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Background: Perivascular epithelioid cell tumours (PEComas) are soft tissue tumours. These neoplasms belong to the family of mesenchymal tumours, which include angiomyolipomas, clear-cell sugar tumours of the lung, and PEComas not otherwise specified (NOS). The probability of a perivascular epithelioid cell tumour (PEComa) occurring in the uterus is low, and the incidence, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of such tumours are still unclear., Case Presentation: A 51-year-old woman presented a 4-year history of natural menopause. An intrauterine mass was detected via ultrasound examination; the mass showed a tendency to increase but caused no symptoms. The levels of tumour markers were within the normal range. Pathological analysis of the curettage revealed perivascular epithelioid differentiation of the endometrial tumour. Consequently, a laparoscopic total hysterectomy with bilateral adnexectomy was performed. No distant metastasis was detected via whole-body positron emission computed tomography (PETCT) after the operation. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) revealed no TFE3 gene rearrangement. Next-generation sequencing of bone and soft tissue revealed negative TSC1/2 and TP53 expression. No recurrence or metastasis was observed during the 18-month follow-up period., Conclusion: PEComa of the gynecologic tract is a rare and challenging entity. Diffuse HMB-45 expression, TSC alterations and TFE3 rearrangement are characteristic of uterine PEComas. Surgical resection is the first choice. Genetic testing is helpful for determining the nature of the mass and for choosing targeted therapy. Further research is needed to establish treatment protocols., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This review compares the efficacy of Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE) and Myomectomy (MYO) in managing symptomatic Uterine Fibroids (UFs) in women who do not want hysterectomy. A meta-analysis was performed on all available studies that evaluated the relative benefits and harms of MYO and UEA for the management of patients suffering from UFs. Outcomes evaluated reintervention, UFs scores for quality of life (QOL) and symptom severity, and other complications. To determine mean differences (MDs) or odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), a random or fixed-effects model was utilized. A meta-analysis of 13 studies (9 observational and 4 randomized controlled trials) was conducted. The results indicated that UAE had a higher reintervention rate (OR 1.84; 95% CI 1.62-2.10; P < 0.01; I 2  = 39%), hysterectomy rate (OR 4.04; 95% CI 3.45-4.72; P < 0.01; I 2  = 59%), and symptom-severity score (OR - 4.02; 95% CI 0.82, 7.22; P = 0.01; I 2  = 0%) compared to MYO at a four-year follow-up. However, UAE was associated with a lower rate of early complications (OR 0.44; 95% CI 0.20-0.95; P = 0.04; I 2  = 25%), and readmission rate (OR 1.16; 95% CI 1.01-1.33; P = 0.04; I 2  = 0%) compared to MYO. Furthermore, both procedures had comparable improvement in pregnancy rates and abnormal uterine bleeding. In conclusion, UAE and MYO are effective in treating symptomatic UFs but they have different outcomes. The decision on which procedure to choose should be made based on individual preferences and the physician's expertise., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Rationale: Uterine carcinosarcoma (UCS) is a rare and highly invasive malignant tumor.It exhibits an ectopic growth pattern of the uterus,and its histological features are biphasic differentiation of malignant epithelial components (cancer) and malignant mesenchymal components (sarcoma). The pathological pattern of high-component neuroendocrine differentiation is extremely rare. Due to the inherent heterogeneity of tumors, it increases the difficulty of accurate identification and diagnosis. The author introduces a rare case of primary endometrial carcinosarcoma (heterologous) with small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (SCNEC) components. There is limited literature on this rare pathological differentiation pattern and a lack of guidelines for the best treatment methods, which prompts reflection on the diagnosis, optimal treatment strategies, and how preoperative diagnosis can affect patient prognosis for endometrial carcinosarcoma with neuroendocrine differentiation., Patient Concerns: The patient is an elderly woman who presents with abnormal vaginal bleeding after menopause. Transvaginal ultrasound examination shows that the uterus is slightly enlarged, and there is a lack of homogeneous echogenicity in the uterine cavity. Subsequently, a hysteroscopic curettage was performed, and a space-occupying lesion was observed on the anterior wall of the uterine cavity., Diagnoses: Preoperative endometrial biopsy revealed SCNEC of the endometrium. The patient underwent radical hysterectomy, and the postoperative pathological results showed that UCS (heterologous) was accompanied by SCNEC components (about 80%)., Intervention: The patient received radical hysterectomy, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy., Outcome: After 7 months of follow-up, no tumor recurrence or metastasis was found at the time of writing this article., Lessons: The histological type of UCS (heterologous) with cell neuroendocrine carcinoma components is rare and highly invasive, with a high misdiagnosis rate in preoperative biopsy. There are currently no effective treatment guidelines for this type of case. The unusual appearance of SCNEC components in this case poses a challenge for both pathologists and surgeon. The rare differentiation pattern of this case exposes the complexity of its management and the necessity of prospective trials to determine the optimal treatment plan., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Rationale: Epithelioid trophoblastic tumor (ETT) is an extremely rare variant of gestational trophoblastic neoplasms (GTNs). The biological behavior and therapeutic schedule of ETT remains to be defined which frequently poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Although ETT is a relatively indolent malignancy tumor, the therapeutic efficacy and survival rate decrease significantly when presented with metastases. The lung is the most common site of ETT metastasis., Patient Concerns: A 39-year-old female patient presented with irregular vaginal bleeding and slight distention pain in lower abdomen., Diagnoses: The patient was diagnosed ETT with lung metastasis after surgery and immunohistochemical staining., Interventions: A total abdominal hysterectomy plus bilateral salpingectomy and histopathology were performed. The patient received 3 cycles of etoposide, methotrexate, actinomycin-D/etoposide, cisplatin (EMA/EP) regimen chemotherapy after surgery. Due to the presence of lung metastasis, she received pulmonary lesion resection and another cycle of postoperative chemotherapy., Outcomes: The patients showed a good response to treatment initially. However, the patient did not complete the full initial treatment for family reasons and had signs of recurrence after 2.5 months. The serum β-hCG level gradually elevated and the lung imaging showed that the lesion area gradually expanded. After 15 months of follow-up, the patient declined further treatment due to a lack of presenting symptoms., Lessons: The diagnosis of ETT should be taken into consideration in patients with abnormal vaginal bleeding and low levels of β-hCG. Patients with metastatic disease should be treated with complete surgical resection and intensive combination chemotherapy to maximize the opportunity for cure. Targeted biological agents might be potential therapeutic strategies for chemotherapy-resistant or recurrent patients., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: In recent years, due to the increase in medical mal-practice complaints, the Sicilian Regional Health System has adopted procedures for the direct management of claims by each health facility with the aim of reducing the costs of insurance premiums and related taxes. Mandatory sentinel event monitoring is a crucial part of this strategy to improve patient safety and quality of care. The reported case relates to a laparoscopic myomectomy surgery performed by means of morcellation, a controversial technique. After the FDA's intervention in 2014, it is believed that morcellation may worsen the staging of the disease by spreading malignancies such as leiomyosarcoma into the abdomen., Case Report: A 28-year-old woman, underwent laparoscopic surgery for uterine fibroids and an ovarian cyst removal in August 2018. Post-surgery, she was diagnosed with Leiomyoma. She returned to the hospital due to metrorrhagia and was discharged after a week. Persistent symptoms led to her readmission and subsequent exploratory laparoscopic surgery at another hospital. This resulted in a total hysterectomy and the discovery of uterine leiomyosarcoma, with FIGO STAGE IIIB staging. Despite chemotherapy, she passed away six months later., Discussion and Conclusions: This case highlights medical-legal issues. Informed consent for morcellation and its risks was not obtained. The morcellation technique was used, increasing cancer spread risk. The histopathological process was inadequate, with three biopsies leading to misdiagnosis. This could be medical malpractice, making providers legally responsible for the patient's deteriorating condition and the anticipation of possible death.

Introduction: Many women experience bleeding disorders that may have an anatomical or unexplained origin. Although hysterectomy is the most definitive and common treatment, it is highly invasive and resource-intensive. Less invasive therapies are therefore advised before hysterectomy for women with fibroids or bleeding disorders. This study has two aims related to treating bleeding disorders and uterine fibroids in the Netherlands: (1) to evaluate the regional variations in prevalence and surgical approaches; and (2) to assess the associations between regional rates of hysterectomies and less invasive surgical techniques to analyze whether hysterectomy can be replaced in routine practice., Material and Methods: We completed a register-based study of claims data for bleeding disorders and fibroids in women between 2016 and 2020 using data from Statistics Netherlands for case-mix adjustment. Crude and case-mix adjusted regional hysterectomy rates were examined overall and by surgical approach. Coefficients of variation were used to measure regional variation and regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between hysterectomy and less invasive procedure rates across regions., Results: Overall, 14 186 and 8821 hysterectomies were performed for bleeding disorders and fibroids, respectively. Laparoscopic approaches predominated (bleeding disorders 65%, fibroids 49%), followed by vaginal (bleeding disorders 24%, fibroids 5%) and abdominal (bleeding disorders 11%, fibroids 46%) approaches. Substantial regional differences were noted in both hysterectomy rates and the surgical approaches. For bleeding disorders, regional hysterectomy rates were positively associated with endometrial ablation rates (β = 0.11; P = 0.21) and therapeutic hysteroscopy rates (β = 0.14; P = 0.31). For fibroids, regional hysterectomy rates were positively associated with therapeutic hysteroscopy rates (β = 0.10; P = 0.34) and negatively associated with both embolization rates (β = -0.08; P = 0.08) and myomectomy rates (β = -0.03; P = 0.82)., Conclusions: Regional variation exists in the rates of hysterectomy and minimally invasive techniques. The absence of a significant substitution effect provides no clear evidence that minimally invasive techniques have replaced hysterectomy in clinical practice. However, although the result was not significant, embolization could be an exception based on its stronger negative association., (© 2024 The Authors. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NFOG).)

An African American woman with uterine fibroids is advised to get a hysterectomy, despite the availability of less life-altering options.

Uterine leiomyosarcoma is a rare malignant gynecologic tumor that arises from the myometrial or endometrial stromal precursor cells. This tumor has the highest prevalence in the pre- and post-is more frequent between 40 and 60 years old. It has a very unfavorable prognosis: only early-stage tumors have an acceptable prognosis; unfortunately, it is often diagnosed accidentally, typically on an advanced stage, when hematological metastases have already spread. Surgery is the main treatment strategy, while systemic treatment and radiotherapy are not recommended due to the lack of results. Since metastatization is mainly hematological, lymphadenectomy is not recommended. Recent progresses have been achieved in advanced and recurrent disease, often inoperable, thanks to new chemotherapies, target therapies and immunotherapies. We reported the case of a 51-year-old woman evaluated for lumbar pain in the right region compatible with renal colic. The ultrasound evaluation revealed right hydronephrosis and the presence of a paraovarian or intraligamentary mass compatible with fibroma. The abdominal CT confirmed the presence of a mass with heterogeneous vascularization. Therefore, the patient underwent laparoscopic surgery to remove the lesion which resulted to be a leiomyosarcoma G2. During the following week the patient underwent a laparoscopic hysterectomy. The first step for differential diagnosis consists in the evaluation of clinicopathological features, followed by the analysis of preoperative imaging. Pelvic MRI represents the gold standard, while CT is used to detect metastases. The main issue is that imaging shows limited ability in differential diagnosis between benign and malign smooth muscle tumor. The definitive diagnosis is confirmed by histological analysis; this implies the necessity of improved attentions on the surgical procedure, which is often performed by steps with prolongation of the treatment pathway. To distinguish which fibroids presents a major risk to be misdiagnosed, some risk scores were developed (rPRESS in 2014 and pLMS in 2019), though actually they are not applied in clinical practice. Uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) is rare but causes several deaths in perimenopausal women due to lack of effective treatments, although target therapies represent a future hope. Furthermore, clinical practice needs support through the development and improvement of diagnostic risk scores and their integration into guidelines.

Background and Methods: Uterine leiomyosarcomas (uLMS) are rare malignant tumors, often incidentally discovered, with an estimated annual incidence of five cases per one million women in the United States. This study aimed to compare the oncological outcomes of two groups of patients: those with uLMS incidentally found during surgery and those who underwent surgery due to suspected or confirmed uLMS before the procedure. The study assessed patients who had undergone hysterectomy and were diagnosed with stage I uLMS at a tertiary gynecologic oncology referral center in Italy between January 2000 and December 2019. Data on patients' baseline characteristics, surgical procedures, and oncological outcomes were collected. The patients were classified into two groups based on whether uLMS was unexpectedly discovered or suspected before the surgery. Survival rates and factors influencing recurrence were analyzed., Results: The study included 36 patients meeting the inclusion criteria, with 12 having preoperatively suspected or proven uLMS and 24 having incidentally discovered uLMS. No significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding disease-free survival (23.7 vs. 27.3 months, log rank = 0.28), disease-specific survival (median not reached, log rank = 0.78), or sites of relapse. Notably, among patients who underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy (compared to open surgery), a significantly higher rate of locoregional recurrence was found (78% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.04). Nevertheless, no significant differences in survival were observed based on the surgical approach., Conclusions: Preoperative suspicion for uLMS did not seem to impact survival outcomes or the pattern of recurrence. Furthermore, although patients who underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy showed a higher rate of locoregional relapse, this did not affect their overall survival., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: To compare contained and free manual vaginal morcellation of large uteruses after total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) in women at low risk of uterine malignancy in terms of feasibility and safety., Methods: A single-center, observational, retrospective, cohort study was carried out including all patients undergoing TLH requiring manual vaginal morcellation for specimen extraction of large uteruses from January 2015 to August 2021 at the Division of Gynecology and Human Reproduction Physiopathology, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. Patients were divided into two groups according to the type of manual vaginal morcellation (contained or free), and compared in terms of demographic, clinical, and perioperative data., Results: In all, 271 patients were included: 186 (68.6%) in the contained morcellation group and 85 (31.4%) in the free morcellation group. The mean operative time was significantly lower in the contained morcellation group compared with the free morcellation group (median [interquartile range] 130 [45] vs. 155 [60] min; P < 0.001). No significant difference was found in complications related to the morcellation step, overall, intraoperative and postoperative complications, estimated blood loss, length of hospital stays, uterine weight, and rate of occult malignancy between the two groups., Conclusion: Contained vaginal manual morcellation of the uterus after total laparoscopic hysterectomy using a specimen retrieval bag appears to be a safe procedure with significantly lower operative time than free vaginal manual morcellation., (© 2023 The Authors. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Robotic-assisted surgery enables precise manipulations with magnified vision, stereoscopic vision, and forceps with multi-joint functions. It requires unique procedures such as position setting, port placement, roll-in, and docking, which lead to prolonged operation and anesthesia time. Five conditions described below were established at our institution to reduce the time to the initiation of console: (1) changing the patients' position from the flat lithotomy position to the spread legs position; (2) attaching a Hasson cone to hold the umbilical cannula stable; (3) changing the cannula's obturator (inner tube) from blunt to bladeless; (4) fixing the team, and (5) conducting regular docking training. These outcomes were examined in this study. The study included 77 patients who underwent robotic-assisted total hysterectomy for benign uterine disease and stage IA uterine cancer at our individual institution between April 2019 and July 2022. We compared the median time from anesthesia to console initiation between the first half group (cases 1-40) and the second half group (cases 41-77). The former required 91.5 (53-131) minutes, whereas the latter required 59 (37-126) minutes. Appropriate equipment selection and team education can reduce the time to console initiation.

Purpose: Uterine leiomyomas are benign uterine tumors. The choice of surgical treatment is guided by patient's age, desire to preserve fertility or avoid "radical" surgical interventions such as hysterectomy. In laparotomy, the issue of extracting the fibroid from the cavity does not arise. However, in laparoscopy and robotic surgery, this becomes a challenge. The aim of the present study was to determine the optimal surgical approach for fibroid extraction following laparoscopic or robotic myomectomy in terms of postoperative pain, extraction time, overall surgical time, scar size, and patient satisfaction., Methods: A total of 51 patients met the inclusion criteria and were considered in our analysis: 33 patients who had undergone the "ExCITE technique" (Group A), and 18 patients a minilaparotomy procedure (Group B), after either simple myomectomy, multiple myomectomy, supracervical hysterectomy, or total hysterectomy. The diagnosis of myoma was histologically confirmed in all cases., Results: Regarding the postoperative pain evaluation, at 6 h, patients reported 4 [3-4] vs 6 [5.3-7] on the VAS in Group A and B, as well as at 12 h, 2 [0-2] vs 3.5 [2.3-4] in Group A and B, respectively: both differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001). No statistically significant difference at 24 h from surgery was found. All patients in Group A were satisfied with the ExCITE technique, while in Group B only 67% of them. The length of the hospital stay was significantly shorter in Group A as compared to Group B (p = 0.007). In terms of the operative time for the extraction of the surgical specimen, overall operative time, and the scar size after the surgery, there was a statistically significant difference for those in Group A., Conclusion: The ExCITE technique does not require specific training and allows the surgeon to offer a minimally invasive surgical option for patients, with also an aesthetic result. It is a safe and standardized approach that ensures tissue extraction without the need for mechanical morcellation., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: This study aimed to report the first surgery for gynecological diseases using a new robotic platform, the hinotori™, and validate its feasibility in clinical settings., Methods: The world's first robot-assisted total hysterectomy for a gynecological ailment was carried out at Kagoshima University Hospital in December 2022 utilizing the hinotori™ surgical robot system. Eleven other patients then underwent comparable procedures. The surgical team was certified to execute the procedure and had undergone official hinotori™ training., Results: Preoperative diagnoses indicated five cases of endometrial cancer, four cases of uterine myoma and one case each of atypical endometrial hyperplasia, uterine adenosarcoma and high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Median age and body mass index were 51 (range: 38-70) years and 26.9 (range: 17.3-33.3) kg/m2, respectively. Median roll-in, cockpit and operation times were 15 (range: 10-18), 161 (range: 110-225) and 214 (range: 154-287) min, respectively. The median blood loss was 22 (range: 7-83) mL and conversion to laparotomy was not allowed. Only one patient had postoperative pelvic region infection. The median length of hospital stay was 6 (range: 4-10) days., Conclusion: Based on our experience with presented 12 cases, robotic surgery with the hinotori™ is a feasible technique of minimally invasive surgery for gynecological diseases., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Introduction and Hypothesis: Robotics-assisted laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (RALSH) with concomitant apical robotics-assisted POP repair provides advantages of minimally invasive procedures; however specimen removal without intraperitoneal spillage of potential pathology remains challenging. The primary aim of our study is to determine the factors affecting contained manual morcellation (CMM) of specimens during RALSH for POP surgery. The secondary aim of the study is to report complications associated with CMM and on specimen pathology., Methods: A total of 67 sequential patients underwent RALSH with concomitant robotics-assisted sacrocolpopexy or uterosacral vaginal suspension. Factors analyzed to affect CMM were specimen weight, length of skin and fascia incisions, patient age, body mass index (BMI), and estimated blood loss (EBL)., Results: Median CMM time was 11 min (1 to 46) and specimen weight 62 g (19 to 711). Median patient age was 56 years (36 to 83), and patient BMI was 28 (18 to 44). Median EBL was 50 ml (10 to 150). Median skin and fascial incision lengths were 3 cm (1.5 to 7), and 3.5 cm (1.5 to 8). CMM time was significantly dependent on specimen weight (p < 0.0001) and length of rectus fascia incision (p < 0.0126). There was no gross tissue spillage or bag ruptures. Uterine pathology revealed normal tissue (26%), leiomyoma (47%), adenomyosis (49%), and endometriosis (14%). 4.5% of specimens had evidence of microscopic neoplasm, and 5 years after surgery patients were cancer free., Conclusion: Contained manual extraction of the uterus and/or adnexae at the time of RALSH for POP surgery is a viable, safe, and efficient method of specimen removal., (© 2023. The International Urogynecological Association.)

Objectives: Our objective was to identify predictors of morcellation during a total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH)., Methods: A retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2) taking place in a university hospital center in Quebec, Canada. Participants were women undergoing a TLH for a benign gynaecologic pathology from January 1, 2017, to January 31, 2019. All women underwent a TLH. If the uterus was too voluminous to be removed vaginally, surgeons favoured in-bag morcellation by laparoscopy. Uterine weight and characteristics were assessed before surgery by ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging to predict morcellation., Results: A total of 252 women underwent a TLH and the mean age was 46 ± 7 (30-71) years old. The main indications for surgery were abnormal uterine bleeding (77%), chronic pelvic pain (36%) and bulk symptoms (25%). Mean uterine weight was 325 (17-1572) ± 272 grams, with 11/252 (4%) uterus being >1000 grams and 71% of women had at least 1 leiomyoma. Among women with a uterine weight <250 grams, 120 (95%) did not require morcellation. On the opposite, among women with a uterine weight >500 grams, 49 (100%) required morcellation. In addition to the estimated uterine weight (≥250 vs. <250 grams; OR 3.7 [CI 1.8 to 7.7, P < 0.01]), having ≥ 1 leiomyoma (OR 4.1, CI 1.0 to 16.0, P = 0.01) and leiomyoma of ≥5 cm (OR 8.6, CI 4.1 to 17.9, P < 0.01) were other significant predictors morcellation in multivariate logistic regression analysis., Conclusions: Uterine weight estimated by preoperative imaging as well as the size and number of leiomyomas are useful predictors of the need for morcellation., (Crown Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Laparoscopic surgery has been a milestone for minimally invasive surgeries. But safe removal of large uterine tissue is a challenge for minimally invasive procedures, and there still exists concern about the dissemination of benign or occult malignant uterine tissue during the use of the morcellator. Different tissue containment systems have been used in laparoscopic power morcellation. However, a risk of leakage still exists in clinical practice. In this study, we aimed to evaluate leakage and tissue dissemination associated with a new detachable multi-hard-port containment system for tissue removal during laparoscopic myomectomy morcellation., Methods: Beef tongue specimens were stained with methylene blue solution and morcellated in a plastic trainer box under laparoscopic guidance. The morcellation test in vitro conditions comprised two different containment systems to simulate laparoscopic power morcellation, specifically a polyurethane bag with two pipes (control group) and a detachable multi-hard-port containment system (experimental group). Insufflation pressure was set at 14 mmHg. Three methods are used to detect the leakage The procedure times were recorded. Thirty trials were performed using a multi-port approach and the two tissue containment systems., Results: The leakage rate was 0.03% (n = 30) for the experimental group and 26.6% (n = 30) for the control group (p < 0.005). Morcellation time was significantly shorter in the experimental group than in the control group (p < 0.001). Median bag introduction time was shorter in the experimental group than in the control group; however, removal time differences were not significant., Conclusions: This study quantified the low leakage rate during morcellation and the improved convenience of operation provided by a new tissue containment system., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the incidence of unexpected uterine malignancies in patients undergoing hysterectomy for benign indications and to evaluate their clinical characteristics., Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of patients who underwent benign hysterectomy in the Department of Gynecology, the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from January 2015 to December 2020. The clinical data of these patients were retrieved and collected., Results: Their median age was 49.8 years (31-82 years). The mean parity was 1.86 ± 2.54. Their mean BMI was 27.5 ± 7.6 kg/m2. 42.90% were (2438/5683) postmenopausal. The benign indications of procedure were as follows: symptomatic uterine leiomyomas 2218/5683 (39.02%), pelvic organ prolapse 1406/5683 (24.74%), symptomatic endometriosis or adenomyosis 1132/5683 (19.91%), and 927/5683 (16.31%) to treat other benign conditions such as abnormal uterine bleeding, infection, polyps, and endometrial hyperplasia without atypia. In minimally invasive surgery subgroups, 1560/2621 (59.52%) specimens were removed by in-bag manual morcellation through vaginal cuff. The mean operative time of minimally invasive surgery with in-bag morcellation was shorter than abdominal hysterectomy (96.75 ± 35.7 vs. 140 ± 32.6, P < .001), and the estimated blood loss was also less than abdominal hysterectomy (47.35 ± 42.3 vs. 170 ± 60.4, P < .001). A total of 19/5683 (0.33%) unexpected uterine malignancies were recorded, of which 14/5683 (0.26%) were unexpected endometrial carcinomas and 5/5683 (0.08%) were unexpected uterine sarcomas., Conclusion: Preoperative examination in the context of benign hysterectomy must be undertaken with care, and patients should be educated about the very slight possibility of a malignant diagnosis., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Parasitic myomas typically occur after a pedunculated subserosal fibroid loses its uterine blood supply and parasitizes other organs or after a surgery involving morcellation techniques. Parasitic myomas that occur after transabdominal surgery are extremely rare and may not be sufficiently documented. Here, we present a case of parasitic myoma in the anterior abdominal wall following a transabdominal hysterectomy for fibroids., Case Presentation: The patient was a 46-year-old Chinese woman who had undergone surgery for uterine myomas at our hospital 1 year prior. The patient later revisited our department with a palpable mass in her abdomen, and imaging revealed a mass in the iliac fossa. The possibility of a broad ligament myoma or solid ovarian tumor was considered before surgery, and laparoscopic exploration was performed under general anesthesia. A tumor measuring approximately 4.5 × 4.0 cm was found in the right anterior abdominal wall, and a parasitic myoma was considered. The tumor was completely resected. Pathological analysis of the surgical specimens suggested leiomyoma. The patient recovered well and was discharged on postoperative day 3., Conclusion: This case suggests that parasitic myoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with abdominal or pelvic solid tumors with a history of surgery for uterine leiomyomas, even without a history of laparoscopic surgery using a power morcellator. Thorough inspection and washing of the abdominopelvic cavity at the end of surgery is vital., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Leiomyomas are common benign uterine smooth muscle tumours. Rarer subsets may demonstrate aggressive extrauterine growth which mimic metastatic disease. We discuss the case of a female patient in her 40s, with a long-standing atrophic right kidney, presenting with a 17 cm uterine mass demonstrating bilateral para-aortic and pelvic sidewall spread. Although biopsies favoured the diagnosis of a benign tumour, a leiomyosarcoma could not be excluded. The surgical complexity of the case was compounded by a tumour residing close to the only functioning kidney and engulfment of the inferior mesenteric artery. The surgical procedures indicated were a radical hysterectomy, the laterally extended endopelvic resection procedure to achieve clear margins in the pelvic sidewall and a left hemicolectomy. In the absence of formal guidelines, we present this challenging case to provide clarity into the histological assessment and surgical management of rare leiomyomas, as well as an overview of the current literature., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Tissue containment systems (TCS) are medical devices that may be used during morcellation procedures during minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery. TCS are not new devices but their use as a potential mitigation for the spread of occult malignancy during laparoscopic power morcellation of fibroids and/or the uterus has been the subject of interest following reports of upstaging of previously undetected sarcoma in women who underwent a laparoscopic hysterectomy. Development of standardized test methods and acceptance criteria to evaluate the safety and performance of these devices will speed development, allowing for more devices to benefit patients. As a part of this study, a series of preclinical experimental bench test methods were developed to evaluate the mechanical and leakage performance of TCS that may be used in power morcellation procedures. Experimental tests were developed to evaluate mechanical integrity, e.g., tensile, burst, puncture, and penetration strengths for the TCS, and leakage integrity, e.g., dye and microbiological leakage (both acting as surrogates for blood and cancer cells) through the TCS. In addition, to evaluate both mechanical integrity and leakage integrity as a combined methodology, partial puncture and dye leakage was conducted on the TCS to evaluate the potential for leakage due to partial damage caused by surgical tools. Samples from 7 different TCSs were subjected to preclinical bench testing to evaluate leakage and mechanical performance. The performance of the TCSs varied significantly between different brands. The leakage pressure of the TCS varied between 26 and > 1293 mmHg for the 7 TCS brands. Similarly, the tensile force to failure, burst pressure, and puncture force varied between 14 and 80 MPa, 2 and 78 psi, and 2.5 N and 47 N, respectively. The mechanical failure and leakage performance of the TCS were different for homogeneous and composite TCSs. The test methods reported in this study may facilitate the development and regulatory review of these devices, may help compare TCS performance between devices, and increase provider and patient accessibility to improved tissue containment technologies., (© 2023. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.)

Objective: Uterine size is one of the essential factors determining the feasibility of a minimally invasive gynecologic surgery approach. A traditional electromechanical morcellator is a well-known tool but not without flaws. We aim to assess feasibility and safety of a novel intrauterine power morcellation device for uterine size reduction to overcome these limitations during hysterectomy., Methods: This single-arm, observational study was conducted in a single tertiary care medical center from April 2022 to July 2022. Feasibility and safety of a novel intrauterine morcellation device for uterine size reduction was tested in ten post-hysterectomy uteri (Ex-vivo)., Measurements and Main Results: Ten uteri were examined in this trial. No major complications occurred during the procedure. All ten (10) uteri were successfully reduced in size (size reduction range was between 9% to 54%). The average resection time using the Heracure Device was 4.3 minutes (range: 1min- 10min). Mean uterus weight reduction was 21%, with a mean circumference reduction of 25%. No leakage was observed from the outer surface of the uterus/serosa after the saline injection post-procedure examination., Conclusion: In this novel experiment, we verified the feasibility and safety of the Heracure device for vaginal intra-uterine morcellation for uterine size reduction. This technique could enable rapid and easy removal of the uterus through the vaginal orifice., Clinical Trial Registration: Name of the registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Number Identifier: NCT05332132., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Pomeranz et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Objectives: Laparoscopic subtotal hysterectomy (LSH) is a possible treatment for patients with benign uterine disease. Once the hysterectomy has been completed, morcellation and extraction of the corpus uteri is a crucial step of the procedure. We here present a case series to evaluate the feasibility of the in-bag transvaginal specimen retrieval following LSH., Study Design: We report a case series of consecutive patients who underwent LSH followed by in-bag transvaginal specimen retrieval. LSH was accomplished in a standard fashion. Once the uterus was detached from the cervix, a 2 cm posterior colpotomy was performed laparoscopically with a monopolar hook under direct view to insert a specimen retrieval bag into the abdomen. The corpus uteri was placed into the bag and transvaginal contained manual morcellation was performed. The colpotomy was then sutured transvaginally. Baseline patients' characteristics and surgical data were collected. Postoperative complications, same-hospital readmissions, and reoperations were registered if occurred within 30 days from surgery., Results: Patients' median age and BMI were 45,5 and 22,7, respectively. Median operative time was 71.5 min (range 34-143) and uterus weight ranged from 60 g to 470 g (median 210 g). The estimated blood loss was 100 mL (median) and no blood transfusion was required. No conversions to open surgery, nor intraoperative complications occurred. Median hospital stay was 2 days (1-3) and no postoperative complications within 30 days from surgery were recorded., Conclusions: LSH followed by in-bag transvaginal specimen extraction is a promising technique and might be considered a reliable and safe option to further reduce the invasiveness of the procedure., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Laparoscopic myomectomy, a common gynecologic operation in premenopausal women, has become heavily regulated since 2014 following the dissemination of unsuspected uterine leiomyosarcoma (LMS) throughout the pelvis of a physician treated for symptomatic leiomyoma. Research since that time suggests a higher prevalence than previously suspected of uterine LMS in resected masses presumed to represent leiomyoma, as high as one in 770 women (0.13%). Though rare, the dissemination of an aggressive malignant neoplasm due to noncontained electromechanical morcellation in laparoscopic myomectomy is a devastating outcome. Gynecologic surgeons' desire for an evidence-based, noninvasive evaluation for LMS is driven by a clear need to avoid such harms while maintaining the availability of minimally invasive surgery for symptomatic leiomyoma. Laparoscopic gynecologists could rely upon the distinction of higher-risk uterine masses preoperatively to plan oncologic surgery (ie, potential hysterectomy) for patients with elevated risk for LMS and, conversely, to safely offer women with no or minimal indicators of elevated risk the fertility-preserving laparoscopic myomectomy. MRI evaluation for LMS may potentially serve this purpose in symptomatic women with leiomyomas. This evidence review and consensus statement defines imaging and disease-related terms to allow more uniform and reliable interpretation and identifies the highest priorities for future research on LMS evaluation., (© RSNA, 2022.)

The laparoscopic approach for the treatment of uterine leiomyoma is increasingly practiced. The necessity to remove large specimens from the small laparoscopic incision has always been one of the main limits of this procedure. The unrestricted use of morcellation, to overtake this weak point of minimally invasive surgery, has opened in recent years a broad debate, especially on the risk of unintended dissemination of cells that could in some cases lead to extremely negative repercussions. This review analyzes these aspects and the principal recommendations from the major gynecological society on this topic surveying their effects. Furthermore, the purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the different morcellation techniques and how they are performed, evaluating their advantages and disadvantages. Contained morcellation seems to overcome many limits; however, based on recent data, an appropriate evaluation and selection of patients, as well as complete counseling before the surgery, are mandatory.

Objective: To estimate trends in use of laparoscopic power morcellators in women undergoing minimally invasive hysterectomy and to examine use of containment systems in these patients in relation to safety guidance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)., Methods: We examined data that were recorded in the Premier Healthcare Database from patients who underwent laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy from 2010 to 2018. Patients were stratified based on use of laparoscopic power morcellators. The cohort was further stratified as either pre-FDA guidance (2010 quarter 1-2014 quarter 1) or post-FDA guidance (2014 quarter 2-2018 quarter 2). Interrupted time series analyses were performed to determine the effect of FDA guidance on the use of laparoscopic power morcellators and containment bags., Results: Among 67,115 patients, laparoscopic power morcellator use decreased from 66.7% in 2013 quarter 4 to 13.3% by 2018 quarter 2. The likelihood of laparoscopic power morcellator use decreased by 9.5% for each quarter elapsed in the post-FDA warning period (risk ratio [RR] 0.91, 95% CI 0.90-0.91). Containment bag use rose from 5.2% in 2013 quarter 4 to 15.2% by 2018 quarter 2. The likelihood of containment bag use increased by 3% for each quarter elapsed in the post-FDA warning period (RR 1.03, 95% CI 1.02-1.05). Among women who had laparoscopic power morcellator use, uterine cancers or sarcomas were identified in 54 (0.17%) before the FDA guidance compared with seven (0.12%) after the guidance ( P =.45). Containment bags were used in 11.1% of women with uterine cancers or sarcomas before the FDA guidance compared with 14.3% after the guidance ( P =.12). The perioperative complication rate was 3.3% among women who had laparoscopic power morcellator use without a containment bag compared with 4.5% ( P =.001) in those with a containment bag (aRR 1.35, 95% CI 1.12-1.64)., Conclusion: Use of laparoscopic power morcellators has decreased over time. Containment bag use increased after the FDA's 2014 guidance; however, most procedures employing laparoscopic power morcellators are still performed without a containment bag., Competing Interests: Financial Disclosure Dr. Wright has received royalties from UpToDate and received research support from Merck. Dr. Hou has served as a consultant for Foundation Medicine and Natera. The other authors did not report any potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objectives: Uterine sarcomas represents only 3% of all the female genital tract ones. The tumoral stage is the most significant prognostic factor. The role of the bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) in the surgical management of FIGO stage IA and IB appears still controversial. This review aims to investigate the impact of bilateral adnexectomy in the treatment of uterine sarcoma. Methods: Following the recommendations in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, we systematically searched the PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, Medline, and Medscape databases in February 2022. We applied no language or geographical restrictions, but we considered only English studies. We included the studies containing data about Recurrence Rate (RR), Disease-free Survival (DFS), and Overall Survival (OS). We used comparative studies for meta-analysis. Results: Seventeen studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria; 2 retrospective observational studies, and 15 retrospective comparative studies, And 14 out of the 15 comparative studies were enrolled in meta-analysis. A total of 3743 patients were analyzed concerning the use of adnexectomy with hysterectomy in patients with uterine sarcoma and compared with those who did not. Meta-analysis highlighted a non-significant worsening of the OS in the BSO group compared to the OP group and showed that adnexectomy does not improve the DFS (BSO OR 1.23 (95% CI 0.81-1.85) p = 0.34; I 2 = 24% p = 0.22). Conclusions: Most studies selected for our review showed that adnexectomy does not significantly affect the RR, OS, and PFS in treating FIGO stage I uterine sarcomas. Therefore, even if there is a unanimous consensus about bilateral adnexectomy in menopausal patients, preservation of ovarian tissue may be considered in premenopausal women. Nonetheless, there are not enough cases in the literature to recommend this procedure.

The aim of the current study was to estimate the incidence of unexpected leiomyosarcoma (LMS) in patients who underwent surgery due to leiomyomas in Konya province, and to contribute to the literature discussing comparisons with similar studies. The digital archives of eight high-volume hospitals were studied for surgeries performed due to leiomyomas between January 2012 and January 2019, and leiomyosarcoma incidence was calculated based on the data obtained. Twenty-one patients in 3703 cases were found to have unexpected leiomyosarcoma, which means we can expect one leiomyosarcoma in 176 (0.56%) surgeries. Six more malignant tumours were detected among the remaining cases. Thus, our study estimated the incidence of unexpected leiomyosarcoma as 1/176 (0.56%), which is higher than most of the studies in the literature justifying the debate started by the FDA in 2014. As the tumour biology is not yet clear, and the incidence of unexpected leiomyosarcoma tends to be so high, the key focus must be to try to detect uterine leiomyosarcomas preoperatively for robust patient care.IMPACT STATEMENT What is already known on this subject? The incidence of unexpected leiomyosarcoma varies widely from 1/498 to 1/8300 depending on the study method and the type of procedure, and there is still controversy, even after the FDA statement that led to a major restriction in laparoscopic surgeries due to concerns about inadvertent morcellation of leiomyosarcomas. What do the results of this study add? To the best of our knowledge, the current study found the highest incidence of unexpected leiomyosarcoma, and consequently a serious evaluation of all patients undergoing surgery due to leiomyomas preoperatively considering a leiomyosarcoma candidate is recommended. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Studies on tumour biology and novel markers must be supported for accurate preoperative diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma.

Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the characteristics of endobags present in the market, the weight of specimen removed, complications of the operations and time required for in-bag morcellation in women undergoing laparoscopic gynecologic surgeries., Material and Methods: We performed a systematic review, including prospective and retrospective studies, with or without randomized allocation of the patients, using endobags in laparoscopic gynecologic surgeries. We extracted data about study design, type and price of bag used, type of surgical procedure, specimen weight, mean time for morcellation and for total surgical procedure, complications., Results: We included 11 studies, including a total of 1160 patients, in which the investigators used MorSafe, Endocatch II autosuture, More-Cell-Safe, Endocatch, EcoSac and LapBag. A wide range of specimens were morcellated with the largest successfully morcellated specimen weighing 2314 gr. Only half of the studies comparing uncontained and contained morcellation found a significant increase of total operative time. Finally, the number of complications was not increased when endobag was used., Conclusion: According to our systematic review, in-bag (contained) morcellation can be considered as a safe and unexpensive option, associated with a very low number of complications, even with large specimens.

Objective: Utilization of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for advanced stage uterine cancer is increasing. We analyzed the use and outcomes of open versus minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for women with stage IV uterine cancer who received NACT and underwent IDS., Methods: The National Cancer Database was used to identify women with stage IV uterine cancer diagnosed from 2010 to 2017 and treated with NACT. Among women who underwent IDS, overall survival (OS) was compared between those who underwent laparotomy vs a minimally invasive approach. To account for imbalances in confounders, a propensity score analysis using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was performed., Results: A total of 1618 women were identified. Minimally invasive IDS was performed in 31.1% and increased from 16.2% in 2010 to 40.4% in 2017 (P < 0.001). More recent year of diagnosis and performance of surgery at a comprehensive cancer center were associated with increased use of MIS (P < 0.05). Women with serous and clear cell tumors, and carcinosarcomas (compared to endometrioid tumors), as well as Medicaid coverage (compared to commercial insurance) were less likely to undergo an MIS approach (P < 0.05). The median OS was 28 months (95% CI 23.7-30.7) and 24.3 months (95% CI 22.3-26.1) for MIS and laparotomy, respectively. After propensity score balancing, there was no association between the use of MIS and survival (HR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.71-1.14)., Conclusions: Among women with stage IV uterine cancer treated with NACT performance of minimally invasive debulking surgery is increasing. Compared to laparotomy, MIS does not appear to negatively impact survival., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Dr. Wright has served as a consultant for and Clovis Oncology, received royalties from UpToDate, and received research funding from Merck. No other authors have any conflicts of interest or disclosures., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Morcellation is an integral part of laparoscopic procedures related to uterine fibroids, which consist of the mechanical fragmentation of the tumor and its extraction outside the abdominal cavity. To avoid the risk of tissue dissemination, special extraction systems have been developed, which allow morcellation of the specimen under visual control and its removal without contact with the abdominal organs. The aim of the paper is to compare the two systems for laparoscopic morcellation., Material and Methods: The study included 33 premenopausal women with symptomatic leiomyomas or adenomyosis, who were qualified for laparoscopic surgery with contained power morcellation. Patients were allocated alternately to a different tissue extraction system's group. According to the study protocol, selected operative parameters were prospectively recorded. Finally, an assessment of bag use was performed. The data was statistically analyzed., Results: There were significant differences between the two tested systems in terms of introducing and positioning the bag, its removal from the peritoneal cavity, as well as optic trocar insertion and establishing the pseudo-peritoneum., Conclusions: Despite the minor design differences and some ergonomic aspects, both presented systems proved to be safe and feasible tools for laparoscopic contained morcellation. This technique both reduces the risk of tissue dissemination and preserves the advantages of minimal invasiveness.

Objective: To summarize recent data and knowledge of laparoscopic power morcellation., Methods: Review of articles., Results: Laparoscopic morcellation has been introduced to gynecologic surgery in 90s. In 2014, Food and Drug Administration announced negative statement about the morcellation use due to the risk of potential spreading of malignant tumor cells. This statement reduced utilization of morcellation, especially in the United States. Since that, many health institutions and organizations started new researches focused on the safety of this surgical technique. After a couple of years, the morcellation is considered as a useful tool if certain rules are followed., Conclusion: Morcellation has a place in laparoscopic operative procedures even in 2022, in condition of correct selection of patients and possible utilization of contained in-bag morcellation.

Objectives: Uterine leyomyomas are benign, monoclonal tumors that can cause abnormal uterine bleeding, pelvic pain, dyspareunia and/or obstruction of bladder or rectum. Women's growing interest in treatments that avoid surgery and/or preserve the uterus has contributed to the development of minimally invasive methods. Conducting a literature review and assessment of the effectiveness and safety of minimally invasive methods of treating fibroids, with particular emphasis on high intensity focused ultrasound., Material and Methods: Systematic review of MEDLINE, Cochrane and PubMed was performed using the following key words: uterine artery embolization, high-intensity focused ultrasound, microwave ablation, radiofrequency ablation, minimally invasive, leiomyoma, fertility, pregnancy. English abstracts relevant to the topic were selected. Full-text articles were carefully analyzed., Results: Uterine artery embolization is a proven, widely accepted method that is effective in appropriately qualified cases. Although high focused ultrasound is still an experimental procedure, preliminary studies seem to be promising. If its efficacy and safety are confirmed in randomized controlled trials, this method may find its place in clinical practice. Microwave and radiofrequency ablation are interesting minimally invasive methods with the future potential to be recognized as a method of treating fibroids., Conclusions: Minimally invasive methods are becoming an important treatment option for fibroids. Further research is needed to recognize these procedures as a fully-fledged alternative to surgical treatment.

Background: The population of women undergoing abdominal myomectomy for symptomatic large fibroid uterus is unique. We seek to characterize the timing, risk factors as well as the presenting symptoms which led patients to undergo repeat surgery in this patient population., Methods and Findings: We followed 592 patients who underwent an abdominal myomectomy from March 1998 to June 2010 at St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Center and presented later during the study period with a recurrence of symptoms attributable to a reemergence of fibroids and who chose to undergo repeat surgical management. Twelve percent of patients exhibited symptoms of fibroid uterus which led to reoperation within the study period. The mean age at repeat surgery was 44.1 ± 0.6 years old (n = 69) and the mean time between operations was 7.9 ± 0.3 years. Presentation was variable but included bleeding, pain and infertility. Patients presented for surgery with a significantly smaller sized uterus than at their initial surgery. Timing between surgeries correlated with age at initial surgery and uterine size but race, number of fibroids, aggregate weight of fibroids removed, operative time or blood loss at the initial surgery did not correlate. Data is suggestive that intraperitoneal triamcinolone may reduce reoperation rates but not timing of recurrence., Conclusion: These results may help in counseling patients, particularly younger women, on the risks of fibroid recurrence necessitating repeat surgery. Further research is necessary to assess if triamcinolone can alter fibroid reurrence in patients who undergo uterus sparing procedures., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Objective: The aim of this retrospective study was to compare surgical and survival outcome in only patients with early-stage UCSs managed by laparotomic surgery (LPT) versus minimally invasive surgery (MIS)., Methods: Data were retrospectively collected in four Italian different institutions. Inclusion criteria were UCS diagnosis confirmed by the definitive histological examination, and stage I or II according to the FIGO staging system., Results: Between August 2000 and March 2019, the data relative to 170 patients bearing UCSs were collected: of these, 95 were defined as early-stage disease (stage I-II) based on the histological report at the primary surgery, and thus were included in this study. Forty-four patients were managed by LPT, and 51 patients were managed by MIS. The operative time was lower in the MIS group versus the LPT group (p value 0.021); the median estimated blood loss was less in the MIS group compared to the median of LPT group (p value < 0.0001). The length of hospital stay days was shorter in the MIS patients (p value < 0.0001). Overall, there were eight (8.4%) post-operative complications; of these, seven were recorded in the LPT group versus one in the MIS group (p value 0.023). There was no difference in the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) between the two groups., Conclusion: There was no difference of oncologic outcome between the two approaches, in face of a more favourable peri-operative and post-operative profile in the MIS group.

Objective: To study the possible association between uterine cancer and the BRCA1/2 associated cancer syndrome and discuss the implications of such an association on the clinical managment of patients with BRCA1/2 mutations., Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Study protocol was prospectively registered at PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews (registration number CRD42020193496). Considered for inclusion were studies providing the diagnosis rate of uterine cancer in patients with BRCA1/2 mutations by comparing observed and expected rate according to a known disease incidence. The results were measured by standardized incidence ratio (SIR). The primary outcome was defined as any uterine cancer diagnosis and subgroup analyses were conducted for uterine serous papillary cancer (USPC) specifically and for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations separately., Results: 4591 records were identified through database search; eight studies were finally included, comprising 13,098 patients with BRCA1/2 mutations. BRCA1/2 mutated patients were found to have a significantly higher risk for uterine cancer compared to the general population (SIR = 2.22, 95% CI 1.76-2.8, p < 0.001). A higher incidence of USPC was also found in patients with BRCA1/2 mutations (SIR = 17.97, 95% CI 9.89-32.66, p < 0.001), as well as in a separate analysis for BRCA1 (SIR = 2.81, 95% CI 2.09-3.79, p < 0.001) and BRCA2 (SIR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.09-2.80, p < 0.001) mutations., Conclusion: Patients who carry a BRCA1/2 mutation are at a significantly higher risk of developing uterine cancer, specifically USPC, supporting that USPC may be a component of the BRCA1/2 syndrome. The decision to perform concurrent hysterectomy at the time of the risk reduction bilateral salpingo -oophorectomy surgery should be considered individually., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest All authors declare no conflict of interest, (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We report a rare case of benign metastasizing leiomyoma in the heart of a 45-year-old woman 2 years after a uterine leiomyoma had been discovered during hysterectomy. Computed tomograms at presentation showed a large mixed cystic mass in the pelvis and bilateral lung nodules suggestive of metastatic disease. A large cardiac mass, attached to the chordae of the tricuspid valve and later shown to be histopathologically consistent with uterine leiomyoma, was successfully resected through a right atriotomy. This case suggests that benign metastasizing leiomyoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of right-sided cardiac tumors.

Uterine fibroids are common among women of reproductive age. During the pregnancy, the potential complications of fibroids, although rare, are of frequent clinical concern. Available studies describing management and obstetrical outcomes in pregnant women with giant fibroids are limited. We present the case of a 39-year-old pregnant woman with multiple and large uterine fibroids. During the pregnancy, there was adequate fetal development, without major maternal complications. Given the characteristics of the fibroids and breech position of the fetus, an elective caesarean section was decided, and postpartum hysterectomy planned. This challenging obstetrical case required a multidisciplinary approach.We considered crucial discussing five main issues: preconceptional counselling, tailored pregnancy surveillance, decision of time and route of delivery, decision to perform a peripartum hysterectomy and management of decreasing blood loss perioperatively. Given the limitation of the published reports, we believe that sharing our experience, along with a literature review, is beneficial for other clinicians., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Uterine sarcomas are very rare tumours with different histotypes, molecular features and clinical outcomes; therefore, it is difficult to carry out prospective clinical trials, and this often results in heterogeneous management of patients in the clinical practice., Aim: We planned to set up an Italian consensus conference on these diseases in order to provide recommendations on treatments and quality of care in our country., Results: Early-stage uterine sarcomas are managed by hysterectomy + bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy according to menopausal status and histology; lymphadenectomy is not indicated in patients without bulky nodes, and morcellation must be avoided. The postoperative management is represented by observation, even though chemotherapy can be considered in some high-risk patients. In early-stage low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma and adenosarcomas without sarcomatous overgrowth, hormonal adjuvant treatment can be offered based on hormone receptor expression. In selected cases, external beam radiotherapy ± brachytherapy can be considered to increase local control only. Patients with advanced disease involving the abdomen can be offered primary chemotherapy (or hormonal therapy in the case of low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma and adenosarcoma without sarcomatous overgrowth), even if potentially resectable in the absence of residual disease in order to test the chemosensitivity (or hormonosensitivity); debulking surgery can be considered in patients with clinical and radiological response. Chemotherapy is based on anthracyclines ± ifosfamide or dacarbazine. Palliative radiotherapy can be offered for symptom control, and stereotactic radiotherapy can be used for up to five isolated metastatic lesions., Conclusions: Treatment of uterine sarcoma should be centralised at referral centres and managed in a multidisciplinary setting., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement On behalf of all the authors, there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Tumor rupture during surgery is a risk factor for recurrence of sarcomas in other locations. However, the independent impact of rupture on prognosis is uncertain in uterine sarcomas. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether uterine rupture impacts outcomes in patients with uterine sarcoma., Methods: A retrospective analysis was carried out of all consecutive patients with uterine sarcoma managed at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of the Complejo Hospitalario Universitario Insular-Materno Infantil of the Canary Islands, Spain between January 1990 and December 2016. Inclusion criteria included all patients with histologically proven uterine sarcoma. Exclusion criteria included patients with endometrial carcinoma (non-sarcomatous) and carcinosarcomas. During this period, 1981 patients were diagnosed with a uterine malignancy; 1799 were excluded because of a diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma and 85 patients were excluded for a diagnosis of carcinosarcoma. Thus, the final sample included 97 patients with uterine sarcoma (4.9%). These included leiomyosarcoma, endometrial stromal sarcoma, adenosarcoma, and liposarcoma. Surgical resection was the primary treatment, including open, laparoscopic and vaginal surgery. Survival rates were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method., Results: The median age was 52 years (range 25-90); 49.5% (48) were pre-menopausal. Distribution per histological type was: 46.4% (45) leiomyosarcoma, 23.7% (23) high-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma, 17.5% (17) low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma, 11.3% (11) adenosarcoma, and 1% (1) liposarcoma. Uterine leiomyoma was the most frequent pre-operatively suspected diagnosis (49.5%). Iatrogenic rupture of the tumor during surgery occurred in 25.3% of cases (23). International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages I-II and III-IV were identified in 74.2% (72) and 25.8% (25) of patients, respectively. The median tumor size was 8 cm (range 2-40). The recurrence rate was 47.8% (11) for patients with intra-operative tumor rupture and 25% (17) for patients without uterine rupture (p=0.03). Disease-free survival rates at 1, 2, and 5 years for patients with uterine rupture were 72.7%, 55.4%, and 13.9%, respectively, with a median time of 39 months (95% CI 2.9 to 75). For those patients without uterine rupture, disease-free survival rates at 1, 2, and 5 years were 84.8%, 76.1%, and 71.3%, respectively, with a mean time of 208.6 months (95% CI 169 to 248.3) (p=0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that stage, histological type, and iatrogenic tumor rupture during surgery were all independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OR 7.9, 95% CI 1.6 to 38.2, p=0.01); OR 5.3, 95% CI 2.1 to 13, p<0.0001; and OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.1 to 6.5, respectively, p=0.03)., Conclusion: Considering that uterine sarcomas, especially leiomyosarcomas, often occur in pre-menopausal women as bulky tumors requiring laparotomy and that they are rarely diagnosed pre-operatively, efforts should be made to avoid iatrogenic uterine rupture during surgery as it impairs patient survival., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© IGCS and ESGO 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background and Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of using electrostatic precipitation to manage the surgical plume during low pressure laparoscopic gynecologic procedures., Methods: This was a prospective, blinded, randomized controlled study of women with a clinical indication for laparoscopic hysterectomy (n = 30) or myomectomy (n = 5). Patients were randomized to either use electrostatic precipitation (EP) during the procedure, or not (No EP, hysterectomy group only)., Results: Low pressure surgery could be undertaken in 87% of hysterectomy cases (13/15) when using EP to manage the surgical plume, compared to only 53% (8/15) in the No EP group. Overall average rating of the visual field was excellent with EP vs fair for No EP. Average CO 2 consumption was reduced by 29% when using EP (16.7L vs 23.5L, p = 0.152). The average number of procedural pauses to vent smoke was lower with EP than the No EP group (1.5 per case vs. 3.7 per case, p = 0.005). Average procedure duration for the EP vs No EP group was 40.5 min vs. 46.9 min ( p  =   0.987). There were no measurable differences between groups for body temperature, end-tidal CO 2 , and discharge pain scores. In myomectomy, all five cases could be performed at low pressure, with an excellent visual field rating., Conclusion: Electrostatic precipitation enhances low pressure laparoscopic hysterectomy and myomectomy. This was achieved by minimizing interruptions to surgery and exchange of CO 2 ; providing a clear visual field throughout the procedure; and eliminating surgical smoke at the site of origin., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2020 by JSLS, Journal of the Society of Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgeons.)

There are few comprehensive studies from Asia on clinicopathologic features of mismatch repair (MMR)-deficient endometrial carcinomas, including rarely from our country. One hundred and four cases of endometrial carcinomas were tested for four MMR proteins by immunohistochemistry. Among 50 MMR-deficient (MMRd) tumors(48%), age-range was 27-68 years(median = 53) and tumor size(n = 34) varied from 1.2-10 cm(average = 4.6). Lower uterine segment(LUS) was involved in 21/31 cases(67.7%). Histopathologically, all cases were endometrioid adenocarcinomas(EMACs), of FIGO grade 2(low-grade)(18 cases) and 3(high-grade)(32 cases), displaying de-differentiated, undifferentiated and lymphoepithelioma(LE)-like patterns, in 24 cases(48%). Tumor infiltration ≥ half of myometrium was seen in 30/44 cases (68.1%); lymphovascular emboli in 19/43 cases(44.1%); and lymph node metastasis in 7/22(31.8%) cases. Uncommonly, clear cell component(n = 2) and focal neuroendocrine differentiation (n = 2) were observed. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells showed paired loss of MLH1 and PMS2 in 33(66%) and MSH2 and MSH6 in 14(28%) cases, along with loss of MSH2 and PMS2, in two and a single case, respectively. Nine patients(18%) were treated for another cancer and 9/33(27.2%) disclosed familial history of cancer. MSH2 was the most frequently lost MMR protein in those cases. Additionally, tumor cells displayed ER positivity in 41/50 cases(82%), PR in 38/41cases(92.6%) and wild-type p53 staining in 24/28 cases(85.7%). Tumor with LE-pattern showed PDLI immunoexpression. Certain clinicopathologic features suggestive for MMRd associated ECs, such as relatively large-sized tumors, involving LUS; especially high-grade, infiltrative EMACs, with undifferentiated/de-differentiated, and LE-like patterns; showing deep muscle invasion, frequent PR immunoexpression and invariably, wild-type p53 immunostaining can be useful in screening cases of Lynch syndrome. This constitutes the first report on these tumors from our country., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Literature on the use of bowel preparation in gynecologic surgery is scarce and limited to minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. The decision on the use of bowel preparation before benign or malignant hysterectomies is mostly driven by extrapolating data from the colorectal literature., Objective: Bowel preparation is a controversial element within enhanced recovery protocols, and literature investigating its efficacy in gynecologic surgery is scarce. Our aim was to determine if mechanical bowel preparation alone, oral antibiotics alone, or a combination are associated with decreased rates of surgical site infections or anastomotic leaks compared to no bowel preparation following benign or malignant hysterectomy., Study Design: We identified women who underwent hysterectomy between January 2006 and July 2017 using OptumLabs, a large US commercial health plan database. Inverse propensity score weighting was used separately for benign and malignant groups to balance baseline characteristics. Primary outcomes of 30-day surgical site infection, anastomotic leaks, and major morbidity were assessed using multivariate logistic regression that adjusted for race, census region, household income, diabetes, and other unbalanced variables following propensity score weighting., Results: A total of 224,687 hysterectomies (benign, 186,148; malignant, 38,539) were identified. Median age was 45 years for the benign and 54 years for the malignant cohort. Surgical approach was as follows: benign: laparoscopic/robotic, 27.2%; laparotomy, 32.6%; vaginal, 40.2%; malignant: laparoscopic/robotic, 28.8%; laparotomy, 47.7%; vaginal, 23.5%. Bowel resection was performed in 0.4% of the benign and 2.8% of the malignant cohort. Type of bowel preparation was as follows: benign: none, 93.8%; mechanical bowel preparation only, 4.6%; oral antibiotics only, 1.1%; mechanical bowel preparation with oral antibiotics, 0.5%; malignant: none, 87.2%; mechanical bowel preparation only, 9.6%; oral antibiotics only, 1.8%; mechanical bowel preparation with oral antibiotics, 1.4%. Use of bowel preparation did not decrease rates of surgical site infections, anastomotic leaks, or major morbidity following benign or malignant hysterectomy. Among malignant abdominal hysterectomies, there was no difference in the rates of infectious morbidity between mechanical bowel preparation alone, oral antibiotics alone, or mechanical bowel preparation with oral antibiotics, compared to no preparation., Conclusion: Bowel preparation does not protect against surgical site infections or major morbidity following benign or malignant hysterectomy, regardless of surgical approach, and may be safely omitted., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Extragonadal pelvic yolk sac tumor (YST) in postpubertal female patients is a rare malignant neoplasm with potentially 2 distinct histogenetic pathways, and no clear treatment algorithm, especially in young patients desiring future fertility. Here we report a case of extragonadal YST arising within the myometrium in a 30-yr-old nulligravid woman. The patient presented with heavy and irregular bleeding, and imaging studies showed an 8.2 cm uterine mass, most consistent with a degenerating uterine leiomyoma. The patient underwent abdominal myomectomy, and intraoperative frozen section evaluation revealed a high-grade malignancy. Because of the patient's strong desire for future fertility, a conservative wedge resection of the surrounding myometrium and surgical staging with uterine closure and retention of the ovaries were performed. On permanent sections the tumor showed an admixture of glandular, reticular, solid and papillary architectural patterns, moderate to marked nuclear atypia and clear cytoplasm with focal eosinophilic hyaline globules. Immunohistochemical stains were diffusely positive for SALL4, AFP, glypican3, and focally positive for CK20, and negative for EMA, and CK7, confirming the diagnosis of extragonadal YST. The endometrium displayed normal secretory phase morphology without involvement by YST, and the myometrial resection margins were negative. Short tandem repeat genotyping analysis of the tumor revealed allelic gains at 7 loci (involving chromosomes 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, and 15) and allelic loss at one locus assessed on chromosome 11, while next-generation sequencing results showed no mutations in 155 genes tested, suggesting germ cell origin. The patient underwent 4 cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy with bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin, and she had 1 cycle of successful oocyte cryopreservation 6 months after completing chemotherapy. The clinical follow-up at 12 mo shows no evidence of disease.