Seminars in reproductive medicine
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Semin. Reprod. Med. · May 2008
ReviewPolycystic ovary syndrome: the controversy of diagnosis by ultrasound.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous endocrine disorder. The criteria used to establish the diagnosis remain controversial. The 1990 National Institutes of Health conference guidelines required a combination of both chronic anovulation and clinical/or biochemical signs of hyperandrogenism. ⋯ The inclusion of PCOM sparked a controversy as it broadens the population of women who meet the criteria for PCOS and allows for the creation of two phenotypically different patient populations who previously would have been excluded. The ultrasound findings, which are consistent with PCOM, include an assessment of follicle number and/or ovarian volume. As technology advances with two-dimensional and three-dimensional ultrasound, our ability to discretely evaluate independent portions of the ovary may help to redefine the criteria of PCOM and thus standardize for clinical and research interests a more specific descriptor for PCOM.
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The diagnosis of tubal ectopic pregnancy should be based upon the positive visualization of an adnexal mass using transvaginal ultrasound rather than the absence of an intrauterine gestational sac. Ultrasound diagnosis earlier in the natural history of the condition has meant that more conservative treatment options can be considered and implemented in clinically stable women. ⋯ In expert hands, this single noninvasive and reproducible diagnostic test correlates well with the presence of ectopic pregnancy at the time of surgery. This article discusses the use of ultrasound as a single stand-alone test in the diagnosis of tubal ectopic pregnancy.
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Thrombophilia by definition represents acquired and/or genetic conditions that predispose patients to both venous and arterial thromboembolic events. Thrombosis is the most common cause of death worldwide. On the arterial side, myocardial infarction and stroke result in significant morbidity and mortality. ⋯ Although some studies of recurrent pregnancy loss patients with a positive test for an inherited thrombophilia are conflicting, a case-control study of untreated recurrent miscarriage patients who were heterozygous for the factor V Leiden mutation revealed a lower success rate than the controls who had a history of idiopathic recurrent miscarriage. With the identification of genetic risk factors, there has been synergistic amplification of thrombotic risk when one has an abnormal gene (e.g., factor V Leiden) plus environmental issues (e.g., pregnancy). Current understanding indicates that a combination of risk factors, including multiple inherited thrombophilic defects associated with secondary hypercoagulable states, have a particularly strong association with adverse pregnancy outcome.
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Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a common and serious health problem facing women as they move beyond the reproductive years. Until recently, many postmenopausal women and their physicians relied heavily on hormone therapy to prevent cardiovascular disease, neglecting the well-recognized nonhormonal aspects of cardiovascular health. ⋯ As with men, obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes are the major risk factors for heart disease in women. This review discusses the epidemiologic studies linking these risk factors to CHD in women, the guidelines for screening, and a brief overview of treatment recommendations.
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Semin. Reprod. Med. · May 2005
ReviewPrevention of postmenopausal bone loss and treatment of osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is now recognized as an increasingly prevalent disorder throughout the world. Fragility fractures and their subsequent short- and long-term complications are the adverse outcomes of this disease that is essentially silent until fractures occur. Given that the presence of one fragility fracture is an important predictor of the risk of subsequent fractures, prevention of the first fracture is critical whenever possible. Two key elements in fracture prevention that are discussed in this article are the attainment of optimal peak bone mass and the prevention of bone loss at menopause, with the major focus on the prevention of postmenopausal bone loss.