Gynecological endocrinology : the official journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology
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Gynecol. Endocrinol. · Dec 2012
ReviewFertility preservation for women with malignant diseases: ethical aspects and risks.
As cancer treatment becomes more and more effective, there is greater life expectancy for cancer patients. Because of this, depending upon the modality used in the treatment of cancer, the matter of infertility emerges before us as an issue of increasing significance. Sperm cryopreservation and embryo cryopreservation are well-established methods of fertility preservation (FP). ⋯ The advances in this branch of medicine, however, have also brought about new ethical, medical and legal issues. Some of these include problems with obtaining the informed consent of minors, issues that arise because of the experimental nature of some methods, financial problems and the accessibility of FP methods, and the question of what happens to gametes when a patient dies. This review seeks to discuss, in the light of current literature, some ethical and technical issues and risks related to the implementation of FP methods in women with cancer.
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Gynecol. Endocrinol. · Oct 2012
Recommendations on the management of fragility fracture risk in women younger than 70 years.
The risk for fragility fracture represents a problem of enormous magnitude. It is estimated that only a small fraction of women with this risk take the benefit of preventive measures. The relationship between estrogen and bone mass is well known as they are the other factors related to the risk for fracture. ⋯ Afterwards, there is a period of greater resorption, albeit less intense but continuous, when one could utilise anti-resorptive treatments such as bisphosphonates or denosumab or a dual agent like strontium ranelate. Bone formation treatment, such as parathyroid hormone (PTH), in women under 70 years will be uncommon. That is because it should be used in cases where the formation is greatly diminished and there is a high risk for fracture, something found in much older women.
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Gynecol. Endocrinol. · Apr 2012
Skeletal status and body composition in young women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea.
Functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) related to hypoestrogenism and hormonal status may influence skeletal homeostasis and body composition. The study aimed to evaluate hormones concentrations, body composition and bone strength in FHA cases. ⋯ Patients with FHA were characterized by lower concentrations of serum FSH, LH and estradiol concentrations. Moreover, FHA cases had decreased FM and an imbalanced relationship between BW, FM, and LBM. Despite reduced BMD and BMC, bone strength was not significantly affected by FHA.
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Iron-deficiency anaemia, the condition in which anaemia occurs due to a lack of iron, develops when the amount of available iron is insufficient to support normal red blood cell production. Iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anaemia, very prevalent conditions in premenopausal women, are often associated with menometrorrhagia (present in more than two-thirds of cases of iron-deficiency anaemia in premenopausal women). Appropriate identification and treatment of iron deficiency is imperative as iron deficiency can induce important specific clinical manifestations (including fatigue, atrophic changes in the epithelium, oral lesions, dysphagia, nail lesions, reduced immune response). ⋯ Based on World Health Organisation recommendations, the most appropriate treatment is with an oral ferrous salt in a prolonged-release tablet form, to provide a dose of elemental iron equivalent to 60 mg per intake, in the range of 60 and 120 mg/day according to the severity of iron-deficiency anaemia. When haemoglobin levels have returned to normal, treatment should continue for about 3 months to fill iron stores. An extended-release formulation of ferrous sulphate with mucoproteose has been shown to be associated with a lower incidence of gastrointestinal adverse effects compared with other ferrous and ferric salts.
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Gynecol. Endocrinol. · Dec 2011
Case ReportsOrnithine transcarbamylase deficiency diagnosed in pregnancy.
Urea cycle enzymes deficiencies are rare metabolic disorders. Ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency is the most common type. The syndrome results from a deficiency of the mitochondrial enzyme OTC which catalyses the conversion of ornithine and carbamoyl phosphate to citrulline. ⋯ The prognosis of OTC deficiency is better for those with an onset after infancy, but morbidity from brain damage does not appear to be linked to the number of episodes of hyperammonemia that have occurred. However, early diagnosis and prompt initiation of ammonia-lowering treatment are essential for survival of these patients. This case presents a patient who was diagnosed with OTC deficiency following mental confusion during pregnancy.