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Introduction. Conjoined twins, also known as Siamese twins, represent one of the rarest anomalies of monozygotic pregnancies that have fascinated both medical world and the general public. The incidence of this anomaly varies between 1:50.000 and 1:100.000 births, and there is a higher predisposition toward female gender, with a ratio of 3:1. Conjoined twins appear from abnormal embryogenesis, the two main theories proposed for explaining the occurrence of this anomaly being fusion and fission. Conjoined twins were classified by Spencer (1996), and are named according to the most prominent site of fusion. The conjoined site may be in the ventral, dorsal or lateral groups. The extent of organ sharing, especially the heart, determines the possibility and prognosis of a separation procedure. Materials and method. The aim of this paper is to offer an overview of the literature regarding this rare anomaly of monoamniotic monochorionic twin pregnancy and to present the case of a 35-year-old multiparous patient (six previous pregnancies) who was referred to our hospital for the confirmation of the thoracopagus conjoined twins diagnosis and for management. Results. With the current findings, the diagnosis of thoracopagus twin pregnancy was established. The family was informed and counseled on the various management options. Due to the presence of a common heart, the termination option was offered and the family accepted. The termination of pregnancy was made through caesarean section, resulting two female twins of approximately 500 g in total which were sent to the pathologist. Conclusions. Conjoined twin pregnancy is a rare finding. Establishing a diagnosis using ultrasound examination early during pregnancy offers the possibility of assessing the prognosis of the pregnancy, based on the organs that are shared by the fetuses, to offer the patient and her family a prognostic and, if possible, the treatment options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The evaluation of fetal long bone measurements, particularly femur length, is essential in assessing fetal biometry, gestational age, size, growth, and in identifying various abnormalities. This study explores the diagnostic value of long bones length in detecting conditions such as Down syndrome and skeletal dysplasia. A femur length below the 10th percentile for gestational age is consistently associated with Down syndrome, while an extremely short femur length often indicates skeletal dysplasia. Humeral length, particularly when small compared to the biparietal diameter, serves as an additional marker for Down syndrome risk. The accurate diagnosis requires measuring all long bone segments, while the femur/abdominal circumference ratio serves as a discriminator for lethal skeletal dysplasia. Complete fetal anatomic evaluation is crucial in the presence of a short femur. This poster presents the current state of the art in the ultrasonography of fetal long bone evaluation. Materials and method. The present paper was realized by synthesizing the data published in the last 30 years regarding fetal long bones ultrasound assessment found on Google Scholar and PubMed, using for filtering the keywords: “femur length”, “humerus length”, “ultrasound”, “trisomy”, and “skeletal dysplasia”. Results. Femur length is a standard parameter measured during fetal biometry assessment. A shortened femur for gestational age may raise the suspicion for fetal growth restriction, trisomy 21 or skeletal dysplasia. In certain cases, it may be the first hint for aneuploidies or skeletal dysplasia. Femur and humerus length can be used to adjust the risk for trisomy 21. When facing a shortened femur, a complete survey of all fetal long bones is mandatory, as it may unveil a potentially severe skeletal anomaly. Conclusions. Ultrasound measurement of fetal long bones and the ratio between different skeletal measurements can be the key for the prenatal diagnosis of fetal skeletal dysplasia or can rise the suspicion of a fetal aneuploidy that can determine further investigations for establishing or excluding such a condition of the fetus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Cervical incompetence (cervical insufficiency) is the inability of the uterine cervix to retain a pregnancy in the absence of uterine contractions. It typically presents as acute, painless dilatation of the cervix, which can lead to a midtrimester pregnancy loss. Transvaginal ultrasound can be used as a diagnostic tool and to monitor cervical changes in cases of cervical incompetence. Materials and method. We have searched the literature on articles published on this aspect on PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane, by using the following keywords: “cervical incompetence”, “cervical shortening”, “ultrasound measurements”. We found that some of the ultrasound aspects used in the evaluation of cervical incompetence are: cervical length measurement, funneling assessment and bulging of the fetal membranes into a widened internal os. Conclusions. Cervical shortening is a prognostic indicator for the risk of preterm labor progressing into preterm delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The choroid plexus, or plica choroidea, is a plexus of cells that arise from tela choroidea in each of the ventricles of the brain. Regions of the choroid plexus produce and secrete most of the cerebrospinal fluid of the central nervous system. The prevalence of choroid plexus cyst (CPC) is 1:50 fetuses at 20 weeks of gestation and more than 90% resolve by 26 weeks, usually being asymptomatic, but large cysts can cause hydrocephalus. Ultrasound diagnosis is characterized by single or multiple cystic areas (>2 mm in diameter) in one or both choroid plexuses of the lateral cerebral ventricles in biparietal diameter section. The differential diagnosis should exclude an intraventricular hemorrhage penetrating into the choroid plexus and other rare types of cysts like colloid or ependymal cysts. Methodology. We compared two cases of fetuses with CPC, the first one being a fetus with aneuploidy and a series of anomalies detected at the ultrasound examination (intracardiac echogenic focus, increased nuchal fold and absent nasal bone), and the second one being a fetus with normal karyotype where CPC represented a transitory factor. Results. Choroid plexus cysts, also called “soft signs”, are associated with a risk for trisomy 18 and, possibly, trisomy 21. When they are isolated, the risk for aneuploidy is low. If they are present, a detailed ultrasound examination should be performed, with particular attention to the heart, brain and hands. If the ultrasound is abnormal, the next step should be a noninvasive prenatal test (NIPT) to determine the fetal karyotype. Conclusions. In the vast majority of cases, CPC are benign transient variants of normal intracranial anatomy. Chromosomal studies are strongly recommended whenever associated anatomic abnormalities are detected and when choroid plexus cysts are large, bilateral and persistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abdominal cystic masses are diagnosed during the intrauterine period and have a relatively low incidence. Fetal ovarian cysts are the most common form diagnosed prenatally or immediately after birth. The pathophysiology of the development of these types of tumors is not fully elucidated, with ovarian hyperstimulation caused by maternal and placental hormones being the most accepted hypotheses. We conducted a scoping review with the aim to map the current knowledge regarding the treatment of fetal ovarian cysts diagnosed in the intrauterine period. Focusing on the articles published in the last 10 years in the specialized literature, we tried to identify a conceptualization regarding the surveillance and treatment of these anomalies. We describe the case of a 38-year-old patient, in her second pregnancy, with a physiological course of pregnancy until 29 weeks of gestation, when a cystic mass of 52/48 mm was detected in the abdomen during the routine ultrasound examination. The most likely origin was established to be the right ovary. Applying the diagnostic criteria described by Nussbaum, the detected cystic mass was of a simple type, with a thin wall, transonic content, without the presence of septa, vegetations or the appearance of intracystic hemorrhage. We observed a linear growth trend from the time of diagnosis when the diameter measured 52 mm, until 38 weeks of gestation when it reached 76 mm. A female fetus was born, weighing 3570 g, with an Apgar score of 10, with a good postnatal adaptation. On the eighth day of life, the newborn was transferred to the pediatric surgery unit where ovarian cystectomy was performed. Intraoperatively, a cystic mass was found belonging to the right ovary, with a size of 80/70/70 mm. Ovarian cystectomy was performed, with the successful preservation of ovarian tissue. The postoperative recovery had a favorable outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Endometriosis has an incidence reaching up to 50% in infertile women. Cytokine-mediated immune responses seem to play an important role in endometriosis pathogenesis, but still the etiology and pathophysiology remain unclear. In the current study we tried to investigate whether there is a relationship between IL-10 genetic polymorphism, serum levels of IL-10 and the presence of advanced endometriosis.Methods: The presence of IL-10 592C/A, 819T/C, 1082G/A promoter polymorphisms and IL-10 serum levels were investigated in advanced endometriosis patients compared to healthy controls. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes and further analyzed by PCR.Results: IL-10 serum levels were higher in endometriosis group compared to controls (1.48, 0.68, p < 0.001). We have observed an association between IL-10 592C/C and 819C/C genotypes, presence of C alleles and an increased risk of endometriosis. No difference was observed in IL-10 serum levels corresponding to different alleles or genotypes.Conclusion: Our results suggest that IL-10 592A/C and 819T/C promoter polymorphisms confer susceptibility to advanced endometriosis. No associations were found between the IL-10 1082A/G polymorphism and susceptibility to advanced endometriosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the histological changes occurring in the vagina and vulva in ovariectomised female rats, as well as the response to the administration of injectable oestrogens.Material and Methods: We used 30 female Wistar white rats, distributed as follows: group 1 - the control group, group 2 - the operated but untreated rats, and groups 3, 4 and 5 - operated rats, to which oestrogenic treatment was administered (Estradiol, Estradurin, Sintofolin) at a dosage of 0.2 mg/rat/day. After 14 days of treatment, all animals were sacrificed and vaginal and vulvar biopsies were taken from all groups.Results: In group 2, we encountered structural changes of the vaginal mucosa, with severe atrophy and alterations in the thickness of the vagina and vulva. In groups 3, 4 and 5 we found marked hyperplasia of the vaginal and vulvar epithelium, eosinophilic and mast cell infiltration in the chorion.Conclusions: Our study proves that the histopathological changes during anoestrus after administration of oestrogens are cell hyperplasia, thickening of the superficial mucosal layer, eosinophilic and mast cells infiltrations, and chorionic congestion. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Estradiol therapy induces the most evident histological changes when compared to synthetic oestrogens such as Estradurin or Sintofolin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Embryonic demise is the most common event in the lives of women during theirs reproductive time with a rate of about 25%. The aim of this review is to outline the most important paraclinic and biological prognostic parameters. English language articles containing keywords like "embryonic demise", "predictive factors" which were searched using Medline and Pubmed. Systematic reviews, retrospective and prospective studies, clinical trials focused on this subject were selected. Informative value of the references of selected articles was used as base for further relevant headlines. Among the most significant reported predictive factors are the distance between the yolk sac (YS) and embryo, also known as the yalk stalk sign, the progesterone and β human chorionic gonadotropine levels. Low levels of biomarkers and abnormal appearance of gestational sac, crown-rump length and YS are considered worst prognostic factors and may lead to a poor outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. To characterize the vascularity of endometriotic cysts using color Doppler ultrasound and to differentiate more accurately between endometriotic cysts and other pelvic cyst masses. Methods. Two prospective studies were initiated: the first included 50 patients diagnosed with ovarian endometriotic cysts and 50 patients without gynecological pathology, in whom the resistance index (RI) of the uterine artery, ovarian artery and endometrial arcuate arteries in the early secretory phase was determined by endovaginal Doppler ultrasound; the second study included 50 patients diagnosed with ovarian endometriotic cysts, in whom the RI of the uterine artery, ovarian artery and cyst wall arteries in the late proliferative phase and in the late secretory phase was determined. Results. In the early secretory phase, the vascular flow through the uterine artery was significantly higher in patients with ovarian endometrioma. These patients had increased endometrial vascularity in the early secretory phase compared to the control group. In the late secretory phase, the vascular flow through the ovarian artery was higher compared to the late proliferative phase in patients with ovarian endometrioma. The vascularization of the ovarian endometrioma wall was significantly increased in the late secretory phase compared to the late proliferative phase. Conclusions. Vascularization, described through the arrangement of vessels, vascular density and vascular resistance, is an important factor in the evaluation of ovarian endometrioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urinary incontinence (UI) represents a condition that, although not vital, has a significant impact that can interfere with the quality of life in a meaningful way for many women, its overall prevalence being of approximately 40%. Since 1920, urogynecologists showed an increasing interest in imaging techniques of the pelvic floor, ultrasound being the method of examination most frequently used with benefits that result from easy accessibility and reduced costs. At the beginning, B-mode ultrasound via transvaginal or transperineal route, was used to describe the urinary bladder and the anterior compartment and only later, the other pelvic compartments. Pelvic floor dysfunctions include several conditions among which UI. The main indications for transperineal ultrasound are: recurrent urinary tract infections, urgency-, frequency-, stress-UI, dysuria, prolapse of pelvic organs, dyspareunia, fecal incontinence, pelvic masses. This method proves its utility in assessing parameters like: residual urine, detrusor wall thickness, mobility of the bladder neck, anterior and posterior urethrovesical angle, urethral integrity. Stress UI may be highlighted by Color Doppler. Studying the pelvic floor during contractions or Valsalva maneuvre allows the assessment of the functional anatomy, keypoint for understanding the UI pathophysiology. The assessment of these specific objective and reproducible parameters is complementary to the diagnosis of UI and puts several therapeutic options in a different light. The progress in imaging permanently contributes to the improvement of therapeutic management either refining existing techniques or supporting the development of new procedures in urogynecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasound is the reference imaging procedure used for the exploration of endometrial pathology. As medical procedures improve and the requirements of modern medicine become more demanding, grayscale ultrasound is insufficient in establishing gynecological diagnosis. Thus, more complex examination techniques are required: Doppler ultrasound, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), 3D ultrasound, etc. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound is a special examination technique that gains more and more ground. This allows a detailed real-time evaluation of microcirculation in a certain territory, which is impossible to perform by Doppler ultrasound. The aim of this review is to synthesize current knowledge regarding CEUS applications in endometrial pathology, to detail the technical aspects of endometrial CEUS and the physical properties of the equipment and contrast agents used, as well as to identify the limitations of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endometriosis is a frequent gynecologic disease with a severe impact on the quality of life in the affected women; its pathogenesis is yet to be fully understood, with an altered immunity as a possible key factor. The present study aimed to investigate the serum anti-inflammatory cytokine profile in the patients with endometriosis compared with the healthy controls. Materials and Methods: One hundred and sixty women were included, divided into two study groups (Group I -- endometriosis; Group 2 -- healthy women). We evaluated the serum levels of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), IL-2, IL-2R, IL-4, IL-10, IL-13, and IL-15 with the use of Human multiplex cytokine panels. Statistical analyses (normality distribution analysis, independent t-test, Mann--Whitney U-test) were performed using IBM SPSS software (version 22.0) and GraphPad Prism (version 5.00); receiver operating characteristic curve were used to demonstrate the diagnostic performance of the studied markers. Results: The mean serum level of IL-1Ra, IL-4, and IL-10 were significantly higher in women with endometriosis compared to women free of disease from the control group (30.155, 138.459, and 1.489, respectively, compared to 14.109, 84.710, and 0.688, respectively; P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.002, respectively.). No significant differences in the mean serum levels of IL-2, IL-13, and IL-15 were observed between the studied groups and IL-2R had a very low detection rate. Conclusion: Endometriosis is associated with elevated levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1Ra, IL-4, and IL-10, markers that have a potential role as a prognostic factor for endometriosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smoke resulting from the burning of a cigarette contains up to 4000 chemical compounds, of which at least 50 are carcinogenic. The main chemical substances released after absorption in the respiratory system are nicotine, carbon monoxide and hydrocyanic acid. Smoking is a risk factor for the development of respiratory, cardiovascular, muscle, bone, immune system diseases, as well as cancer. Exercise capacity represents the capacity of the circulatory, respiratory and muscular system to provide oxygen during sustained physical activity. Smoking is associated with a reduction of aerobic exercise capacity due to low oxygen supply and an impaired heart rate response (negative chronotropic effect), both of which represent important predictive factors of mortality. Nicotine induces the release of catecholamines, aggravates sleep disorders and difficulties falling asleep, and has a negative influence on overall performance capacity. Resistance to infectious bronchial and catarrhal diseases is crucial for smoking athletes, because optimal health is a basic requirement for sports training or the improvement of performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and rapid liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method for therapeutic level monitoring of methyldopa in human plasma was developed and validated. The separation was performed on a Zorbax SB-C18 column under isocratic conditions using a mobile phase of 2:98 (v/v) acetonitrile and 0.2% (v/v) formic acid in water at 40°C with a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. The detection of was performed using an ion trap MS with electrospray positive ionisation in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode (m/z 212.1 →139.2, 166.2, 195.2). The human plasma samples (0.2 mL) were deproteinised with methanol and aliquots of 1.5 μL from supernatants obtained after centrifugation were directly injected into the chromatographic system. The method shows a good linearity, precision (CV < 8.4 %) and accuracy (bias < 11.1 %) over the range of 0.32-20.48 μg/mL plasma. The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 0.32 μg/mL and the recovery was between 90.9-101.4 %. The method is fast, with a minimum time for plasma sample preparation and a run-time of 1.5 min for instrument analysis (retention time of methyldopa was 1.05 min). The developed and validated method is simple, rapid, selective and sufficiently sensitive to be applied in clinical level monitoring, pharmacokinetics or bioequivalence studies of methyldopa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the intensity of oxidative stress in normal pregnancy and in pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia. To investigate a possible correlation between the intensity of oxidative stress, severity of preeclampsia and the fetal status at birth. Materials and methods: A retrospective transversal study was performed in three groups of 80 patients each: Group I-preeclampsia; Group II-normal pregnancy; Group III-control (non-pregnant patients). Degradation products of reactive oxygen species (lipid peroxides and protein carbonyls) and some antioxidants (hydrogen donor capacity and ceruloplasmin) were determined in the serum of patients. The data obtained were processed by descriptive and comparative statistical methods. Results: A moderate level of oxidative stress was found in normal pregnancy. We found statistically significant differences between the control group and the normal pregnancy group ( p < 0.000). In preeclampsia, oxidative stress increases. Statistically significant differences were found in the evaluated parameters between the normal pregnancy group and the preeclampsia group ( p < 0.000). There were no correlations between the intensity of oxidative stress, severity of preeclampsia and the fetal status at birth in the group with preeclampsia. Conclusion: Oxidative stress in preeclampsia is the result of the increase in reactive oxygen species and of the decrease in antioxidants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasonography is the most frequently used imaging investigation in the assessment of the female genital tract. Most often the uterus and ovaries are evaluated with the help 2D transabdominal or endovaginal ultrasonography. The interpretation of the ultrasonographic data in order to establish the diagnosis of the main uterine and ovarian pathologies requires information about the examination technique and proper knowledge of the female genital tract ultrasound anatomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]