scholarly journals Genital Schistosomiasis in European Women

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xavier Catteau ◽  
Anass Fakhri ◽  
Valérie Albert ◽  
Brahima Doukoure ◽  
Jean-Christophe Noël

Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS) is an isolated chronic form of schistosomiasis. Although most infections occur in residents of endemic areas, it has been clearly documented that brief freshwater exposure is sufficient to establish infection; thus, travellers may also be infected. The clinical manifestations of FGS are nonspecific, and lesions may mimic any neoplastic or infectious process in the female genital tract. It is important to take a careful history and physical examination, making sure to consider travel history in endemic areas. The diagnosis is confirmed by microscopy with egg identification or by serology. The standard of care for treatment is a single dose of oral praziquantel which avoids complications and substantial morbidity. Herein, we report a rare and original case of FGS in a European woman.

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 471-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Coleman ◽  
Michael Frumovitz ◽  
Charles F. Levenback

Lymphatic mapping and sentinel node identification are rapidly becoming the standard of care in managing many malignancies. These procedures have allowed focused evaluation of relevant regional lymphatics, which has led not only to improved precision of nodal pathology, but also to treatment triage and the potential for reduced postoperative morbidity. Given its clinical potential, new cancer primary sites are being evaluated, including those of the female genital tract. Of these, carcinoma of the vulva seems the most apposite; however, it is a rare malignancy and therefore large randomized treatment trials based on sentinel node triage are difficult to perform. Cancers of the uterus–cervix and corpus are more common. Because the physiologic lymphatic drainage from this organ is ambiguous, principle lymphatic basins are located in many different anatomic locales, making sentinel node identification precarious, yet highly relevant and informative. Current experience in carcinoma of the cervix suggests the concept is feasible. A consensus in corpus cancer has not been reached, although both sites are of keen interest with the increasing use of laparoscopy in surgical management. Prospective multi-institutional validation studies are underway.


Summary. Reproductive health is a priority in today’s global health care system. Among the factors of reproductive health disorders are female genital tract malformations. This pathology is mostly diagnosed with the onset of reproductive disorders at different ages of women, negatively affecting not only the reproductive but also the sexual functions of women, absorbing the quality of her life. The objective: to develop measures for the prevention of reproductive disorders in patients with female genital tract malformations based on the assessment of clinical manifestations and the frequency of reproductive disorders. Materials and methods. A retrospective assessment of reproductive disorders in 84 patients with a verified diagnosis of abnormalities in the development of the female genital organs was performed. The diagnosis was based on complaints, anamnestic data, the results of objective examination, clinical, laboratory and instrumental methods. The control group consisted of 25 women without abnormalities in the development of the female genitalia. Results. The mean age of the surveyed women was 27.6 ± 3.8 years. The duration of verification of the diagnosis of female genital tract malformations from the moment of the first visit to the gynecologist took an average of 3.1 ± 1.3 years. Of all the abnormalities in the development of the female reproductive system, 14.3 % were so-called «obstructive» abnormalities associated with impaired menstrual blood flow. Therefore, their clinical manifestation was earlier and more pronounced than in other patients and was manifested primarily by severe dysmenorrhea. Deviations in the age of onset of menarche occurred in 25 % of patients (OR =8; 95 % CI 1,019 – 62,798). In 73.8 % of women, the first reproductive disorders began during puberty. Dys menorrhea of varying severity occurred in 69.1 % of patients (OR = 7,064; 95 % СІ 2,527 – 19,744), of whom 70.6 % used medical treatment. The share of infertility among the women with anomalies in the development of the reproductive system was 19.1 %, pregnancy loss – 40.5 %. It was found that the risk of miscarriage in patients with congenital pathology of the female genitalia increases significantly (OR = 3,570; 95 % CI 1,125 – 11,325). 34.5 % of patients were diagnosed with genital endometriosis (OR = 6,064; 95 % СI 1,335 – 27,540). In 21.4 % of cases, abnormalities in the development of the female genitals were combined with congenital kidney disease. Conclusions. Prevention and predictability of reproductive disorders in patients with female genital tract malformations should begin with the pubertal period of the girl. A separate risk group consists of girls with pathology of the kidneys diagnosed prenatally. The basis for the prevention of reproductive health disorders in women with female genital tract malformations is the timely verification of congenital pathology and the development of a personalized system of management. The results of our research and the literature suggest that verification of the diagnosis of female genital tract malformations in women usually begins when patients have lost pregnancy or are experiencing infertility, while dysmenorrhea, menstrual irregularities that may occur in adolescence, often do not alert and do not become the basis for exclusion of congenital anomalies. That is why we believe that screening ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs in the presence of these disorders, it is advisable to conduct girls during puberty, if necessary – using 3D ultrasound and/or MRI.


2014 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 404-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changji Xiao ◽  
Jing Zhao ◽  
Peng Guo ◽  
Dan Wang ◽  
Dachun Zhao ◽  
...  

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to investigate the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs) in the female genital tract.MethodsFrom April 2001 to May 2013, the clinicopathologic characteristics, treatments, outcomes, and prognosis of 11 patients with PNET in the female genital tract were analyzed retrospectively at our hospital.ResultsThe location of PNET in the 11 patients presented here included vulva (2 patients), cervix (2 patients), uterus and its ligament (5 patients), and the ovaries (2 patients). Ages ranged from 18 to 59 years (median, 31 years).The main clinical manifestations of PNET in the female genital tract are irregular vaginal bleeding (6 patients), pelvic mass, uterine enlargement, and rapidly increasing vulvar mass (8 patients), and vulvar pain and lower abdominal pain (5 patients). The CA125 levels of 8 patients were elevated before the operations and reduced to normal when the diseases were controlled, while the levels increased as the tumor was progressive. Results for the most commonly used immunohistochemistry studies revealed CD99 in 11 of the 11 tumors, synaptophysin in 6 of the 7 positive tumors, and neuron-specific enolase in 6 of the 6 tumors. Ten patients underwent surgical resection. Nine of them underwent preoperative or/and postoperative combination chemotherapy. The follow-up of 10 patients were available and ranged from 1 to 145 months (median, 30.5 months), 3 of whom experiencing recurrence.ConclusionsPrimitive neuroectodermal tumor is very rare and can originate from any part of the female genital tract. The tumors had different manifestations but the same pathologic features. CA125 may be an important marker for prognosis and follow-up of PNET of the female internal genital tract.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 200-201
Author(s):  
Andreas Körber

A number of paraneoplastic syndromes have been described with gynecological cancers. These syndromes are induced by substances secreted by the tumor or by an immune response triggered by the cancer. Each system of the human body can be affected by different syndromes. Indeed, paraneoplastic syndromes occurring from tumors of the gynecologic tract were found to involve the nervous, ophthalmologic, dermatologic, rheumatologic, endocrine, hematologic and renal systems. These syndromes can manifest before, at the time, or after the diagnosis of cancer. They can also occur at the time of a recurrence. Knowledge about these syndromes is important for physicians caring for patients with cancers, as they can result in severe morbidity and must be treated appropriately. Literature regarding paraneoplastic syndromes associated with tumors of the female genital tract is scattered and the subject has not been reviewed recently. A systematic literature search was thus conducted to identify paraneoplastic syndromes associated with gynecologic cancers. This review focuses on the cancers involved with each paraneoplastic syndrome, and on their pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, possible complications, outcomes, and treatments. As the mainstay of treatment in these conditions is often to address the underlying tumor, it is of upmost importance that physicians be aware of these rare cancer manifestations.


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