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Background: Pelvic organ prolapse has 2 components: (1) protrusion of the pelvic organs beyond the hymen; and (2) descent of the levator ani. The Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification system measures the first component, however, there remains no standard measurement protocol for the second mechanism.Objective: We sought to test the hypotheses that: (1) difference in the protrusion area is greater than the area created by levator descent in prolapse patients compared with controls; and (2) prolapse is more strongly associated with levator hiatus compared to urogenital hiatus.Study Design: Midsagittal magnetic resonance imaging scans from 30 controls, 30 anterior predominant, and 30 posterior predominant prolapse patients were assessed. Levator area was defined as the area above the levator ani and below the sacrococcygeal inferior pubic point line. Protrusion area was defined as the protruding vaginal walls below the levator area. The levator hiatus and urogenital hiatus were measured. Bivariate analysis and multiple comparisons were performed. Bivariate logistic regression was performed to assess prolapse as a function of levator hiatus, urogenital hiatus, levator area, and protrusion. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated.Results: The levator area for the anterior (34.0 ± 6.5 cm2) and posterior (35.7 ± 8.0 cm2) prolapse groups were larger during Valsalva compared to controls (20.9 ± 7.8 cm2, P < .0001 for both); similarly, protrusion areas for the anterior (14.3 ± 6.2 cm2) and posterior (14.4 ± 5.7 cm2) prolapse groups were both larger compared to controls (5.0 ± 1.8 cm2, P < .0001 for both). The levator hiatus length for the anterior (7.2 ± 1 cm) and posterior (6.9 ± 1 cm) prolapse groups were longer during Valsalva compared to controls (5.2 ± 1.5 cm, P < .0001 for both); similarly, urogenital hiatus lengths for the anterior (5.7 ± 1 cm) and posterior (6.3 ± 1.1 cm) prolapse groups were both longer than controls (3.8 ± 0.8 cm, P < .0001 for both). The difference in levator area in prolapse patients compared with controls was greater than the difference in protrusion area (14.0 ± 7.2 cm2 vs 9.4 ± 5.9 cm2, P < .0002). The urogenital hiatus was more strongly associated with prolapse than the levator hiatus (odds ratio, 12.9; 95% confidence interval, 4.1-39.2, and odds ratio, 4.3; 95% confidence interval, 2.3-7.5). Levator hiatus and urogenital hiatus are both correlated with levator and protrusion areas, and all were associated with maximum prolapse size (P ≤ .001, for all comparisons).Conclusion: In prolapse, the levator area increases more than the protrusion area and both the urogenital hiatus and levator hiatus are larger. The odds of prolapse for an increase in the urogenital hiatus are 3 times larger than for the levator hiatus, which leads us to reject both the original hypotheses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acquired clitoral enlargement is a rare condition resulting from a variety of etiologies, including tumors and excess androgens. Few cases of nonmalignant schwannoma, a benign tumor of the peripheral nerve sheath, have been reported in the literature as causes of clitoral enlargement in patients without known neurofibromatosis. These painless, slow-growing tumors rarely recur once excised. We present the initial investigation of a patient with a large clitoral schwannoma and subsequent treatment with partial vulvectomy. The workup, including advanced pelvic imaging for diagnosis and surgical planning, as well as removal of the clitoral tumor with preservation of functional tissue and restoration of normal vulvar anatomy despite a large excision, is demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: CRC often arises from polyps: an early detection and resection are effective in decreasing both incidence and mortality rate. Relation between risk factors, adenomas and CRC have been showed, but there is little evidence for overweight association with preneoplastic lesions. This study analyzed the correlation between body mass index (BMI) and primitive site of polyps.Methods: We performed a retrospective study, in a period between January 2010 and October 2014. Subjects aged 50 years and older who underwent their first-time screening colonoscopy were included. Reports regarding characteristic of the polyps were collected.Results: 142 patients were enrolled and they were divided into two groups: group I - patients with left sided colonic polyps, and group II - patients who right sided colonic polyps. The ANOVA test-one way, documents a difference between the BMI and the colon localization of polyps.Conclusions: Patients with overweight had a higher risk to develop lesions in the left colon compared to patients with normal weight. Despite the fact that Italian epidemiological studies have found a prevalence of polyps of 44-53% in rectal-sigmoid segment, 32-36% in transverse segment and of 14-20% in right segment, we showed an incidence of 26.05% for right sided polyps, which maybe related with the eating habits of the territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented discussing bleeding disorders in women.

The article examines the management of small-bowel metastatic melanoma in an 83-year-old man with a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diverticulosis. He was hospitalized because of painless hematochezia of one day's duration. Performance of colonoscopy revealed blood throughout the colon and in the terminal ileum. Capsule endoscopy may improve the detection of these lesions.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "MTHFR C677T mutations in liver cirrhosis with and without portal vein thrombosis," published in a previous issue of "Liver International."

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Syndesmosis Procedure: A Non-0steotomy Approach to Metatarsus Primus Varus Correction" in the September 2007 issue.