GnRH agonists and antagonists in therapy of symptomatic uterine fibroids - current roles and future perspectives

Rheumatoid Arthritis-Like Symptoms After Taking Relugolix, With Primary Exacerbation After Discontinuation of the Drug

We report a case of a 43-year-old woman who developed rheumatoid arthritis-like symptoms after taking relugolix, presenting a diagnostic challenge in distinguishing between initial symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and the side effects of the drug. The patient, scheduled for a total laparoscopic hysterectomy owing to uterine fibroids, started taking relugolix five and a half months prior to surgery. Three months later, she developed rheumatoid arthritis-like stiffness in both hands, especially in the mornings. Despite consultations with the rheumatology department and negative blood and imaging findings for rheumatoid arthritis, her joint symptoms worsened after surgery. Treatment for early-stage rheumatoid arthritis was initiated, and the symptoms peaked after six months. Similar to estrogen-lowering aromatase inhibitors that are known to cause joint symptoms, relugolix might also induce these effects.

Clinical Outcomes of Conservative Surgery for Diffuse Uterine Leiomyomatosis: Preliminary Experience of 17 Cases in a Single Center

This study aimed to introduce the clinical outcomes of conservative surgery for diffuse uterine leiomyomatosis, which also included the specialized surgical technique. All patients with diffuse uterine leiomyomatosis underwent conservative surgery such as transient occlusion of the uterine arteries (TOUA) adenomyomectomy. All 17 surgeries were performed by a single surgeon between 2018 and 2021. The mean age of the 17 patients was 36.12 years old (range 29-48, SD = 5.4). Fourteen of the 17 patients received a previous myomectomy via a laparotomic (6, 35.3%), laparoscopic (6, 35.3%), or hysteroscopic (2, 11.8%) approach. The major symptom was menorrhagia (94.1%); the mean operation time was 97.06 min (70-160, SD = 22.71), and the mean estimated blood loss was 283.53 mL (20-1000, SD = 273.72). The mean hemoglobin level one day after the operation was 9.64 g/dL (7.2-13.1, SD = 1.85). The mean hospital stay was 6.47 days (6-8, SD = 0.62). The mean follow-up duration was 116.41 weeks (32-216, SD = 50.88). The recurrence rate was 5/17 (29.4%), and the recurrence-free interval was 50.6 weeks (27-87, SD = 23.71). In patients with diffuse uterine leiomyomatosis, who want fertility preservation and relief of disease-related symptoms, conservative surgery such as TOUA adenomyomectomy could be a good option to preserve the uterus. However, further studies are required to assess fertility outcomes with a long-term follow-up.

Evidence-Based Approach for Secondary Prevention of Uterine Fibroids (The ESCAPE Approach)

Uterine fibroids (UFs) are common tumors in women of reproductive age. It is imperative to comprehend UFs' associated risk factors to facilitate early detection and prevention. Simple relying on surgical/pharmacological treatment of advanced disease is not only highly expensive, but it also deprives patients of good quality of life (QOL). Unfortunately, even if the disease is discovered early, no medical intervention is traditionally initiated until the disease burden becomes high, and only then is surgical intervention performed. Furthermore, after myomectomy, the recurrence rate of UFs is extremely high with the need for additional surgeries and other interventions. This confused approach is invasive and extremely costly with an overall negative impact on women's health. Secondary prevention is the management of early disease to slow down its progression or even halt it completely. The current approach of watchful observation for early disease is considered a major missed opportunity in the literature. The aim of this article is to present an approach named the ESCAPE (Evidence-Based Approach for Secondary Prevention) of UF management. It comprises simple, inexpensive, and safe steps that can arrest the development of UFs, promote overall reproductive health, decrease the number of unnecessary surgeries, and save billions of health care systems' dollars worldwide.