Search

Externally validate the AAGL staging system against surgical complexity, and compare diagnostic accuracy with rASRM stage, as was done in original publication.Retrospective, diagnostic accuracy study SETTING: : Multicentre (Sydney, Australia) PATIENTS: : 317 patients (January 2016 - October 2021) were used in the final analysis INTERVENTIONS: : A database of patients with coded surgical data was analysed.Three independent observers assigned an AAGL surgical stage (1 to 4) as the index test, and surgical complexity level (A to D) as the reference standard. Results from the most accurate of the three observers were used in the final analysis.The weighted kappa score for the overall performance of AAGL stage and rASRM to predict AAGL level was 0.48 and 0.48 respectively (no difference). This was lower than the weighted kappa of 0.62 in the original paper. Diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV) for stage 1 to predict level A 98.5%, 64.3%, 66.3%, and 98.3%; stage 2 to predict level B 31.2%, 90.5%, 27.0%, and 92.1 %; stage 3 to predict level C 12.3%, 94.1%, 59.3%, and 60.7%; stage 4 to predict level D 95.65%, 88.10%, 38.60%, and 99.62%. AUROC for A vs B/C/D (cut-point 9) was 0.87, A/B vs C/D (cut-point 16) was 0.78 and A/B/C vs D (cut-point 22) was 0.94.There was weak to moderate agreement between AAGL stage and AAGL surgical complexity level. Across all key indicators, the AAGL system did not perform as well in this external validation, nor did it outperform rASRM as it did in the reference paper. Results suggest the system is not generalizable.

Non-tubal ectopic pregnancy (NTEP) is a rare but significant early pregnancy complication which can result in maternal morbidity and mortality. There is however a lack of evidence-based guidelines for the management of NTEP.To evaluate the success rates of expectant, medical and surgical management in the treatment of NTEP at our tertiary centre.Retrospective cohort study from 2010 to 2020. All NTEP were classified by ectopic sites. Primary management was classified by expectant, medical [systemic methotrexate (Sys-MTX) and/or local ultrasound-guided injection of MTX and/or KCl intra-sac (L-MTX, L-MTX/KCl)] or surgical. Primary management was considered successful if no change in intervention was required. Treatment complications were compared.Twenty-four NTEP were identified, which included 14 interstitial pregnancies (IP), 9 caesarean scar pregnancies (CSP) and 1 ovarian pregnancy (OP), which gave NTEP an incidence of 7.12% among all EP (4.15% for IP, 2.67% for CSP and 0.30% for OP). The success of primary surgical management was 100% (7/7), primary medical management was 76.9% (10/13) and primary expectant management was 33.3% (1/3). Primary medical management had a non-statistically significant greater mean time to serum ß-human Chorionic Gonadotrophin5 IU/L, mean length of hospitalisation, mean number of follow-up visits and hospital re-presentation/readmissions compared to primary surgical management. There was no other difference in complication rates between the treatment management groups.Surgery remains the most effective way to manage NTEP. However, medical management can be a safe and effective alternative option in carefully selected cases.

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized endometrial-like tissue present outside of the uterus, affecting approximately 10% of reproductive age women. It is associated with abdomino-pelvic pain, infertility and other non - gynecologic symptoms, making it a challenging diagnosis. Several guidelines have been developed by different international societies to diagnose and classify endometriosis, yet areas of controversy and uncertainty remains. Transvaginal ultrasound (TV-US) is the first-line imaging modality used to identify endometriosis due to its accessibility and cost-efficacy. Enhanced sonographic techniques are emerging as a dedicated technique to evaluate deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE), depending on the expertise of the sonographer as well as the location of the lesions. MRI is an ideal complementary modality to ultrasonography for pre-operative planning as it allows for a larger field-of-view when required and it has high levels of reproducibility and tolerability. Typically, endometriotic lesions appear hypoechoic on ultrasonography. On MRI, classical features include DIE T2 hypointensity, endometrioma T2 hypointensity and T1 hyperintensity, while superficial peritoneal endometriosis (SPE) is described as a small focus of T1 hyperintensity. Imaging has become a critical tool in the diagnosis, surveillance and surgical planning of endometriosis. This literature review is based mostly on studies from the last two decades and aims to provide a detailed overview of the imaging features of endometriosis as well as the advances and usefulness of different imaging modalities for this condition.

Study Objective The aim of this study was to validate temporally and externally the ultrasound-based endometriosis staging system (UBESS) to predict the level of complexity of laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis. Design A multicenter, international, retrospective, diagnostic accuracy study was carried out between January 2016 and April 2018 on women with suspected pelvic endometriosis. Setting Four different centers with advanced ultrasound and laparoscopic services were recruited (1 for temporal validation and 3 for external validation). Patients Women with pelvic pain and suspected endometriosis. Interventions All women underwent a systematic transvaginal ultrasound and were staged according to the UBESS system, followed by classification of laparoscopic level of complexity according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) levels 1 to 3. Measurements and Main Results UBESS I, II, and III were then correlated with RCOG levels 1, 2, and 3, respectively. A comparison between temporal and external sites (skipping “A”) and between each site was performed in terms of the diagnostic accuracy of UBESS to predict RCOG laparoscopic skill level. A total of 317 consecutive women who underwent laparoscopy with suspected endometriosis were included. Complete transvaginal ultrasound and laparoscopic surgical outcomes were available for 293/317 (92.4%). At the temporal site, the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio of UBESS I to predict RCOG level 1 were 80.0%,73.8%, 94.9%, 97.2%, 60.2%, 14.5%, and 0.3%, respectively; of UBESS II to predict RCOG level 2 were 81.0%, 70.6%, 82.0%, 26.7%, 96.8%, 3.9%, and 0.3%, respectively; of UBESS III to predict RCOG level 3 were 91.0%, 85.7%, 92.4%, 75.0%, 96.1%, 11.3%, and 0.2%, respectively. At the external sites, the results of UBESS I to predict RCOG level 1 were 90.3%, 92.0%, 88.4%, 90.2%, 90.5%, 7.9%, and 0.1% respectively; UBESS II to predict RCOG level 2 were 89.2%, 100.0%, 88.5%, 37.5%, 100.0%, 8.7%, and 0.0%, respectively; and UBESS III to predict RCOG level 3 were 86.0%, 67.6%, 98.2%, 96.2%, 82.1%, 37.8%, and 0.3%, respectively. When patients requiring ureterolysis (i.e., RCOG level 3) in the absence of bowel endometriosis were excluded (n = 54), the sensitivity of UBESS III to correctly classify RCOG level 3 increased from 85.7% to 96.7% at the temporal site (n = 42) and from 67.6% to 96.0% at the external sites (n = 12) (p Conclusion The results from this external validation study suggest that UBESS in its current form is not generalizable unless there is either or both bowel deep endometriosis and cul-de-sac obliteration present. The major limitation appears to be the misclassification of women who require surgical ureterolysis in the absence of bowel endometriosis.

It is well-established that there is a strong association between ovarian endometriomas (OE) and deep endometriosis (DE) and rectouterine pouch (RP) obliteration. We aimed to determine the prevalence of DE and RP obliteration in the presence of normal ovaries.We conducted a multicentre retrospective cohort study from January 2009 to December 2017 using a prospective multicentre data registry. Participants included patients with signs and/or symptoms of endometriosis who underwent excisional laparoscopic surgery at one of eight hospitals. The primary outcome was the prevalence of DE and RP obliteration, which was compared between women with normal ovaries (i.e., no OE) and women with ovaries containing OE. Secondary outcomes evaluated included rates of DE by anatomic site between women with and without OE.The ovaries did not contain an OE in 319 of 410 patients (77.8%). The prevalence of DE and RP obliteration in this cohort was 25.4% and 9.7% (81 and 31 patients), respectively; whereas, in patients with OE, DE and RP obliteration prevalence was 68.1% and 60.4% (62 and 55 patients), respectively (P0.001 for both DE and RP obliteration). The uterosacral ligaments were the most common site for DE (right: 47/319 [14.7%]; left: 42/319 [13.2%]).In patients who visited a tertiary care centre with endometriosis without ovarian involvement, 1 in 4 had DE and 1 in 10 had RP obliteration. These prevalence rates should encourage knowledge and skills dissemination to improve non-invasive imaging diagnosis overall. In patients with symptoms or signs suggestive of endometriosis, a basic pelvic ultrasound that ends at evaluation for OE should not be regarded as reassuring.

Objective: Deep endometriosis transvaginal ultrasound (DE TVS) is accurate in the detection of ovarian endometriosis and DE; however, realisation of its full potential and utilisation remains variable. As such, patients may require a two-step surgical approach (diagnostic followed by therapeutic laparoscopy) or experience incomplete surgical treatment. Besides the clinical implications, the economic impact of a two-step approach to diagnosis and treatment on the healthcare system is likely to be significant. We aim to compare the economic costs of two diagnostic models of care for patients with potential endometriosis. Design: Cost analysis using Markov model with 12-month time horizon comparing the economic costs of two diagnostic models. Setting: The study used a hypothetical population of 1000 women visiting a public tertiary gynaecology clinic. Population: Women with potential endometriosis. Estimates for endometriosis prevalence and severity were drawn from local Australian hospital data. Methods: The conventional model (M1) includes the basic TVS and diagnostic laparoscopy. The novel model (M2) includes the DE TVS. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was conducted to capture the uncertainty in the information used to populate the models. Main outcome measure: Changes to government, health-service and patient costs with the adoption of the DE TVS compared with standard diagnostic methods. Costs are given in Australian dollars (AU$) and also in pound sterling (£). Results: The total annual cost of the novel model (M2) is AU$12,547,724.03 (£6,826,673.63), cheaper than the conventional model (M1), which cost AU$13,472,161.67 (£7,329,620.15). Conclusions: For a population of 1000 women, the integration of the DE TVS may save healthcare costs of AU$924,437 (£502,946.17) annually. Tweetable abstract: An endometriosis-focused ultrasound may negate a two-step surgery pathway, including diagnostic surgery, and save healthcare money.

Objectives To investigate the diagnostic accuracy and interobserver agreement among sonologists when assessing offline ultrasound (US) video sets of the "sliding sign" and among gynecologic surgeons when assessing corresponding laparoscopic video sets to predict pouch of Douglas (POD) obliteration and to compare the performance of the groups. Methods A diagnostic and reproducibility study was conducted, including 15 observers in 4 groups: (1) senior sonologists, (2) junior sonologists, (3) general gynecologists, and (4) advanced laparoscopists. The sonologists viewed 25 offline preoperative US video sets of the sliding sign, and the surgeons viewed the corresponding intraoperative laparoscopic videos of the same patients. Each observer was asked to classify POD obliteration in the video sets and was compared to the reference standard POD state determined at real-time laparoscopy by a single investigator (G.C.). The interobserver correlation and diagnostic accuracy were evaluated among the 15 observers and 4 groups. The Cohen κ coefficient and Fleiss κ coefficient were used for the analysis. Results The overall accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for senior sonologists were 93.3%, 100%, 89.6%, 84.4%, and 100%, respectively; for junior sonologists, 70.0%, 88.9%, 59.4%, 55.2%, and 90.5%; for general gynecologists, 75.2%, 88.1%, 78.1%, 69.8%, and 91.9%; and for advanced laparoscopists, 82.4%, 91.9%, 90.8%, 82.9%, and 95.8%. The overall agreement between senior sonologists was almost perfect (Fleiss κ = 0.876); for junior sonologists and general gynecologists, it was moderate (Fleiss κ = 0.589 and 0.528); and for advanced laparoscopists, it was substantial (Fleiss κ = 0.652). Conclusions Interobserver agreement was superior among senior sonologists. Prediction of POD obliteration using offline US videos by senior sonologists is comparable to offline assessments of laparoscopic videos by advanced laparoscopists for prediction of POD obliteration.

Study Objective To validate the preoperative ultrasound-based endometriosis staging system (UBESS) for predicting the correct Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) and Australasian Gynaecological Endoscopy and Surgery (AGES) Society's level of laparoscopic skill required for endometriosis surgery. Design Multi-center retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Setting Tertiary teaching hospital and a private gynecologic clinic. Patients 155 women presenting with chronic pelvic pain and/or a history of endometriosis. Interventions Women underwent detailed specialized transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) in a tertiary referral unit to diagnose and stage endometriosis using the 3 stages of the UBESS. The UBESS was correlated to RANZCOG/AGES laparoscopic skill levels. The UBESS classifications were correlated as follows: UBESS I to predict RANZCOG/AGES surgical skill level 1/2, UBESS II to predict RANZCOG/AGES skill level ¾, and UBESS III to predict RANZCOG/AGES skill level 6. Main Results The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and positive and negative likelihood ratios of the UBESS I to predict the RANZCOG/AGES surgical skill levels 1/2 were 99.4%, 98.9%, 100%, 100%, 98.5%, not applicable, and .011; those of UBESS II to predict surgical skill levels 3/4 were: 98.1%, 96.8%, 98.4%, 93.8%, 99.2%, 60 and .033, respectively, and those for UBESS III to predict surgical skill level 6 were: 98.7%, 97.2%, 99.2%, 97.2%, 99.2%, 115.7, and 0.028, respectively. The rate of correctly predicting the exact level of skills needed was 98.1%, and Cohen's kappa statistic for the agreement between UBESS prediction and levels of training required at surgery was 0.97, indicating almost perfect agreement. Conclusions The UBESS can be used to predict the level of complexity of laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis based on the RANZCOG/AGES skills levels for laparoscopy. It now awaits external validation in multiple centers with various surgical skill level classification systems to assess its general applicability.

Objectives To determine whether ovarian fixation at transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) is a marker for need of laparoscopic pelvic sidewall surgery (ie, ureterolysis or dissection of adhesions involving the pelvic sidewall). The relationship between ovarian immobility at TVU with respect to endometriosis staging using the revised American Fertility Society (r-AFS) classification was also evaluated. Methods Retrospective diagnostic accuracy study was performed in a tertiary referral hospital and two private hospitals. Sixty-six women with pelvic pain underwent detailed TVU preoperatively followed by laparoscopic endometriosis surgery. TVU ovarian mobility findings (ie, mobile versus fixed ovary) were compared to surgical findings, the need for laparoscopic pelvic sidewall surgery and r-AFS score (I-IV). Results Complete ultrasound and surgical data were available for 66 of 77 (86%) women. Twenty-six of 66 (40%) had isolated superficial peritoneal endometriosis, 15 of 66 (23%) had ovarian endometrioma (OE), 13 of 66 (20%) had pelvic deep endometriosis (DE). Twenty-seven of 66 (41%) had ovarian fixation at TVU. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of ovarian fixation at TVU for the prediction of need for laparoscopic pelvic sidewall surgery was 71%, 61%, 86%, 85%, and 62%, respectively (P = .0002). Ovarian fixation at TVU was significantly associated with the presence of ipsilateral OE, pouch of Douglas obliteration, pelvic DE nodules, and r-AFS stage III/IV (moderate/severe) endometriosis (all P-values Conclusions Ovarian fixation at TVU appears to be a marker for moderate/severe endometriosis and the need for laparoscopic pelvic sidewall surgery. This sign may be a valuable "red flag" for identifying women at increased risk of requiring an advanced laparoscopic surgeon, and in turn, improve surgical planning.

OBJECTIVES Doppler Color Scoring (DCS) has been used to predict successful expectant management of incomplete miscarriage. The aim of this study was to assess inter- and intraobserver reproducibility of the DCS system in women with incomplete miscarriage noted on transvaginal sonography. METHODS This was a prospective reproducibility study involving offline analysis of 32 prerecorded video sets on transvaginal sonography in real time of women with incomplete miscarriage. Vascularization of retained products of conception was recorded using the DCS system adopted from the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis group. Five gynecologic sonologists of varying experience assigned a DCS classification to each video in the analysis. The same videos were reanalyzed, in a different order, at least 7 days later, to assess intraobserver agreement. Inter- and intraobserver correlations were performed to determine agreement. Interobserver agreement was also measured between each observer and the reference standard (G.C.). A Cohen's κ coefficient value less than 0 suggests poor agreement, 0.01 to 0.20 slight, 0.21 to 0.40 fair, 0.41 to 0.60 moderate, 0.61 to 0.80 substantial, and 0.81 and 0.99 almost perfect. RESULTS Interobserver agreement for all observers for DCS allocation ranged from 0.480 to 0.751. Overall interobserver agreement for 5 observers was substantial (κ, 0.626). Overall interobserver agreements for the 2 inexperienced and 3 experienced observers compared to G.C. were 0.521 and 0.618, respectively. Experienced observers achieved overall almost perfect intraobserver agreement, compared to substantial agreement for inexperienced sonologists. CONCLUSIONS DCS interobserver reproducibility between all observers and GC ranged from moderate to substantial. DCS intraobserver reproducibility was substantial to almost perfect. The DCS system appears to be a reproducible tool in evaluating women with incomplete miscarriage.

INTRODUCTION The study aim was to evaluate the transvaginal sonography (TVS) "sliding sign" alone, direct visualization of the bowel with TVS, and the combination of both methods (ie "sliding sign" and direct visualization of the bowel), to determine the optimal TVS method for the prediction of rectal/rectosigmoid deep endometriosis (DE). MATERIAL AND METHODS Multicenter prospective observational study (January 2009-February 2017). All women underwent TVS to determine whether the "sliding sign" was positive/negative and whether rectal/rectosigmoid DE was present, followed by laparoscopic surgery. The association between a negative TVS "sliding sign" alone and the direct visualization of a rectal/rectosigmoid DE nodule alone during the TVS were correlated with the presence of rectal/rectosigmoid DE at laparoscopy. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and likelihood ratios (LRs) were evaluated. Data were analyzed using Fisher's exact test. RESULTS During the recruitment period, 410 consecutive women with suspected endometriosis were included. Complete TVS and laparoscopic surgical outcomes were available for 376 of the women (91.7%). Complete TVS and laparoscopic data were available for 376 women. Of the 376 women 76 (20.2%) had rectal/rectosigmoid DE at laparoscopy. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, positive and negative LRs for each method to predict bowel DE were: negative "sliding sign": 87%, 73.7%, 90.3%, 65.9%, 93.1%, 7.62, and 0.29, respectively; direct visualization: 91.0%, 86.8%, 92.3%, 74.2%, 96.5%, 11.3, and 0.14, respectively; combined approach: 90.2%, 69.7%, 95.3%, 79.1%, 92.6%, 14.94, and 0.32, respectively. A negative TVS "sliding sign" was significantly associated with the need for bowel surgery (P

Objectives To determine whether there is an association between morphologic types of tubal ectopic pregnancy (EP), 0-hour human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels, and subsequent management success. Methods We conducted a prospective study (November 2006-December 2015). Women had a diagnosis of EP by transvaginal ultrasonography if they had an inhomogeneous mass adjacent to the ovary and moving separately from it ("blob" sign), a mass with a hyperechoic ring around the gestational sac ("bagel" sign), or a gestational sac with an embryonic pole with or without a yolk sac with or without cardiac activity. The morphologic type, EP size, and 0-hour hCG level were analyzed. A multivariate analysis determined any correlation between these variables and nonsurgical management success. Results A total of 7350 consecutive women underwent transvaginal ultrasonography, of whom 301 (4.2%) had a diagnosis of tubal EP; 181 (60.1%) had the blob sign; 90 (29.9%) had the bagel sign; and 23 (7.6%) were noted to have an embryo (14 viable and 9 nonviable). Eighty-three of 301(27.5%) women had expectant management; 67 of 301(22.2%) were given methotrexate; and 151 of 301 (50%) had surgery. Success rates for the groups were 77%, 75%, and 100%, respectively. No difference between the morphologic type and success rate of treatment was noted. Although there was a significant correlation between the EP mass size and 0-hour hCG level, the mass size itself was not correlated with the success rate of either medical or expectant management. Overall higher 0-hour hCG levels were associated with management failure. In the expectant group, median hCG level for failure was 589 IU/L versus 366 IU/L for success, whereas in the medical group, the median for failure was 1244 IU/L versus 7629 IU/L for success. Conclusions There is no significant correlation between the morphologic type and size of EP with a nonsurgical management outcome. A likely successful outcome is related to a lower level of serum hCG at presentation.

Objectives To examine the association between ovarian immobility and presence of endometriomas and assess the diagnostic accuracy of transvaginal sonographic (TVS) ovarian immobility in the detection of deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE). Methods This was a multicenter prospective observational study of women presenting with chronic pelvic pain from January 2009 to March 2015. Women with or without history of endometriosis who were scheduled to undergo laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis gave a detailed history and underwent specialized TVS in a tertiary referral unit prior to laparoscopy. During TVS, ovarian mobility and the presence of endometriomas were assessed. The relationship between TVS ovarian mobility, with or without endometriomas, and DIE was correlated with the gold standard, diagnosis of endometriosis at laparoscopy. Results Included in the analysis were 265 women with preoperative TVS and laparoscopic outcomes. Ovarian immobility on TVS was significantly associated with presence of endometriomas at surgery, with a prevalence of 12.2%, 10.8% and 52.7% for fixation of the left ovary only, the right ovary only and bilateral ovaries, respectively, compared with 4.2%, 3.7% and 7.3% for normal ovaries. The sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values and positive and negative likelihood ratios of TVS ovarian immobility for diagnosis at surgery of immobility of ovaries with endometriomas in the left ovary only were 44.4%, 92.3%, 44.4%, 92.3%, 5.8, 0.6, in the right ovary only were 50.0%, 98.5%, 80.0%, 94.2%, 33.0, 0.5 and bilaterally were 74.4%, 68.6%, 72.5%, 70.6%, 2.4, 0.4, while those for diagnosis of immobility of normal ovaries were 25.0%, 87.9%, 8.3%, 96.4%, 2.1, 0.9 for left ovary only, 14.3%, 92.9%, 7.1%, 96.6%, 2.0, 0.9 for right ovary only and 35.7%, 97.2%, 50.0%, 95.0%, 12.6, 0.7 bilaterally, respectively (P < 0.05 except for normal left and right ovaries with P = 0.2 and 0.4, respectively). The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for performance of ovarian immobility in the prediction of DIE for all women were 58.3%, 74.1%, 60.6%, 72.2% and in the prediction of need for bowel surgery were 78.2%, 71.1%, 41.3%, 92.6%, respectively. Conclusions There is a significant association between ovarian immobility and the presence of endometriomas. Ovarian immobility as a sonographic ‘soft marker’ of DIE performs better in the presence of endometriomas compared with in normal ovaries. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

In Ontario, Canada, patients admitted to inpatient rehabilitation hospitals post-stroke are classified into rehabilitation patient groups based on age and functional level. Clinical practice guidelines, called quality-based procedures, recommend a target length of stay (LOS) for each group.The study objective was to evaluate the extent to which patients post-stroke at an inpatient rehabilitation hospital are meeting LOS targets and to identify patient characteristics that predict exceeding target LOS.A quantitative, longitudinal study from an inpatient rehabilitation hospital was conducted. Participants included adult patients (≥18 years) with stroke, admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation hospital between 2014 and 2015. The percentage of patients exceeding the recommended target LOS was determined. Logistic regression was performed to identify clinical and psychosocial patient characteristics associated with exceeding target LOS after adjusting for stroke severity.Of 165 patients, 38.8% exceeded their target LOS. Presence of ataxia, recurrent stroke, living alone, absence of a caregiver at admission, and acquiring a caregiver during hospital LOS was each associated with significantly higher odds of exceeding target LOS in comparison to patients without these characteristics after adjusting for stroke severity (p 0.05).Findings suggest that social and stroke-specific factors may be helpful to adjust LOS expectations and promote efficient resource allocation. This exploratory study was limited to findings from one inpatient rehabilitation hospital. Cross-validation of results using data-sets from multiple rehabilitation hospitals across Ontario is recommended.

Purpose: Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) is used to assess functional gains in response to treatment. Specific characteristics of the functional goals set by individuals receiving botulinum toxin type A (BoNTA) injections for spasticity management are unknown. The primary objectives of this study were to describe the characteristics of the goals set by patients before receiving BoNTA injections using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and to determine whether the pattern of spasticity distribution affected the goals set. Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective chart review was carried out in an outpatient spasticity-management clinic in Toronto. A total of 176 patients with a variety of neurological lesions attended the clinic to receive BoNTA injections and completed GAS from December 2012 to December 2013. The main outcome measures were the characteristics of the goals set by the participants on the basis of ICF categories (body functions and structures, activity and participation) and the spasticity distribution using Modified Ashworth Scale scores. Results: Of the patients, 73% set activity and participation goals, and 27% set body functions and structures goals (p0.05). Conclusion: Our results show that patients receiving BoNTA treatment set a higher percentage of activity and participation goals than body functions and structures goals. Goal classification was not affected by type of spasticity distribution or type of UMN disorder.

Endometriosis is estimated to affect up to 50% of infertile women, and severity of endometriosis stage appears to correlate with reduced fertility. Ovarian endometriomas are found in up to 44% of women with endometriosis, and are significantly associated with the presence of pelvic deep infiltrating endometriosis, ovarian adhesions, and pouch of Douglas obliteration. Through the use of MEDLINE and PubMed databases, we conducted a literature review of all available research related to the diagnosis, surgical management and fertility outcomes for women with endometrioma. The evolving use of specialized transvaginal ultrasound for the diagnosis of endometrioma and related endometriotic pathologies can allow for preoperative mapping/staging of the disease, as well as appropriate surgical planning and fertility counseling. Surgical management of endometriomas appears to reduce markers of ovarian reserve, such as anti-Mullerian hormone, prompting concern of reduced fertility following surgery. Ovarian cystectomy appears to be superior to ablation in terms of endometrioma recurrence, pain symptoms and increased spontaneous conception rate among subfertile patients. Research is inconclusive as to which surgical method least damages ovarian reserve in the long term; however, bipolar hemostasis appears to be the most damaging technique and should be avoided. Surgical management should be individualized for women with endometrioma, and strong consideration should be given to the preoperative ovarian reserve status prior to performing ovarian cystectomy. Current evidence suggests that ovarian cystectomy does not improve reproductive outcomes for women with endometrioma undergoing assisted reproductive technology; however, the majority of studies have been performed retrospectively and more prospective studies are needed.

Transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) is evolving as an essential tool in the work up for women with pelvic pain and suspected endometriosis. Several studies have demonstrated the accuracy and reliability of TVU for the diagnosis of pelvic deep infiltrating endometriosis and pouch of Douglas obliteration. Assessment of the anterior pelvic compartment for urinary DIE and utero-vesical adhesions should also be considered in the TVU examination for women with pelvic/pain suspected endometriosis. In addition, the use of ultrasound markers such as ovarian endometriomas and ovarian immobility may also aid in the assessment for disease severity. The ability to map disease location and extent pre-operatively allows for appropriate triaging, surgical planning and patient counselling, and in turn, improved care for women with severe endometriosis. This update focuses on the most recent advances surrounding the use of TVU for the prediction of endometriosis location and severity.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to estimate the interrater reliability of the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) using consistent movement speeds guided by a metronome when measuring wrist flexor and ankle plantar flexor spasticity in patients with an upper motor neuron (UMN) lesion. The MAS has been found to have inconsistent interrater reliability for scoring the degree of spasticity. Method: This quantitative cross-sectional pilot study occurred in the outpatient spasticity clinic of a community rehabilitation hospital. Participants were a convenience sample of 20 patients with UMN lesions receiving botulinum toxin type A injections for focal spasticity. For each of the muscle groups tested, different pairs of evaluators scored spasticity on the MAS at a velocity of 130° per second. Evaluators were physical therapy students trained by an experienced physical therapist in MAS assessment. Weighted κ values were calculated to measure interrater reliability for each muscle group. Results: The weighted κ values for the wrist flexors and ankle plantar flexors were, respectively, moderate (κw = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.21, 0.87) and slight (κw = 0.08; 95% CI: −0.34, 0.50). Conclusion: Using consistent movement velocity, novice evaluators were able to score spasticity with reasonable interrater reliability when assessing the wrist flexors but not the ankle plantar flexors.

Background The prediction model M4 can successfully classify pregnancy of unknown location (PUL) into a low- or high-risk group in developing ectopic pregnancy. M4 was validated in UK centres but in very few other countries outside UK. Aim To validate the M4 model's ability to correctly classify PULs in a cohort of Australian women. Materials and methods A retrospective analysis of women classified with PUL, attending a Sydney-based teaching hospital between 2006 and 2018. The reference standard was the final characterisation of PUL: failed PUL (FPUL) or intrauterine pregnancy (IUP; low risk) vs ectopic pregnancy (EP) or persistent PUL (PPUL; high risk). Each patient was entered into the M4 model calculator and an estimated risk of FPUL/IUP or EP/PPUL was recorded. Diagnostic accuracy of the M4 model was evaluated. Results Of 9077 consecutive women who underwent transvaginal sonography, 713 (7.9%) classified with a PUL. Six hundred and seventy-seven (95.0%) had complete study data and were included. Final outcomes were: 422 (62.3%) FPULs, 150 (22.2%) IUPs, 105 (15.5%) EPs and PPULs. The M4 model classified 455 (67.2%) as low-risk PULs of which 434 (95.4%) were FPULs/IUPs and 21 (4.6%) were EPs or PPULs. EPs/PPULs were correctly classified with sensitivity of 80.0% (95% CI 71.1-86.5%), specificity of 75.9% (95% CI 72.2-79.3%), positive predictive value of 37.8% (95% CI 33.8-42.1%) and negative predictive value of 95.3% (95% CI 93.1-96.9%). Conclusions We have externally validated the prediction model M4. It classified 67.2% of PULs as low risk, of which 95.4% were later characterised as FPULs or IUPs while still classifying 80.0% of EPs as high risk.

Background Ultrasound has been demonstrated to accurately diagnose rectal deep endometriosis (DE) and pouch of Douglas (POD) obliteration. The role of ultrasound in the assessment of patients who have undergone surgery for rectal DE and POD obliteration has not been evaluated. Aim To describe the transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) findings of patients who have undergone rectal surgery for DE. Materials and methods An observational cross-sectional study at a tertiary care centre in Sydney, Australia between January and April 2017. Patients previously treated for rectal DE (low anterior resection vs rectal shaving/disc excision) were recruited and asked to complete a questionnaire on their current symptoms. On TVS, POD state and rectal DE were assessed. Correlating recurrence of POD obliteration and/or rectal DE to surgery type and symptoms was done. Results Fifty-six patients were contacted; 22/56 (39.3%) attended for the study visit. Average interval of surgery to study visit was 52.8 ± 24.6 months. Surgery type breakdown was as follows: low anterior resection (56%) and rectal shaving/disc excision (44%). The prevalence of POD obliteration was 16/22 (72.7%) intraoperatively and 8/22 (36.4%) at study visit, as per the sliding sign. Nine patients (39.1%) had evidence on TVS of recurrent rectal DE. Recurrence of POD obliteration and rectal DE was not associated with surgery type or symptomatology. Conclusion Despite surgery for rectal DE, many patients have a negative sliding sign on TVS, representing POD obliteration, and rectal DE. Our numbers are too small to correlate with the surgery type or their current symptoms.

Much of the ongoing concern about the presence of gangs and gang members in the community has to do with the association between street gangs and violence. Decades of research on street gangs demonstrates the complexity of the violent perpetration and victimization of gang members. Although the violence attributed to gang members reached its peak in the late 1980s and early 1990s, gang members continue to be disproportionately involved in violence, both as perpetrators and victims. Understanding gang violence requires careful consideration of the overlapping and intersecting relationships between violence and gang identity, victimization, perpetration, gender, and space. Violence plays an important role in the creation and maintenance of gang identity. Research on violence participation by gang members has demonstrated that gang violence can have both symbolic and instrumental purposes, and that this violence helps the gang build a collective identity and makes violence more normative. Despite some continued misconceptions about the role of female gang members and their presence in gangs, women make up a substantial portion of gang members, and any discussion of the relationship between gangs and violence must also consider the impact of gender on violence participation and victimization. Both male and female gang members are impacted by violence, but levels of participation and types of risk can vary by gender. The complex and gendered aspects of gang violence can make the prevention, intervention, and suppression of gang violence difficult tasks for law enforcement and policymakers. There are a range of perspectives on how best to reduce gang violence. Some researchers advocate early prevention programs to keep youth from joining gangs; others focus on ways to pull youth out of gangs at critical moments, such as when they enter emergency services. Other programs and policies are aimed at reducing gang violence that is ongoing in the community. These programs, such as Operation Ceasefire and Project Safe Neighborhoods, have utilized a focused deterrence framework to curb gang violence. All of these programs are aimed at reducing the amount of violence gang members participate in an attempt to minimize the risk of future violent victimization. Research on gang violence continues to grow and includes new avenues of research. The utilization of innovative methodologies, such as social network analysis, and new areas of research, such as examining the impact of social media on gang violence, continue to advance our knowledge of gang violence and its causes, correlates, and impact.

Introduction The objective was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of the decision tree analysis prediction model P1, which incorporates the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) ratio (hCG 48 hours/hCG 0 hour), and risk prediction model M4 in the management of women with pregnancy of unknown location (PUL). Material and methods A retrospective diagnostic accuracy study was performed on PUL data collected between August 2011 and September 2018. Women with a PUL were prospectively managed according to the P1 prediction model, which utilizes the hCG ratio and, if necessary, a day (D) 7 hCG. We compared the performance of P1 with the M4 model, a logistic regression mathematical model using initial hCG and hCG ratio, to classify PULs as low risk (failed PUL [failed] or intrauterine pregnancy) or high risk (ectopic pregnancy or persistent PUL). The reference standard was defined as the final PUL outcome. Results Transvaginal ultrasound was done in 3847 consecutive women for early pregnancy complications, 437 (11.3%) of whom were classified as PUL. Final analysis comprised 413 cases with complete data. Final PUL clinical outcomes were: 247 (59.8%) failed PUL, 94 (22.7%) intrauterine pregnancy, 49 (11.8%) ectopic pregnancy and 23 (5.5%) persistent PUL. The sensitivity of P1 and M4 in predicting high-risk PUL were 81.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 71.1-90.0) and 80.6% (95% CI 69.5-88.9), respectively. The specificities were 74.5% (95% CI 69.5-79.1) and 75.6% (95% CI 70.7-80.1), respectively. Conclusions P1 and M4 performed similarly with respect to diagnostic accuracy in predicting PUL outcome. P1 needs to be externally validated.

Objective To develop and assess the performance of a preoperative ultrasound-based endometriosis staging system (UBESS) to predict the level of complexity of laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis. Methods This was a multicenter prospective and retrospective cohort study on consecutive women with suspected endometriosis who underwent laparoscopy between June 2009 and July 2013. Each woman underwent a systematic transvaginal ultrasound evaluation to assess the pelvis for different phenotypes of endometriosis, and the diagnostic performance of ultrasound for these different phenotypes was evaluated relative to the gold standard, laparoscopy. A three-stage preoperative UBESS was developed to assess the severity of pelvic endometriosis, based on the histological phenotypes of endometriosis, the anatomical locations of deep infiltrating endometriosis and their sonographic markers of local invasiveness. The three stages of UBESS (I–III) were then correlated with the three levels of complexity of laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis described by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (Levels 1–3). The end-points were the diagnostic performance of UBESS to predict the level of complexity of laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis, i.e. UBESS stage I to predict Level-1 laparoscopic surgery, UBESS stage II to predict Level-2 laparoscopic surgery and UBESS stage III to predict Level-3 laparoscopic surgery. Results The analysis included 192 women, with a mean ± SD age at diagnosis of endometriosis of 23.7 ± 9.3 years and a mean duration of symptoms prior to presentation of 42 months. Predominant reported locations of pelvic pain were left iliac fossa (32%), right iliac fossa (29.5%) and lower abdomen (61%) and predominant symptoms included dyspareunia (57.5%), dysmenorrhea (58.5%) and dyschezia (41.5%). The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and positive and negative likelihood ratios of UBESS I for predicting a requirement for Level-1 laparoscopic surgery were: 87.5%, 83.3%, 91.7%, 90.9%, 84.6%, 10 and 0.182; those of UBESS II for predicting Level-2 surgery were: 87.0%, 73.7%, 90.3%, 65.1%, 93.3%, 7.6 and 0.292; and those of UBESS III for predicting Level-3 surgery were: 95.3%, 94.8%, 95.5%, 90.2%, 97.7%, 21.2 and 0.054, respectively. Conclusion UBESS could be utilized to predict the level of complexity of laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis. It has the potential to facilitate the triage of women with suspected endometriosis to the most appropriate surgical expertise required for laparoscopic endometriosis surgery. UBESS needs to be validated externally in multiple centers to assess its general applicability. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

OBJECTIVE To assess the accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) transvaginal sonographic (TVS) parameters in predicting the evolution of a pregnancy of unknown location (PUL). METHODS This was a prospective observational study performed at the early pregnancy unit of a university hospital from September 2008 to June 2012. Women with a positive pregnancy test without any signs of intra- or extrauterine pregnancy at their first TVS examination were considered eligible and a 3D dataset containing the entire uterus was acquired. An experienced observer analyzed all 3D datasets for assessment of the following parameters: endometrial thickness, volume, mean gray-scale index and asymmetry. Women were followed until they were classified as having: (i) non-visualized pregnancy loss (NVPL); (ii) intrauterine pregnancy (IUP); or (iii) ectopic pregnancy or persistent PUL. We compared the values of the TVS parameters across the three groups. We also assessed the area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve of the 3D-TVS parameters in comparison to that for serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) ratio (48 h/baseline) to predict PUL outcome. We then evaluated whether combining the 3D-TVS parameters with serum β-hCG ratio improved the predictive accuracy for PUL outcome by performing a logistic regression analysis. RESULTS During the study period 4939 consecutive pregnant women presented at the unit for their initial TVS examination and 325 (7%) were classified as having a PUL, of whom 161 women were enrolled and had a 3D scan of the uterus. However, 19 were excluded because of incomplete follow-up. Data from 142 women with PUL were therefore included in the analysis and the outcomes of these women were: NVPL in 98 (69%), IUP in 27 (19%) and ectopic pregnancy + persistent PUL in 14 + 3 = 17 (12%). Endometrial thickness, endometrial volume and the proportion of women with asymmetric endometrial shape differed significantly between the outcome groups. Endometrial thickness and volume could be used as reasonable predictors of both NVPL and IUP, whereas asymmetric endometrial shape and mean gray-scale index could be used as reasonable predictors of IUP only. The best single parameter to predict PUL outcomes was the β-hCG ratio. Regression analysis demonstrated that endometrial volume and endometrial shape asymmetry added significantly to the β-hCG ratio in predicting IUP but not NVPL. CONCLUSIONS 3D-TVS markers have a low diagnostic accuracy in predicting PUL outcome. The addition of endometrial volume and shape asymmetry improves the accuracy of the β-hCG ratio in predicting IUP. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Objective To determine inter- and intraobserver agreement, diagnostic accuracy and the learning curve required for interpreting the ‘sliding sign’ and predicting pouch of Douglas (POD) obliteration. Methods This was an inter-/intraobserver, diagnostic-accuracy and learning-curve study involving six observers with different medical backgrounds, clinical skill sets and prior gynecological ultrasound experience: five non-specialist observers who had performed 0–750 previous gynecological scans and an expert sonologist who had performed > 15 000. Following a formal theoretical and practical training session, they each viewed 64 offline transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) ‘sliding-sign’ videos from two anatomical locations (retrocervix and posterior uterine fundus (PUF)) in 32 women presenting with chronic pelvic pain, interpreting the videos as positive or negative for sliding sign and predicting, on that basis, the POD status. For intraobserver agreement analysis they re-analyzed the same video sets, in a different order, at least 7 days later. The expert sonologist was the reference standard for interpreting the sliding sign and the gold standard, laparoscopy, was used for the POD analysis. Learning-curve cumulative summation (LC-CUSUM) tests were conducted to assess if observer performance reached acceptable levels, using LC-CUSUM score

Adenomyosis is a heterogenous gynecologic condition. Patients with adenomyosis can have a range of clinical presentations. The most common presentation of adenomyosis is heavy menstrual bleeding and dysmenorrhea; however, patients can also be asymptomatic. Currently, there are no standard diagnostic imaging criteria, and choosing the optimal treatment for patients is challenging. Women with adenomyosis often have other associated gynecologic conditions such as endometriosis or leiomyomas, therefore making the diagnosis and evaluating response to treatment challenging. The objective of this review was to highlight current clinical information regarding the epidemiology, risk factors, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, imaging findings, and treatment of adenomyosis. Several studies support the theory that adenomyosis results from invasion of the endometrium into the myometrium, causing alterations in the junctional zone. These changes are commonly seen on imaging studies such as transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The second most common theory is that adenomyosis results from embryologic-misplaced pluripotent mullerian remnants. Traditionally, adenomyosis was only diagnosed after hysterectomy; however, studies have shown that a diagnosis can be made with biopsies at hysteroscopy and laparoscopy. Noninvasive imaging can be used to help guide the differential diagnosis. The most common findings on 2-dimensional/3-dimensional TVUS and MRI are reviewed. Two-dimensional TVUS and MRI have a respectable sensitivity and specificity; however, recent studies indicate that 3-dimensional TVUS is superior to 2-dimensional TVUS for the diagnosis of adenomyosis and may allow for the diagnosis of early-stage disease. Management options for adenomyosis, both medical and surgical, are reviewed. Currently, the only definitive management option for patients is hysterectomy.

Study Objective Are sonographic features of adenomyosis associated with the three endometriosis phenotypes, superficial peritoneal endometriosis (SPE), ovarian endometrioma (OE) and deep infiltrative endometriosis (DE)? Design This retrospective cohort study analyses the presence of sonographic features of adenomyosis in reproductive age women with suspected endometriosis who underwent laparoscopic surgery at Liverpool Hospital during 2018-20 period. Setting N/A Patients or Participants 73 women of reproductive age with suspected endometriosis (pelvic pain or infertility). Interventions Women underwent a specialized transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) by a single expert sonologist, to diagnose deep endometriosis and adenomyosis using the IDEA (International Deep Endometriosis Analysis) and MUSA (Morphological Uterus Sonographic Assessment) diagnostic criteria. All women underwent laparoscopic surgery within 6 months of the TVUS by an advanced laparoscopic surgeon, who documented intraoperative and histopathological findings. Measurements and Main Results The mean age was 35 years. 53/73 (73%) women had endometriosis at laparoscopy. 20/73 (27%) women had features of adenomyosis on TVUS with 14/20 of these women having endometriosis. 6/14 (43%) had DE with pouch obliteration, 7/14 (50%) had SPE and 1/14 (0.1%) had OE. Overall, the most common feature of adenomyosis at TVUS for women with endometriosis was heterogenous myometrium. Echogenic subendometrial lines was the most common TVUS feature for women with DE, whereas heterogenous myometrium was the most frequent TVUS features for women with SPE. An irregular interrupted junctional zone was the most common TVUS feature in women without endometriosis. Conclusion Women with adenomyosis at TVUS appear to be at high risk (70%) of concurrent endometriosis. 43% of women with adenomyosis at TVUS had advanced endometriosis (DE w pouch obliteration), with echogenic subendometrial lines the most common sonographic feature of adenomyosis. Further studies are needed to confirm whether specific features of adenomyosis at TVUS are associated with endometriosis phenotype, which in turn may aid in surgical planning for these women.

Study Objective To determine whether a negative ovarian “sliding sign” (i.e. fixed ovary) during pre-operative transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) is useful in predicting the need for ipsilateral ureterolysis, for women with suspected endometriosis undergoing laparoscopic surgery. Design Retrospective observational study. Setting Hospital based. Patients or Participants 66. Interventions All women undergoing laparoscopic surgery for suspected endometriosis were assessed for ovarian mobility at TVU using the ovarian “sliding sign” technique. Data was analysed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of a negative ovarian “sliding sign” for the prediction of ipsilateral ureterolysis. Measurements and Main Results Complete TVU and surgical data was available for 66 women. The age range was from 18-52 years (Mean =31.5 years). Incidence of right left and any fixed ovary at TVU was 22/66 (33%), 24/66 (36%) and 27/66 (41%) respectively. Incidence of ureterolysis (partial or complete) at surgery for right, left and either pelvic sidewall was 10/66, (15%), 18/66 (27%) and 22/66 (33%) respectively. The sensitivity/specificity/positive predictive value /negative predictive value for the ovarian “sliding sign” at TVU for the prediction of ipsilateral ureterolysis was:Right ovary 80%/75%/36%/95% and left ovary 44%/66%/33%/76%. The crosstab for relationship between a negative ovarian “sliding sign” of the left ovary and left ureterolysis was not significant (p =0.437) but was significant for the right ovary and right ureterolysis (p =0.002). Conclusion A negative right ovarian “sliding sign” (i.e. fixed right ovary) at pre-operative TVU was significantly associated with the need for right ureterolysis. In addition, a positive ovarian “sliding sign” (i.e. mobile ovaries) at TVU demonstrated a high NPV for the need for laparoscopic ureterolysis. The TVU ovarian “sliding sign” may therefore be a useful ultrasound soft marker for predicting which women are at increased risk of requiring ureterolysis at surgery, and thus, aid in the pre-operative planning and counselling for these women.

Study Objective The Ultrasound-Based Endometriosis Staging System (UBESS) has demonstrated accuracy in predicting the laparoscopic skill required for maximum cytoreductive endometriosis surgery. However, UBESS does not account for the need for ureterolysis, an advanced laparoscopic skill, nor does it differentiate between isolated peritoneal disease and no disease. The Modified-UBESS and Ca-125 endometriosis severity prediction model aims to account for these short-falls by incorporating ultrasound (ovarian fixation, endometrioma, uterosacral endometriosis) and biochemical (Ca-125) markers to improve the prediction of intraoperative ureterolysis and isolated peritoneal disease, thereby improving the UBESS accuracy in predicting surgical complexity. Design This prospective study assesses the diagnostic accuracy of the endometriosis severity prediction model in predicting the ASRM endometriosis stage (American Society of Reproductive Medicine) and AGES laparoscopic skill (Australasian Gynaecological Endoscopy & Surgery) required for maximum cytoreductive surgery for women with suspected endometriosis undergoing laparoscopic surgery at Liverpool, Campbelltown and Nepean Hospital over a 5-year period. Setting N/A Patients or Participants 200 women of reproductive age with suspected endometriosis (chronic pelvic pain and/or infertility) will be recruited. Interventions Participants will undergo a standardised history and Ca-125, followed by a 5 domain TVUS (transvaginal ultrasound) by an expert sonologist. Women will be assigned a modified UBESS score, which incorporates the likelihood of requiring ureterolysis. All women will undergo laparoscopic surgery within 6 months of their TVUS and Ca-125, with ASRM stage and AGES skill recorded. Measurements and Main Results The diagnostic accuracy of our model in predicting the ASRM stage and AGES skill required for maximum cytoreductive surgery will be calculated. Conclusion If this study demonstrates that our model is effective in preoperatively predicting the ASRM stage and AGES skill required for maximum cytoreductive endometriosis surgery, after external validation, it can be implemented worldwide to reduce the risks and health care costs associated with multiple laparoscopic surgeries for women with suspected endometriosis.

Doppler Color Scoring (DCS) has been used to predict successful expectant management of incomplete miscarriage. The aim of this study was to assess inter- and intraobserver reproducibility of the DCS system in women with incomplete miscarriage noted on transvaginal sonography.This was a prospective reproducibility study involving offline analysis of 32 prerecorded video sets on transvaginal sonography in real time of women with incomplete miscarriage. Vascularization of retained products of conception was recorded using the DCS system adopted from the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis group. Five gynecologic sonologists of varying experience assigned a DCS classification to each video in the analysis. The same videos were reanalyzed, in a different order, at least 7 days later, to assess intraobserver agreement. Inter- and intraobserver correlations were performed to determine agreement. Interobserver agreement was also measured between each observer and the reference standard (G.C.). A Cohen's κ coefficient value less than 0 suggests poor agreement, 0.01 to 0.20 slight, 0.21 to 0.40 fair, 0.41 to 0.60 moderate, 0.61 to 0.80 substantial, and 0.81 and 0.99 almost perfect.Interobserver agreement for all observers for DCS allocation ranged from 0.480 to 0.751. Overall interobserver agreement for 5 observers was substantial (κ, 0.626). Overall interobserver agreements for the 2 inexperienced and 3 experienced observers compared to G.C. were 0.521 and 0.618, respectively. Experienced observers achieved overall almost perfect intraobserver agreement, compared to substantial agreement for inexperienced sonologists.DCS interobserver reproducibility between all observers and GC ranged from moderate to substantial. DCS intraobserver reproducibility was substantial to almost perfect. The DCS system appears to be a reproducible tool in evaluating women with incomplete miscarriage.

Study Objective Deep endometriosis transvaginal ultrasound (DE TVS) is accurate in the detection of ovarian and DE; however, realization of its full potential and utilization remains variable. As such, patients may require a two-step surgical approach (diagnostic followed by therapeutic laparoscopy) or experience incomplete surgical treatment. Besides the clinical implications, the economic impact of a two-step approach to diagnosis and treatment on the healthcare system is likely to be significant. We aim to compare the economic costs of two diagnostic models of care for patients with potential endometriosis. Design A health economics study using a Markov model with a 12-month time horizon. Setting A tertiary gynecology clinic. Patients or Participants A hypothetical population of 1000 patients visiting a public gynecology clinic for potential endometriosis. Interventions Comparison of the conventional model (M1), which includes the basic TVS and diagnostic laparoscopy, and the novel model (M2), which includes the DE TVS. Measurements and Main Results The Markov model was built to estimate the change to government, health service and patient costs with the adoption of the DE TVS compared to standard diagnostic methods. Australian dollars (AUD) are also depicted in the United States and Canadian dollars (USD and CAD). Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was conducted to capture the uncertainty in the information used to populate the models. The total annual cost of novel model (M2) is $12,547,724.03 AUD / $8,989,464.34 USD / $11,982,759.48 CAD, cheaper than the conventional model (M1), which cost $13,472,161.67 AUD / $9,651,751.71 USD / $12,865,574.08 CAD. Conclusion For a population of 1000 women, the integration of the DE TVS may save healthcare costs of $924,437.64 AUD / $662,287.37 USD / $882,814.59 CAD annually.