding future fertility can be very difficult for female cancer patients. To support patients in decision making, fertility preservation decision aids (DAs) are being developed. However, to make a well-informed decision, patients need personalized information tailored to their cancer type and treatment. Tailored cancer-specific DAs are not available yet., Methods: Our DA was systematically developed by a multidisciplinary steering group (n = 21) in an iterative process of draft development, three rounds of alpha testing, and revisions. The drafts were based on current guidelines, literature, and patients' and professionals' needs., Results: In total, 24 cancer-specific DAs were developed. In alpha testing, cancer survivors and professionals considered the DA very helpful in decision making, and scored an 8.5 (scale 1-10). In particular, the cancer-specific information and the tool for recognizing personal values were of great value. Revisions were made to increase readability, personalization, usability, and be more careful in giving any false hope., Conclusions: A fertility preservation DA containing cancer-specific information is important in the daily care of female cancer patients and should be broadly available. Our final Dutch version is highly appraised, valid, and usable in decision making. After evaluating its effectiveness with newly diagnosed patients, the DA can be translated and adjusted according to (inter)national guidelines., (© 2021 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Support for guiding and monitoring postoperative recovery and resumption of activities is usually not provided to patients after discharge from the hospital. Therefore, a perioperative electronic health (eHealth) intervention ("ikherstel" intervention or "I recover" intervention) was developed to empower gynecological patients during the perioperative period. This eHealth intervention requires a need for further development for patients who will undergo various types of general surgical and gynecological procedures., Objective: This study aimed to further develop the "ikherstel" eHealth intervention using Intervention Mapping (IM) to fit a broader patient population., Methods: The IM protocol was used to guide further development of the "ikherstel" intervention. First, patients' needs were identified using (1) the information of a process evaluation of the earlier performed "ikherstel" study, (2) a review of the literature, (3) a survey study, and (4) focus group discussions (FGDs) among stakeholders. Next, program outcomes and change objectives were defined. Third, behavior change theories and practical tools were selected for the intervention program. Finally, an implementation and evaluation plan was developed., Results: The outcome for an eHealth intervention tool for patients recovering from abdominal general surgical and gynecological procedures was redefined as "achieving earlier recovery including return to normal activities and work." The Attitude-Social Influence-Self-Efficacy model was used as a theoretical framework to transform personal and external determinants into change objectives of personal behavior. The knowledge gathered by needs assessment and using the theoretical framework in the preparatory steps of the IM protocol resulted in additional tools. A mobile app, an activity tracker, and an electronic consultation (eConsult) will be incorporated in the further developed eHealth intervention. This intervention will be evaluated in a multicenter, single-blinded randomized controlled trial with 18 departments in 11 participating hospitals in the Netherlands., Conclusions: The intervention is extended to patients undergoing general surgical procedures and for malignant indications. New intervention tools such as a mobile app, an activity tracker, and an eConsult were developed., Trial Registration: Netherlands Trial Registry NTR5686; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=5686., (©Chantal M den Bakker, Frederieke G Schaafsma, Eva van der Meij, Wilhelmus JHJ Meijerink, Baukje van den Heuvel, Astrid H Baan, Paul HP Davids, Petrus C Scholten, Suzan van der Meij, W Marchien van Baal, Annette D van Dalsen, Daniel J Lips, Jan Willem van der Steeg, Wouter KG Leclercq, Peggy MAJ Geomini, Esther CJ Consten, Steven E Schraffordt Koops, Steve MM de Castro, Paul JM van Kesteren, Huib A Cense, Hein BAC Stockmann, A Dorien ten Cate, Hendrik J Bonjer, Judith AF Huirne, Johannes R Anema. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 06.02.2019.)

Background: Salivary stones are calcified structures most often found in the main duct of the submandibular or parotid salivary gland. They contain of a core surrounded by laminated layers of organic and inorganic material., Material and Methods: Submandibular and parotid sialoliths (n=155) were collected at the department of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery of a general hospital between February 1982 and September 2012. The weight of the sialoliths was determined and the consistency was subjectively classified. Subsequently, the biochemical composition of the stones was determined by wet chemical methods or FT-IR spectrometry. Age and gender of the patients were retrieved from their medical records. Data were statistically analyzed using Fisher's exact tests., Results: Sialoliths are mainly composed of inorganic material. Carbonate apatite was identified in 99% of the stones, phosphate in 88%, calcium in 87%, magnesium in 68%, struvite in 44%, oxalate in 38% and carbonate in 35%. Solid salivary stones contain more frequently struvite than stones with a soft consistency (p=0.05). Larger stones (>100mg) contain more frequently carbonate (p=0.05). Stones from older patients (≥38years) showed an almost significant trend towards more frequent presence of phosphate (p=0.083)., Conclusions: The biochemical composition of submandibular and parotid sialoliths is related to stone-related factors, probably to age but not to the gender of the patient.

Background: To assess the construct validity and responsiveness of the PROMIS Physical Function v1.2 short form 8b (PROMIS-PF), and the PROMIS Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities v2.0 short form 8a (PROMIS-APS) in postoperative recovery., Methods: An observational pilot study was conducted in which 30 patients participated, undergoing various forms of abdominal surgery. Patients completed the PROMIS-PF and PROMIS-APS, the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS) at several time points before and after surgery. The construct validity and responsiveness of the two PROMIS short forms were evaluated by testing pre-defined hypotheses and were considered adequate when at least 75% of the data was consistent with the hypotheses. Construct validity was evaluated by calculating Spearman correlations and the responsiveness by calculating effect sizes., Results: 6/7 (85.7%) of the results were consistent with the hypotheses supporting the construct validity of the PROMIS-PF. For the PROMIS-APS this was the case in 7/15 (46.7%) of the results. For the PROMIS-PF, 6/7 (85.7%) of the results were consistent with the hypotheses, supporting responsiveness. Regarding the responsiveness of the PROMIS-APS, only 7 out of 13 (53.8%) of these results were consistent with the hypotheses., Conclusions: This study supported the construct validity and the responsiveness of the PROMIS-PF v1.2 short form 8b for measuring recovery in abdominal surgery. Considering the major advantages of PROMIS, we recommend the use of the PROMIS-PF in abdominal surgery.

Background: Electronic health (eHealth) interventions have proven effective, but implementation in clinical practice is difficult. More research focusing on the implementation process of eHealth interventions is necessary., Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the process evaluation of a perioperative eHealth intervention, aiming to enhance recovery after laparoscopic abdominal surgery., Methods: A process evaluation was carried out alongside a multicenter randomized controlled trial. Patients aged between 18 and 75 years who were scheduled for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, hernia inguinal surgery, or laparoscopic adnexal surgery were included. The eHealth intervention comprised a website and mobile phone app with the possibility to develop a personalized convalescence plan, a section with information about the surgical procedure and the recovery period, the possibility to ask questions via an electronic consultation (eConsult), and an activity tracker. The process evaluation was carried out using the model of Linnan and Steckler, measuring components such as reach, dose delivered, dose received, fidelity, and participants' attitudes. Implementation scores were calculated based on the average of the four components. Quantitative data were collected by means of an electronic questionnaire, a logistic database, a weblog, and medical files. Qualitative data were collected by conducting interviews with a subsample of the study participants., Results: A total of 344 of the 863 eligible patients were included in the study, which accounted for a reach of 39.9%, and 173 participants were randomized to the intervention group. The implementation scores of the different functions of the intervention ranged between 60% and 65%. The website, mobile phone app, and activity tracker were rated 7.3 to 7.6 on a scale of 1 to 10. Almost all participants who were interviewed about the eConsult function rated it as being of additional value if combined with the usual care but not as a replacement for usual care., Conclusions: Although participants were overall satisfied with the intervention, the implementation scores of the different functions of the intervention were fair. More research is needed to evaluate the barriers and facilitators for implementation of this perioperative eHealth intervention in normal practice outside study setting., Trial Registration: Netherlands Trial Registry NTR4699; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=4699 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6vr02V4KK)., (©Eva van der Meij, Judith AF Huirne, A Dorien ten Cate, Hein BAC Stockmann, Piet C Scholten, Paul HP Davids, H Jaap Bonjer, Johannes R. Anema. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 02.01.2018.)

Background: An e-health care program has previously shown to have a positive effect on return to work, quality of life and pain in patients who underwent gynaecological surgery. Plausibly, providing the care program to a population undergoing other types of surgery will be beneficial as well. The objectives of this study are to evaluate patients' opinions, needs and preferences regarding the information and guidance supplied to patients during the perioperative period, to investigate whether e-health may be of assistance and to explore if gender specific needs exist., Methods: A questionnaire was sent to all patients between 18 and 75 years (n = 362), who underwent various forms of abdominal surgery between August 2013 to September 2014 in a university hospital in the Netherlands. The questionnaire contained questions about the current situation in perioperative care and questions about patients' preferences in an e-health care program. Gender differences were evaluated., Results: Two hundred seven participants (57.2%) completed the survey. The majority of the participants were relatively satisfied with the perioperative care they received (68.6%). Most reported shortcomings in perioperative care concerning the supply of information regarding the resumption of activities and guidance during the recovery course. An e-health care program was expected to be of added value in perioperative care by 78% of the participants; a website was reported as most useful. In particular practical functions on a website focusing on the preparation to surgery and monitoring after surgery were appraised to be highly valuable. Overall, women had slightly more needs for extra information and support during the perioperative course than men., Conclusions: In abdominal surgery, there is a need for an e-health care program, which should focus mainly on the supply of information about the resumption of activities as well as guidance in the postoperative course.

Background: Postoperative recovery after abdominal surgery is measured mostly based on subjective or self-reported data. In this article we aim to evaluate whether recovery of daily physical activity levels can be measured postoperatively with the use of an accelerometer., Methods: In this multicenter, observational pilot study, 30 patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominal surgery (hysterectomy, adnexal surgery, cholecystectomy and hernia inguinal surgery) were included. Patients were instructed to wear an Actigraph wGT3X-BT accelerometer during one week before surgery (baseline) and during the first, third and fifth week after surgery. Wear time, steps taken and physical activity intensity levels (sedentary, light, moderate and vigorous) were measured. Patients were blinded for the accelerometer outcomes. Additionally, an activity diary comprising patients' self-reported time of being recovered and a list of 18 activities, in which the dates of resumption of these 18 activities were recorded after surgery, was completed by the patient., Results: Five patients were excluded from analyses because of technical problems with the accelerometer (n = 1) and protocol non-adherence (n = 4). Light, moderate, vigorous, combined moderate and vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA), and step counts showed a clear recovery curve after surgery. Patients who underwent minor surgery reached their baseline step count and MVPA three weeks after surgery. Patients who underwent intermediate surgery had not yet reached their baseline step count during the last measuring week (five weeks after surgery). The results of the activity diaries showed a fair agreement with the accelerometer results (Cohens Kappa range: 0.273-0.391). Wearing the accelerometer was well tolerated and not regarded as being burdensome by the patients., Conclusions: The accelerometer appeared to be a feasible way to measure recovery of postoperative physical activity levels in this study and was well tolerated by the patients. The agreement with self-reported physical recovery times was fair.

Background: Due to the strong reduction in the length of hospital stays in the last decade, the period of in-hospital postoperative care is limited. After discharge from the hospital, guidance and monitoring on recovery and resumption of (work) activities are usually not provided. As a consequence, return to normal activities and work after surgery is hampered, leading to a lower quality of life and higher costs due to productivity loss and increased health care consumption., Objective: With this study we aim to evaluate whether an eHealth care program can improve perioperative health care in patients undergoing commonly applied abdominal surgical procedures, leading to accelerated recovery and to a reduction in costs in comparison to usual care., Methods: This is a multicenter randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial. At least 308 patients between 18 and 75 years old who are on the waiting list for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, inguinal hernia surgery, or laparoscopic adnexal surgery for a benign indication will be included. Patients will be randomized to an intervention or control group. The intervention group will have access to an innovative, perioperative eHealth care program. This intervention program consists of a website, mobile phone app, and activity tracker. It aims to improve patient self-management and empowerment by providing guidance to patients in the weeks before and after surgery. The control group will receive usual care and will have access to a nonintervention (standard) website consisting of the digital information brochure about the surgical procedure being performed. Patients are asked to complete questionnaires at 5 moments during the first 6 months after surgery. The primary outcome measure is time to return to normal activities based on a patient-specific set of 8 activities selected from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) physical functioning item bank version 1.2. Secondary outcomes include social participation, self-rated health, duration of return to work, physical activity, length of recovery, pain intensity, and patient satisfaction. In addition, an economic evaluation alongside this randomized controlled trial will be performed from the societal and health care perspective. All statistical analyses will be conducted according to the intention-to-treat principle., Results: The enrollment of patients started in September 2015. The follow-up period will be completed in February 2017. Data cleaning and analyses have not begun as of the time this article was submitted., Conclusions: We hypothesize that patients receiving the intervention program will resume their normal activities sooner than patients in the control group and costs will be lower., Clinicaltrial: Netherlands Trial Registry NTC4699; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=4699 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6mcCBZmwy)., Competing Interests: EM, JH, EB, CB, and JA are the developers of the care program under study. JA and JH are setting up a spin-off company concerning the implementation of a mobile application concerning the IKHERSTEL intervention in the Netherlands., (©Eva van der Meij, Judith AF Huirne, Esther VA Bouwsma, Johanna M van Dongen, Caroline B Terwee, Peter M van de Ven, Chantal M den Bakker, Suzan van der Meij, W Marchien van Baal, Wouter KG Leclercq, Peggy MAJ Geomini, Esther CJ Consten, Steven E Schraffordt Koops, Paul JM van Kesteren, Hein BAC Stockmann, A Dorien ten Cate, Paul HP Davids, Petrus C Scholten, Baukje van den Heuvel, Frederieke G Schaafsma, Wilhelmus JHJ Meijerink, H Jaap Bonjer, Johannes R Anema. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 21.12.2016.)

Background: E-health interventions have become increasingly popular, including in perioperative care. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of perioperative e-health interventions on the postoperative course., Methods: We conducted a systematic review and searched for relevant articles in the PUBMED, EMBASE, CINAHL and COCHRANE databases. Controlled trials written in English, with participants of 18 years and older who underwent any type of surgery and which evaluated any type of e-health intervention by reporting patient-related outcome measures focusing on the period after surgery, were included. Data of all included studies were extracted and study quality was assessed by using the Downs and Black scoring system., Findings: A total of 33 articles were included, reporting on 27 unique studies. Most studies were judged as having a medium risk of bias (n = 13), 11 as a low risk of bias, and three as high risk of bias studies. Most studies included patients undergoing cardiac (n = 9) or orthopedic surgery (n = 7). All studies focused on replacing (n = 11) or complementing (n = 15) perioperative usual care with some form of care via ICT; one study evaluated both type of interventions. Interventions consisted of an educational or supportive website, telemonitoring, telerehabilitation or teleconsultation. All studies measured patient-related outcomes focusing on the physical, the mental or the general component of recovery. 11 studies (40.7%) reported outcome measures related to the effectiveness of the intervention in terms of health care usage and costs. 25 studies (92.6%) reported at least an equal (n = 8) or positive (n = 17) effect of the e-health intervention compared to usual care. In two studies (7.4%) a positive effect on any outcome was found in favour of the control group., Conclusion: Based on this systematic review we conclude that in the majority of the studies e-health leads to similar or improved clinical patient-related outcomes compared to only face to face perioperative care for patients who have undergone various forms of surgery. However, due to the low or moderate quality of many studies, the results should be interpreted with caution.

Hysterectomy is the most frequently performed major surgical intervention in gynecology. Although surgically removing the uterus is invasive, it represents the most definitive treatment option for heavy menstrual bleeding. In this article, we will discuss the indications for hysterectomy as a treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding, the different approaches to perform the hysterectomy, the complications which may occur during and after this procedure and finally the outcomes in comparison with other treatment options.

Objective: To study the success rate of hysteroscopic adhesiolysis and the spontaneous recurrence rate of intrauterine adhesions (IUAs) in patients with Asherman syndrome., Design: Cohort study., Setting: University-affiliated hospitals., Patient(s): A total of 638 women with Asherman syndrome were included, all diagnosed using hysteroscopy, and operated on between 2003 and 2013., Intervention(s): Hysteroscopic adhesiolysis., Main Outcome Measure(s): Hysteroscopic adhesiolysis was classified as successful if a normalization of menstrual blood flow occurred, along with a restored, healthy, cavity anatomy, free of adhesions, with hysteroscopic visualization of ≥ 1 tubal ostium. Recurrences of adhesions were diagnosed using hysteroscopy after an initial successful procedure., Result(s): A first-trimester procedure preceded Asherman syndrome in 371 women (58.2%) and caused adhesions of grades 1-2A. In 243 (38.1%) women, a postpartum procedure caused IUAs of grades 3-5. The procedure was successful in 606 women (95%), and restoration of menstrual blood flow occurred in 97.8%; IUAs spontaneously recurred in 174 (27.3%) of these cases. High grades of adhesions were predictive of a higher chance of spontaneous recurrence of adhesions., Conclusion(s): In 95% of women with Asherman syndrome, a healthy uterine cavity was restored with hysteroscopic adhesiolysis, in 1-3 attempts, with a 28.7% recurrence rate of spontaneous IUAs., (Copyright © 2015 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Statins are thought to reduce vascular inflammation through lipid independent mechanisms. Evaluation of such an effect in atherosclerotic disease is complicated by simultaneous effects on lipid metabolism. Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are part of the atherosclerotic spectrum of diseases. Unlike atherosclerotic occlusive disease, AAA is not lipid driven, thus allowing direct evaluation of putative anti-inflammatory effects. The anti-inflammatory potency of increasing doses (0, 20 or 40 mg/day) simvastatin or atorvastatin was evaluated in 63 patients that were at least 6 weeks on statin therapy and who underwent open AAA repair. A comprehensive analysis using immunohistochemistry, mRNA and protein analyses was applied on aortic wall samples collected during surgery. The effect of statins on AAA growth was analyzed in a separate prospective study in incorporating 142 patients. Both statins equally effectively and dose-dependently reduced aortic wall expression of NFκB regulated mediators (i.e. IL-6 (P<0.001) and MCP-1 (P<0.001)); shifted macrophage polarization towards a M2 phenotype (P<0.0003); selectively reduced macrophage-related markers such as cathepsin K and S (P<0.009 and 0.0027 respectively), and ALOX5 (P<0.0009), and reduced vascular wall NFκB activity (40 mg/day group, P<0.016). No effect was found on other cell types. Evaluation of the clinical efficacy of statins to reduce AAA progression did not indicate an effect of statins on aneurysm growth (P<0.337). Hence, in the context of AAA the clinical relevance of statins pleiotropy appears minimal.