News

Endometriosis affects as many as 6% of the general population. While some women with endometriosis remain asymptomatic, many women experience dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, non-cyclical pelvic pain, and subfertility. Now, new research indicates that patients with endometriosis are also more likely to develop inflammatory bowel disease.

Since the debate about the safety of hormone replacement therapy began, researchers, patients, and clinicians have searched for a safe alternative to help alleviate the symptoms associated with menopause. Now, a small study in Italy suggests that dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) may be a solution.

The offspring of women who receive inhaled glucocorticoid medications to treat asthma during pregnancy may have a significantly increased risk of endocrine and metabolic disorders, according to a population-based cohort study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Decreases in bone mineral density and an increased risk of arthritis may be linked to bilateral oophorectomy, according to new research presented at the 2011 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

Acute-onset hypertension lasting 15 minutes or longer in women with preeclampsia or eclampsia is a hypertensive emergency that requires antihypertensive treatment, according to a new Committee Opinion of The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College).

In further response to the Safety Communication issued by the FDA in July 2011 regarding the use of vaginal mesh, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College) and the American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS) jointly state that the use of vaginal placement of synthetic mesh for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) should be reserved for high-risk women for whom the benefits may outweigh the risks.

The first line of therapy for treating psoriasis in pregnant and breastfeeding women should be topical treatment with moisturizers and emollients, such as petroleum jelly, because these products cause no known adverse effects.

Obstetricians and gynecologists (ob-gyns) should be prepared to offer transgender patients routine screening and treatment, according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College). A significant number of transgender people experience social harassment, discrimination, and rejection from family and society in general.

Lymphedema, swelling caused by a blockage in the lymphatic system, can occur as a result of surgical or radiation therapy associated with breast cancer treatment. Since some research has shown that exercise after breast cancer treatment has been associated with developing lymphedema, clinicians often advise patients to avoid exercising. But is this truly necessary?

As infertility rates have increased, now affecting as many as 12% of the reproductive age population, so has the use of assisted conception. For instance, in vitro fertilization was employed in about 1% of all live births in the United States.

Is single incision surgery worth the increased cost, learning curve and operative time? Is it more advantageous than standard laparoscopic surgery?

According to some sources, there are as many as 600,000 hysterectomies performed annually in the US, making it the most common non-obstetrical surgical procedure among women in the US. While the procedure itself is relatively safe, we need to ask what are the long-term effects of a hysterectomy?

A history of high blood pressure may be indicative of future physical as well as psychiatric problems, according to a new study published in General Health Psychiatry. The study found an association between preexisting hypertension, but not pregnancy induced hypertension, and risk for depression.

The Centers for Disease Control recently updated their recommendations for tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis vaccination (Tdap) in pregnant women.

Regional anesthesia is associated with better success rates of external cephalic version, according to new research. The study was published in the November issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Breech presentation occurs in about 3% to 4% of all term pregnancies. It is the third most frequent indication for cesarean section.

Although the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Committee on Obstetric Practice has stated that hospitals and birthing centers are the safest place for childbirth, some women choose to have their children in their homes.

In an expected move, the FDA has withdrawn its accelerated approval of Avastin (bevacizumab) for the treatment of breast cancer. Specifically, bevacizumab is no longer indicated for use in combination with paclitaxel for patients with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer who have not undergone chemotherapy.

Unless medically indicated, labor inductions or cesarean deliveries should not be performed before 39 weeks’ gestation, according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

In the United States, nearly 1 in 5 women smoke. The College also reminds clinicians that pregnancy is often a great motivator to quit smoking.

A patient who is full term presents with eclamptic convulsion. Following a successful caesarian section and the birth of a healthy child, she had two additional convulsions. After she improved, she was discharged from the hospital four days later. At home, she suddenly collapsed and eventually died.

Studies have shown that it is important for both the mother’s and the fetus’ well-being to treat maternal depression. As such, the use of antidepressants during pregnancy has increased. However, new research now shows that treatment with certain antidepressants just before and just after delivery may actually have a negative impact on the baby’s brain circuitry.

A 35 year old patient presents with a high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HGSIL) Pap smear. There is an unsatisfactory colposcopy; the transformation zone was not sampled. The biopsy shows slight atypia. What’s your next move?

As the use of assisted reproductive technologies has increased, so, too, has the concern over its effects on the female reproductive system. Specifically, the increased gonadotrophin levels in ovarian cancer pathogenesis coupled with the multiple ovarian punctures and repeated ovarian stimulation associated with in vitro fertilization have raised concerns that IVF may increase the risk of ovarian malignancies.

Research has shown that the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase (sFlt-1)/placental growth factor (PlGF) ratio can be used to assess and identify women who develop preeclampsia.

What do you do when a patient has a recurrent yeast infection? This conundrum recently became a discussion on the OBGYN.net forum.

Over the years, researchers and clinicians have made great strides in reducing the number of maternal deaths associated with cardiac disease, infection, and hemorrhage.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released a new committee opinion urging clinicians to treat all patients presenting with vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN). The opinion is a result of an increasing incidence of VIN, particularly among US women in their 40s. The full opinion was published in the November issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Oral and topical pre-exposure prophylaxes are successful in preventing the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus via sexual intercourse, according to a presentation at the 13th European AIDS Conference of the European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS). Established in 1991, the EACS is a leading scientific society composed of clinicians that aims to educate, train and compose guidelines for those clinicians in Europe treating patients with HIV and AIDS.

Now open for public comment, the US Preventive Task Force (USPTF) has drafted a recommendation statement that updates their 2003 recommendations for screening for cervical cancer. Based on research examining benefits and risks associated with screening across various groups of women, the new draft recommendations note which women most benefit from cervical cancer screening.

There are a variety of complications that can occur during laparoscopic surgery. In this tutorial learn some of the complications and tips to avoid them.

Review information on low molecular weight heparin in recurrent miscarriages in this educational tutorial.