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Fertility and Sterility Nov 2021There are many proposed classification systems for müllerian anomalies. The American Fertility Society (AFS) Classification from 1988 has been the most recognized and...
There are many proposed classification systems for müllerian anomalies. The American Fertility Society (AFS) Classification from 1988 has been the most recognized and utilized. The advantages of this iconic classification include its simplicity, recognizability, and correlation with clinical pregnancy outcomes. However, the AFS classification has been criticized for its focus primarily on uterine anomalies, with exclusion of those of the vagina and cervix, its lack of clear diagnostic criteria, and its inability to classify complex aberrations. Despite this classification and others, the wide range of müllerian anomalies is still largely unknown and confusing to many providers. Consequently, müllerian anomalies may go undiagnosed for extended periods, receive inappropriate or inadequate surgical interventions, and result in persistent issues such as pain or loss of reproductive function. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine Task Force on Müllerian Anomalies Classification was formed and charged with designing a new classification. The Task Force set goals for a new classification and chose to base it on the iconic AFS classification from 1988 because of its simplicity and recognizability, while expanding and updating it to include all categories of anomalies. In addition, this was recognized as an opportunity to raise awareness of this area of medicine, educate providers and learners, and promote patient advocacy. Presented here is the new American Society for Reproductive Medicine Müllerian Anomalies Classification 2021.
Topics: Cervix Uteri; Decision Support Techniques; Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Mullerian Ducts; Predictive Value of Tests; Terminology as Topic; Ultrasonography; Urogenital Abnormalities; Uterus; Vagina
PubMed: 34756327
DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2021.09.025 -
Annual Review of Cell and Developmental... Oct 2023The uterine lining (endometrium) regenerates repeatedly over the life span as part of its normal physiology. Substantial portions of the endometrium are shed during... (Review)
Review
The uterine lining (endometrium) regenerates repeatedly over the life span as part of its normal physiology. Substantial portions of the endometrium are shed during childbirth (parturition) and, in some species, menstruation, but the tissue is rapidly rebuilt without scarring, rendering it a powerful model of regeneration in mammals. Nonetheless, following some assaults, including medical procedures and infections, the endometrium fails to regenerate and instead forms scars that may interfere with normal endometrial function and contribute to infertility. Thus, the endometrium provides an exceptional platform to answer a central question of regenerative medicine: Why do some systems regenerate while others scar? Here, we review our current understanding of diverse endometrial disruption events in humans, nonhuman primates, and rodents, and the associated mechanisms of regenerative success and failure. Elucidating the determinants of these disparate repair processes promises insights into fundamental mechanisms of mammalian regeneration with substantial implications for reproductive health.
Topics: Female; Animals; Humans; Endometrium; Uterus; Fibrosis; Mammals
PubMed: 37843929
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-011723-021442 -
Endocrine Reviews Oct 2019All mammalian uteri contain glands in the endometrium that develop only or primarily after birth. Gland development or adenogenesis in the postnatal uterus is... (Review)
Review
All mammalian uteri contain glands in the endometrium that develop only or primarily after birth. Gland development or adenogenesis in the postnatal uterus is intrinsically regulated by proliferation, cell-cell interactions, growth factors and their inhibitors, as well as transcription factors, including forkhead box A2 (FOXA2) and estrogen receptor α (ESR1). Extrinsic factors regulating adenogenesis originate from other organs, including the ovary, pituitary, and mammary gland. The infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss observed in uterine gland knockout sheep and mouse models support a primary role for secretions and products of the glands in pregnancy success. Recent studies in mice revealed that uterine glandular epithelia govern postimplantation pregnancy establishment through effects on stromal cell decidualization and placental development. In humans, uterine glands and, by inference, their secretions and products are hypothesized to be critical for blastocyst survival and implantation as well as embryo and placental development during the first trimester before the onset of fetal-maternal circulation. A variety of hormones and other factors from the ovary, placenta, and stromal cells impact secretory function of the uterine glands during pregnancy. This review summarizes new information related to the developmental biology of uterine glands and discusses novel perspectives on their functional roles in pregnancy establishment and success.
Topics: Animals; Developmental Biology; Embryo Implantation; Female; Hormones; Humans; Infertility; Mammals; Mice; Pregnancy; Sheep; Signal Transduction; Uterus
PubMed: 31074826
DOI: 10.1210/er.2018-00281 -
Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology :... Dec 2020To describe the clinical and ultrasound characteristics of adnexal torsion.
OBJECTIVES
To describe the clinical and ultrasound characteristics of adnexal torsion.
METHODS
This was a retrospective study. From the operative records of the eight participating gynecological ultrasound centers, we identified patients with a surgically confirmed diagnosis of adnexal torsion, defined as surgical evidence of ovarian pedicle, paraovarian cyst and/or Fallopian tube twisted on its own axis, who had undergone preoperative ultrasound examination by an experienced examiner, between 2008 and 2018. Only cases with at least two available ultrasound images and/or videoclips (one grayscale and one with Doppler evaluation) were included. Clinical, ultrasound, surgical and histological information was retrieved from each patient's medical record and entered into an Excel file by the principal investigator at each center. In addition, two authors reviewed all available ultrasound images and videoclips of the twisted adnexa, with regard to the presence of four predefined ultrasound features reported to be characteristic of adnexal torsion: (1) ovarian stromal edema with or without peripherally displaced antral follicles, (2) the follicular ring sign, (3) the whirlpool sign and (4) absence of vascularization in the twisted organ.
RESULTS
A total of 315 cases of adnexal torsion were identified. The median age of the patients was 30 (range, 1-88) years. Most patients were premenopausal (284/314; 90.4%) and presented with acute or subacute pelvic pain (305/315; 96.8%). The surgical approach was laparoscopic in 239/312 (76.6%) patients and conservative surgery (untwisting with or without excision of a lesion) was performed in 149/315 (47.3%) cases. According to the original ultrasound reports, the median largest diameter of the twisted organ was 83 (range, 30-349) mm. Free fluid in the pouch of Douglas was detected in 196/275 (71.3%) patients. Ovarian stromal edema with or without peripherally displaced antral follicles was reported in the original ultrasound report in 167/241 (69.3%) patients, the whirlpool sign in 178/226 (78.8%) patients, absent color Doppler signals in the twisted organ in 119/269 (44.2%) patients and the follicular ring sign in 51/134 (38.1%) patients. On retrospective review of images and videoclips, ovarian stromal edema with or without peripherally displaced antral follicles (201/254; 79.1%) and the whirlpool sign (139/153; 90.8%) were the most commonly detected features of adnexal torsion.
CONCLUSION
Most patients with surgically confirmed adnexal torsion are of reproductive age and present with acute or subacute pain. Common ultrasound signs are an enlarged adnexa, the whirlpool sign, ovarian stromal edema with or without peripherally displaced antral follicles and free fluid in the pelvis. The follicular ring sign and absence of Doppler signals in the twisted organ are slightly less common signs. Recognizing ultrasound signs of adnexal torsion is important so that the correct treatment, i.e. surgery without delay, can be offered. Copyright © 2020 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Topics: Adnexa Uteri; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Ovarian Torsion; Pelvic Pain; Retrospective Studies; Ultrasonography, Doppler; Urogenital Abnormalities; Uterus
PubMed: 31975482
DOI: 10.1002/uog.21981 -
Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology :... Jan 2018To assess the level of agreement between experts in distinguishing between septate and normal/arcuate uterus using their subjective judgment when reviewing the coronal... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
OBJECTIVES
To assess the level of agreement between experts in distinguishing between septate and normal/arcuate uterus using their subjective judgment when reviewing the coronal view of the uterus from three-dimensional ultrasound. Another aim was to determine the interobserver reliability and diagnostic test accuracy of three measurements suggested by recent guidelines, using as reference standard the decision made most often by experts (Congenital Uterine Malformation by Experts (CUME)).
METHODS
Images of the coronal plane of the uterus from 100 women with suspected fundal internal indentation were anonymized and provided to 15 experts (five clinicians, five surgeons and five sonologists). They were instructed to indicate whether they believed the uterus to be normal/arcuate (defined as normal uterine morphology or not clinically relevant degree of distortion caused by internal indentation) or septate (clinically relevant degree of distortion caused by internal indentation). Two other observers independently measured indentation depth, indentation angle and indentation-to-wall-thickness (I:WT) ratio. The agreement between experts was assessed using kappa, the interobserver reliability was assessed using the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), the diagnostic test accuracy was assessed using the area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve (AUC) and the best cut-off value was assessed using Youden's index, considering as the reference standard the choice made most often by the experts (CUME).
RESULTS
There was good agreement between all experts (kappa, 0.62). There were 18 septate and 82 normal/arcuate uteri according to CUME; European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE)-European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE) criteria (I:WT ratio > 50%) defined 80 septate and 20 normal/arcuate uteri, while American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) criteria defined five septate (depth > 15 mm and angle < 90°), 82 normal/arcuate (depth < 10 mm and angle > 90°) and 13 uteri that could not be classified (referred to as the gray-zone). The agreement between ESHRE-ESGE and CUME was 38% (kappa, 0.1); the agreement between ASRM criteria and CUME for septate was 87% (kappa, 0.39), and considering both septate and gray-zone as septate, the agreement was 98% (kappa, 0.93). Among the three measurements, the interobserver reproducibility of indentation depth (CCC, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.98-0.99) was better than both indentation angle (CCC, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94-0.97) and I:WT ratio (CCC, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.90-0.94). The diagnostic test accuracy of these three measurements using CUME as reference standard was very good, with AUC between 0.96 and 1.00. The best cut-off values for these measurements to define septate uterus were: indentation depth ≥ 10 mm, indentation angle < 140° and I:WT ratio > 110% .
CONCLUSIONS
The suggested ESHRE-ESGE cut-off value overestimates the prevalence of septate uterus while that of ASRM underestimates this prevalence, leaving in the gray-zone most of the uteri that experts considered as septate. We recommend considering indentation depth ≥ 10 mm as septate, since the measurement is simple and reliable and this criterion is in agreement with expert opinion. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Topics: Abortion, Spontaneous; Adult; Female; Humans; Hysteroscopy; Pregnancy; Prospective Studies; Reference Standards; Reproductive Medicine; Ultrasonography; Urogenital Abnormalities; Uterine Diseases; Uterus
PubMed: 29024135
DOI: 10.1002/uog.18923 -
Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology :... Jun 2020To identify uterine measurements that are reliable and accurate to distinguish between T-shaped and normal/arcuate uterus, and define T-shaped uterus, using Congenital...
OBJECTIVES
To identify uterine measurements that are reliable and accurate to distinguish between T-shaped and normal/arcuate uterus, and define T-shaped uterus, using Congenital Uterine Malformation by Experts (CUME) methodology, which uses as reference standard the decision made most often by several independent experts.
METHODS
This was a prospectively planned multirater reliability/agreement and diagnostic accuracy study, performed between November 2017 and December 2018, using a sample of 100 three-dimensional (3D) datasets of different uteri with lateral uterine cavity indentations, acquired from consecutive women between 2014 and 2016. Fifteen representative experts (five clinicians, five surgeons and five sonologists), blinded to each others' opinions, examined anonymized images of the coronal plane of each uterus and provided their independent opinion as to whether it was T-shaped or normal/arcuate; this formed the basis of the CUME reference standard, with the decision made most often (i.e. that chosen by eight or more of the 15 experts) for each uterus being considered the correct diagnosis for that uterus. Two other experienced observers, also blinded to the opinions of the other experts, then performed independently 15 sonographic measurements, using the original 3D datasets of each uterus. Agreement between the diagnoses made by the 15 experts was assessed using kappa and percent agreement. The interobserver reliability of measurements was assessed using the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). The diagnostic test accuracy was assessed using the area under the receiver-operating-characteristics curve (AUC) and the best cut-off value was assessed by calculating Youden's index, according to the CUME reference standard. Sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive likelihood ratios (LR- and LR+) and post-test probability were calculated.
RESULTS
According to the CUME reference standard, there were 20 T-shaped and 80 normal/arcuate uteri. Individual experts recognized between 5 and 35 (median, 19) T-shaped uteri on subjective judgment. The agreement among experts was 82% (kappa = 0.43). Three of the 15 sonographic measurements were identified as having good diagnostic test accuracy, according to the CUME reference standard: lateral indentation angle (AUC = 0.95), lateral internal indentation depth (AUC = 0.92) and T-angle (AUC = 0.87). Of these, T-angle had the best interobserver reproducibility (CCC = 0.87 vs 0.82 vs 0.62 for T-angle vs lateral indentation depth vs lateral indentation angle). The best cut-off values for these measurements were: lateral indentation angle ≤ 130° (sensitivity, 80%; specificity, 96%; LR+, 21.3; LR-, 0.21), lateral indentation depth ≥ 7 mm (sensitivity, 95%; specificity, 77.5%; LR+, 4.2; LR-, 0.06) and T-angle ≤ 40° (sensitivity, 80%; specificity, 87.5%; LR+, 6.4; LR-, 0.23). Most of the experts diagnosed the uterus as being T-shaped in 0% (0/56) of cases when none of these three criteria was met, in 10% (2/20) of cases when only one criterion was met, in 50% (5/10) of cases when two of the three criteria were met, and in 93% (13/14) of cases when all three criteria were met.
CONCLUSIONS
The diagnosis of T-shaped uterus is not easy; the agreement among experts was only moderate and the judgement of individual experts was commonly insufficient for accurate diagnosis. The three sonographic measurements with cut-offs that we identified (lateral internal indentation depth ≥ 7 mm, lateral indentation angle ≤ 130° and T-angle ≤ 40°) had good diagnostic test accuracy and fair-to-moderate reliability and, when applied in combination, they provided high post-test probability for T-shaped uterus. In the absence of other anomalies, we suggest considering a uterus to be normal when none or only one criterion is met, borderline when two criteria are met, and T-shaped when all three criteria are met. These three CUME criteria for defining T-shaped uterus may aid in determination of its prevalence, clinical implications and best management and in the assessment of post-surgical morphologic outcome. The CUME definition of T-shaped uterus may help in the development of interventional randomized controlled trials and observational studies and in the diagnosis of uterine morphology in everyday practice, and could be adopted by guidelines on uterine anomalies to enrich their classification systems. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Topics: Adult; Area Under Curve; Female; Humans; Likelihood Functions; Observer Variation; Pregnancy; Prospective Studies; Reference Standards; Reproducibility of Results; Research Design; Sensitivity and Specificity; Ultrasonography; Urogenital Abnormalities; Uterus
PubMed: 31432589
DOI: 10.1002/uog.20845 -
JSLS : Journal of the Society of... 2015Transvaginal uterine morcellation has been described in the literature for more than a century. Despite an extensive body of literature documenting its safety and...
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Transvaginal uterine morcellation has been described in the literature for more than a century. Despite an extensive body of literature documenting its safety and feasibility, concerns about morcellating occult malignant entities have raised questions regarding this technique. In this study, we looked at a single teaching institution's experience with transvaginal morcellation for leiomyomatous uteri. In addition, we reviewed the published literature for outcomes associated with transvaginal morcellation techniques.
METHODS
This study was a retrospective case series. Charts of women who underwent total laparoscopic hysterectomy, robot-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy, and laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy for leiomyoma from July 1, 2011, through December 31, 2013, were reviewed. Cases were included if transvaginal morcellation was performed. Morcellation was performed by bringing the uterus into the vagina and by performing a wedge resection technique to reduce the volume of the specimen. Baseline demographics and intra- and postoperative outcomes were abstracted from the charts. A PubMed search from January 1, 1970 to October 31, 2014 was performed to review the literature regarding transvaginal morcellation.
RESULTS
Sixty-four women who underwent laparoscopy for leiomyomatous uteri with transvaginal morcellation were identified from July 1, 2011 through December 31, 2013. Mean operative time was 210 minutes (SD 75.5; range, 93-420). The mean blood loss was 153 mL (SD 165; range, 25-1000). The mean uterine size was 608 g (SD 367; range, 106-1834). There were no surgical complications directly attributed to morcellation. The literature search yielded 22 articles describing outcomes after transvaginal morcellation, with a total of 1953 morcellated specimens.
CONCLUSIONS
Transvaginal uterine morcellation appears to be a safe alternative to laparotomy for the removal of large uterine specimens in select patients.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Blood Loss, Surgical; Female; Humans; Leiomyoma; Middle Aged; Morcellation; Operative Time; Organ Size; Retrospective Studies; Uterine Neoplasms; Uterus
PubMed: 26005318
DOI: 10.4293/JSLS.2014.00255 -
Communications Biology Jun 2021The uterus is the organ for embryo implantation and fetal development. Most current models of the uterus are centred around capturing its function during later stages of... (Review)
Review
The uterus is the organ for embryo implantation and fetal development. Most current models of the uterus are centred around capturing its function during later stages of pregnancy to increase the survival in pre-term births. However, in vitro models focusing on the uterine tissue itself would allow modelling of pathologies including endometriosis and uterine cancers, and open new avenues to investigate embryo implantation and human development. Motivated by these key questions, we discuss how stem cell-based uteri may be engineered from constituent cell parts, either as advanced self-organising cultures, or by controlled assembly through microfluidic and print-based technologies.
Topics: Animals; Embryo Implantation; Female; Fetal Development; Humans; Models, Biological; Placenta; Pregnancy; Primates; Stem Cells; Tissue Engineering; Tissue Scaffolds; Uterus
PubMed: 34140619
DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02233-8 -
Organogenesis Jan 2016The explanation of uterine and vaginal embryogenesis in humans still poses many controversies, because it is difficult to assess early stages of an embryo. The... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The explanation of uterine and vaginal embryogenesis in humans still poses many controversies, because it is difficult to assess early stages of an embryo. The literature review revealed many disagreements in Mullerian theory, inciting some authors to propose new embryological hypotheses. In the original Mullerian theory: the paramesonephral ducts form the Fallopian tubes, uterus and vagina; the mesonephral ducts regress in female embryos.
AIMS
The aim of this article is to investigate the development of Mullerian ducts in humans, using comparative analysis of fundamental embryological theory and various utero-vaginal anomalies.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Between 1998 and 2015, 434 patients with various uterovaginal malformations had been operated on at the Scientific Centre of Obstetrics Gynaecology and Perynatology in Moscow. The anatomies of the uterovaginal malformations in these patients were diagnosed with ultrasound and MRI and then verified during surgical correction by laparoscopy.
RESULTS
A systematic comparison of uterovaginal malformations to those in the literature has allowed us to formulate a new theory of embryonic morphogenesis. The new theory is significantly different: ovary, ovarian ligamentum proprium, and ligamentum teres uteri derive from gonadal ridges; Fallopian tubes and vagina completely develop from mesonephral ducts. The uterus develops in the area of intersection between the mesonephral ducts with gonadal ridges by the fusion of the two.
CONCLUSIONS
The new theory may to induce future embryological studies. The hypothetic possibility that the ovary and endometrium derive from the gonadal ridges could be the key to understanding the enigmatic aetiologies of extragenital and ovarian endometriosis.
Topics: Embryonic Development; Endometriosis; Female; Humans; Uterus; Vagina
PubMed: 26900909
DOI: 10.1080/15476278.2016.1145317 -
The National Medical Journal of India 1997The authors report on their experience of vaginal hysterectomy in a prospective series of 14 patients with myomatous uteri of the size of 14 to 20 weeks' gestation. The...
The authors report on their experience of vaginal hysterectomy in a prospective series of 14 patients with myomatous uteri of the size of 14 to 20 weeks' gestation. The mean uterine volume at the time of surgery was that of 16 1/2 weeks' gestation. The largest myoma had a diameter of 11.6 cm. Five of the patients were also scheduled to undergo bilateral oophorectomy. The paracervical tissues were infiltrated with a dilute solution of lignocaine and adrenaline. Circumferential incision and reflection of the vaginal wall, dissection of the bladder cephalad, opening of the vesico-uterine fold anteriorly and the pouch of Douglas posteriorly were performed initially. This was followed by clamping, division and ligation of the sacro-uterine and cardinal ligaments and of the uterine vessels, as is done during a vaginal hysterectomy. The next step depended on the size and other features of the uterine corpus and included bisection, myomectomy, morcellation and coring. BISECTION: The cervix was grasped on both sides and the uterus was bisected sagittally towards the fundus, using a knife. The bisection, carried out first along the posterior uterine wall, was aided by the repeated repositioning of the vulsella close to the apex of the incision, combined with rotation of the cervical portion of the uterus around the public arch. If necessary, the uterus was rotated back to its original position and the bisection pursued anteriorly. Complete bisection often allowed half the uterus to be delivered through the vagina and the ovarian pedicle to be secured; the same was then done with the other half of the uterus. Myomectomy was frequently combined with bisection or morcellation. Smaller myomas were removed in one piece while larger ones were morcellated and removed in fragments, one of the vulsella always being attached to the residual bulk of the myoma. Morcellation was carried out on the uterus when despite bisection or myomectomy no further descent was possible. Bisection was recommenced as soon as further descent of the uterus could be achieved after myomectomy and morcellation. Coring was performed instead of bisection when dealing with smaller uteri without any distinct large myoma. A circumferential incision was made at the level of the uterine isthmus about 5 mm into the substance of the corpus. A central core of tissue around the uterine cavity was then excised by progressively undercutting the serosal surface of the uterus towards the fundus. Once the uterus was delivered into the vagina, the hysterectomy was completed in the usual fashion. All 14 procedures with or without oophorectomy or salpingo-oophorectomy were completed successfully. The mean weight of the uteri was 639 g (range 380-1100 g), the mean operating time was 84 minutes (range 30-150 minutes) and the mean operative blood loss was estimated at 296 ml (range 100-800 ml). One patient was given a blood transfusion immediately postoperatively. Six women had macroscopic haematuria that cleared up within 24 hours. There were no other important complications. Postoperative hospital stay averaged 3.7 days (range 2-9 days). Only 2 patients remained in hospital for more than 4 days after surgery. All women had recovered fully by the time of their follow up appointment.
Topics: Contraindications; Female; Humans; Hysterectomy, Vaginal; Patient Selection; Uterus
PubMed: 9230602
DOI: No ID Found