Efficacy of hysteroscopic septum resection in infertile women: a single center experience

INTRODUCTION

We aimed to reveal the effectiveness of hysteroscopic septum resection on the reproductive outcomes of infertile patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We included 46 infertile women who underwent hysteroscopic septum resection of septate uterus (complete: group 1, n = 21; incomplete: group 2, n = 25). Only patients with a septate uterus as the cause of infertility were included in the study. Patients' age, body mass, duration of infertility, type of infertility, duration of surgery, surgical complications, remnant septa, and postoperative reproductive results were recorded.

RESULTS

Preoperative abortion was found to be nine (42.9%) in group 1 and 15 (60.0%) in group 2. In the postoperative control HSG, remnant septa was found to be significantly higher in group 1 compared to group 2 (three patients or 14.3% and 0%, respectively). Pregnancy was detected in 13 patients (61.9%) in group 1 and 18 patients (72%) in group 2 at the postsurgical follow-up. Abortion occurred for two patients (9.5%) in group 1 and three patients (12%) in group 2.

CONCLUSION

We obtained positive growth results after hysteroscopic septum resection in both the complete and incomplete cases. However, we found that the duration of surgery was prolonged and the rate of remnant septa increased in cases with a complete septum.

PALM-COEIN classification system of FIGO vs the classic terminology in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the FIGO's novel classification system versus the classic terminology in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A retrospective study was carried out between August 2015 and September 2019 in the Health Sciences University Gazi Yaşargil Training and Research Hospital. The pathology reports of the patients were classified according to the PALM-COEIN method and were compared with classical terminology. The operated patients with fibroids reported in the pathology results were classified as subgroups of fibroids.

RESULTS

Evaluation was made of a total of 515 women with abnormal uterine bleeding. According to the classical terminology, 137 (26.6%) patients were defined with hypermenorrhea, 74 (14.4%) with menorrhagia, 57 (11.1%) with metrorrhagia, and 246 (47.8%) with menometrorrhagia. In the PALM-COEIN classification system, polyps were determined in 84 (16.3%) cases, adenomyosis in 228 [diffuse adenomyosis: 196 (38.1%), local adenomyosis: 32 (6.2%)], leiomyoma in 386 [submu-cous: 161 (31.1%), other types: 225 (43.9%)], and malignancy and hyperplasia in 47 (9.1%).

CONCLUSIONS

The classical terminology for abnormal uterine bleeding is insufficient in terms of etiological pathologies in non-pregnant women of reproductive age. The widespread use of this novel system for the abnormal uterine bleeding classification will provide a more useful communication between physicians and researchers.

The effect of vaginal disinfection on reducing post-caesarean endometritis: A prospective, randomised controlled trial

PURPOSE

We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of vaginal disinfection using 10 % povidone-iodine on rates of endometritis from post-caesarean infectious diseases before elective caesarean section (CS).

METHODS

A total of 270 pregnant women who chose to undergo elective CS were recruited for this prospective randomised controlled study. The experimental group comprised 130 patients who had preoperatively undergone vaginal disinfection with 10 % povidone-iodine for 30 s. The control group consisted of 140 patients who had not undergone any vaginal implication before CS. The primary outcome measure was the rate of postpartum endometritis for each group. Intraoperatively, all patients who had closed uterine cervical canals underwent a digital opening of the internal and external cervical canal to equalise the groups. All of the participants were checked for endometritis one week after CS at the hospital. Additionally, for the week before and after surgery, C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell (WBC) values were assessed for both groups. Ethics committee approval number: 339. Statistical analysis was performed using R version 3.5.1 (R statistical Software, Institute for Statistics and Mathematics, Vienna, Austria).

RESULTS

The groups were balanced in terms of the patients' demographic characteristics. There were no significant differences between the two groups according to endometritis rates: 4.6 % in the study group versus 6.4 % in the control group (p > 0.05). The CRP and WBC values before CS were similar in both groups. In the study group, the CRPand WBC values after CS were lower, whereas they were higher in the control group after CS; these differences were significant (p = 0.01 for CRP and p = 0.001 for WBC).

CONCLUSION

Vaginal disinfection with povidone-iodine solution 10 % before elective CS does not significantly reduce post-caesarean endometritis rates; however, it does significantly reduce inflammatory markers such as CRP and WBC.

Explanatory variables and nomogram of a clinical prediction model to estimate the risk of caesarean section after term induction

The aims of this study were to identify the explanatory variables associated with failure of induction of labour (IOL) and to designate nomograms that predict probability. This retrospective study included 1328 singleton term pregnant women (37-42 weeks). The penalised maximum likelihood estimation (PMLE) method was used instead of traditional logistic regression. Of the 25,678 deliveries that occurred during the study period, 1328 (5.1%) women underwent term delivery. Of those, 1125 (84.7%) had successful vaginal deliveries and 203 (15.3%) had failed vaginal deliveries following use of a dinoprostone slow-release vaginal insert. Explanatory variables were discovered that were associated with delivery failure in term pregnancy undergoing induction of labour with an unfavourable cervix, and a nomogram that predicted probability was developed.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? The caesarean rate has continued to climb worldwide over the past decade. Most caesarean sections are performed because of suspected foetal distress or failure to progress. In absolute numbers, most caesarean deliveries are performed in women with a term pregnancy with a foetus in cephalic presentation. Despite these numbers, predicting the mode of delivery by which these women will deliver remains a challenge.What do the results of this study add? Five explanatory variables were strongly associated with failure of dinoprostone delivery of term pregnancies: nulliparity, induction time, premature rupture of membranes, Bishop score and foetal genderWhat are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and further research? The developed nomograms enable fast and easy implementation in clinical practice. After external validation and proof of generalisability, the present model could be used in obstetric clinical management.

Does ischaemia-modified albumin level predict clomiphene citrate resistant polycystic ovary syndrome patients?

This study aims to examine the role of ischaemic-modified albumin (IMA) in predicting clomiphene citrate (CC) resistance in patients with CC-resistant and CC-sensitive infertile polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Sixty women patients admitted to the infertility clinic were evaluated. The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 comprised 30 infertile PCOS patients with CC resistance; group 2 was the control group comprising 30 infertile PCOS patients with CC sensitivity. Serum IMA levels of PCOS patients with CC resistance were significantly higher than CC sensitivity patients (p < .001). The independent variables BMI and age effects were adjusted according to the logistic regression method with groups. Significant differences were observed between the two groups in the levels of IMA (p = .0005), HOMA-IR (p = .0045), insulin (p = .022), free testosterone (p = .0001) and total testosterone (p = .03) values. By using ROC curve analysis for IMA between study and control groups, cut off point of IMA was calculated as 0.505 U/mL, sensitivity was 80% and specificity was 63%. The area under the curve was 0.926. This shows us that more oxidative stress (OS) occurs in the CC-resistant group. As a reflection of OS in the follicular endocrine, microenvironment may be linked with impaired oocyte developmental competence and embryo quality in association with increased IMA, free testosterone, total testosterone, insulin and HOMA-IR levels.Impact statementWhat is already known on this subject? In previous studies, IMA was compared between PCOS and control groups. In this study, serum IMA levels were measured in infertile PCOS patients resistant to CC for the first time.What the results of this study add? Serum IMA levels were significantly higher in resistant infertile PCOS patients compared to the control group. This shows us that more OS occurs in the CC-resistant group.What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? IMA will be a guide for PCOS management in patients with CC-resistant PCOS.

Factors associated with complications of vaginal hysterectomy in patients with pelvic organ prolapse - a single centre's experience

OBJECTIVES

The study aimed to examine the predisposing factors that play a role in the development of complications in patients undergoing vaginal hysterectomy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This retrospective analysis was performed on data provided from 239 patients who underwent vaginal hysterectomy due to uterine prolapse at a single centre between January 2008 and August 2018. Complications were defined according to Clavien-Dindo classification of complications. The patients were divided into two groups: with and without complications. We built a model using multivariable logistic regression to examine the relationships between complications and five candidate predictors.

RESULTS

Intra/postoperative complications developed in 30 patients, and the complication rate was found to be 12.5%. 87.2% of the reported complications were classified as Grade ≤ 2 according to Clavien-Dindo system. It was found that complications were associated with factors such as intraoperative concurrent salpingo-oophorectomy [Odds ratio (OR): 1.24 (1.1-1.4)], low preoperative haemoglobin [OR: 0.96 (0.94-0.98)], uterine weight [OR: 2.69 (2.62-2.76)], and long operation time [OR: 1.04 (1.02-1.07)]. History of pelvic surgery was not found to increase complication rate [OR: 1.11 (0.96-1.27), p = 0.13]. Our multiple logistic regression model correctly classified 74% of participants within the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative anaemia, large uterus and concomitant adnexectomy were found to be factors associated with complications during and after vaginal hysterectomy for pelvic organ prolapse.

Increased oxidative stress is associated with thiol/disulphide homeostasis in clomiphene citrate resistant polycystic ovary syndrome

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relation CC resistant PCOS and the thiol/disulphide homeostasis, used as a marker of OS, by measuring that exchange using a novel technique. Sixty women patients admitted to the infertility clinic were evaluated. The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 comprised 30 infertile PCOS patients with CC resistance; Group 2 was the control group comprising 30 infertile PCOS patients with CC sensitivity. Serum total thiol (p = .024), native thiol (p = .0052), disulphide (p = .003), index 1 (p = .001), index 2 (p = .001) and index 3 (p = .001), HOMA-IR (p < .001) and free testosterone (p < .001) were statistically significant. The independent variables BMI and age effects were adjusted according to the logistic regression method with groups. Significant differences were observed between the two groups in the levels of native thiol (p* = .0042), total thiol (p* = .024), disulphide (p* = .0003), index 1 (p* = .0001) index 2 (p*= .0001), index 3 (p* = .0001), HOMA-IR (p* = .0044), insulin (p*= .032) and free testosterone (p* = .0001) values. The thiol/disulphide homeostasis viewed in favour of OS. Like a reflection of OS in the follicular endocrine microenvironment may be linked with increased thiol/disulphide homeostasis, free testosterone, insulin and HOMA-IR levels.Impact statementWhat is already known about this subject? In previous studies, thiol/disulphide homeostasis was compared between PCOS and control groups. In this study, serum thiol/disulphide homeostasis was measured in infertile PCOS patients resistant to CC for the first time.What do the results of this study add? Disulphide concentrations were significantly higher in patients with CC resistant patients thanthe control group. This shows us that more OS occurs in the CC-resistant group.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and further research? Thiol/disulphide homeostasis will be a guide for PCOS management in patients with CC-resistant PCOS.

The prevalence of uterine anomalies in infertile patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: A retrospective study in a tertiary center in Southeastern Turkey

Objective:

To evaluate the prevalence of uterine anomalies in infertile patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) admitted to our tertiary hospital in Southeastern Turkey.

Materials and Methods:

The files of 3033 patients with infertility who presented to the infertility polyclinics were retrospectively analyzed, and uterine anomalies were detected in 131 patients. Seven hundred ten of these patients were evaluated as having PCOS, 55 of whom had uterine anomalies. Patients with PCOS were also divided into two subgroups as those with primary and secondary infertility.

Results:

Of the 3033 patients with infertility who were evaluated, 57 (8%) of 710 infertile patients with PCOS, and 74 (3%) of 2323 non-PCOS patients with infertility had uterine anomalies. A statistically significant difference was found between the two groups (p<0.001), and no significant difference was found between the primary and secondary infertile PCOS subgroups (p=0.3). Septate uteri and arcuate uteri had a high prevalence in the PCOS group, and no t-shaped or hypoplastic uteruses were observed in this group.

Conclusion:

To or knowledge, this is the first study in our region to examine the relation between PCOS and Müllerian anomalies. We demonstrated uterine anomalies and their prevalence in patients with infertility. A more careful examination is required in order to determine the incidence of uterine anomalies in patients with PCOS.

A comparison between a combination of letrozole and clomiphene citrate versus gonadotropins for ovulation induction in infertile patients with clomiphene citrateresistant polycystic ovary syndrome - a retrospective study

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to compare a combination treatment with CC plus letrozole versus gonadotropins in CC-resistant polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients with regard to ovulation and clinical pregnancy rate.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

One hundred sixteen CC-resistant infertile PCOS patients were evaluated retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 (n = 73) received CC plus letrozole, and Group 2 (n = 43) received gonadotropins.

RESULTS

The ovulation rate in Group 1 was 65/73 (89%), the pregnancy rate was 13/73 (18%), the twin foetuses rate was 1/73 (1.3%) and the miscarriage rate was 2/73 (2.7%). In Group 2, the ovulation rate was 41/43 (95%), and the pregnancy rate was 8/43 (19%) the rate of the twin foetuses was 1/43 (2.3%) and the miscarriage rate was 1/43 (2.3%). There was no statistically significant difference in the ovulation (p = 0.25), pregnancy (p = 0.91), twin foetuses (p = 0.89) and miscarriage p = 0.89) rates between two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This new drug combination suggests that it may be a lower cost, lower risk alternative treatment that increases the rate of ovulation. Larger randomized clinical trials are needed to provide information on live birth rates of this combination.

Unscarred uterine rupture and subsequent pregnancy outcome - a tertiary centre experience

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence, etiology and obstetric outcomes of rupture in unscarred uterine rupture and in those with a history of uterine rupture MATERIAL AND METHODS: The hospital records of women who had delivered between May 2005 and May 2017 at a tertiary center were examined retrospectively. Data on patients with unscarred uterine rupture in pregnancy who had undergone fertility-preserving surgery were evaluated.

RESULTS

During the study period, 185,609 deliveries occurred. Of those, unscarred uterine rupture has occurred in 67 women. There were no ruptures reported in nulliparous women. The rupture was observed in the isthmic region in 60 (89.6%) patients and in the fundus in 7 (10.4%) patients. Thirty-eight (56.7%) patients had undergone a total or subtotal hysterectomy, and 29 (43.3%) patients had received primary repair. Ten patients had reconceived after the repair. Of these, eight patients who had a history of isthmic rupture, successfully delivered by elective C-section at 36-37 wk. of gestation, and two experienced recurrent rupture at 33 and 34 wk. of gestation, respectively. Both patients had a history of fundal rupture, and their inter-pregnancy interval was 9 and 11 mo., respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of rupture in unscarred pregnant uteri was found to be one per 2,770 deliveries. Owing to the high morbidity, regarding more than half of the cases with rupture eventuated in hysterectomy, clinicians should be prudent in induction of labour for multiparous women since it was the main cause of rupture in this series. Short inter-pregnancy intervals and history of fundal rupture may confer a risk for rupture recurrence. Those risk factors for recurrence should be validated in another studies.

Ghrelin does not change in hyperemesis gravidarum

OBJECTIVES

Ghrelin levels can play an important role in maintaining the energy balance of pregnant women. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between HG and Ghrelin.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

50 female patients admitted to the VAN Yüzüncü Yıl University, Gynecology and Obstetrics Department were evaluated. The patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 included 25 pregnant women with HG, Group 2 included 25 healthy pregnant women.

RESULTS

The two groups showed similarities in terms of age, gravidity, B-HCG and gestational age. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of the Ghrelin levels (p = 0.867).

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that there is no difference between Ghrelin levels and HG during pregnancy. Increased Ghrelin in previous studies was attributed to low oral intake. Another study reported lower Ghrelin levels are not the result of, but are rather the cause of, reduced oral intake during. The balancing of these two conditions does not lead to a change in the level of Ghrelin.

Can clomiphene citrate resistance be predicted by RDW-CV levels in infertile women with PCOS?

Objective

To identify whether red blood cell distribution width coefficient of variation (RDW-CV) and mean platelet volume (MPV) levels can predict clomiphene citrate resistance (CC-R) in infertile, anovulatory females with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

Methods

A total of 89 infertile patients who were admitted to a tertiary center diagnosed with non-obese PCOS were included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups: the first group comprised 53 non-obese patients with PCOS and CC-R, and the second group included 36 non-obese patients with PCOS and CC-S. RDW-CV, RDW-SD, and MPV values, along with routine whole blood count parameters were compared between the groups.

Results

RDW-CV values were found to be significantly higher in the patients with CC-R compared to those with CC-S (P < 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values were found to be 69%, 58.1%, 34.5%, and 12.5%, respectively, at an RDW-CV level of 12.85. The odds ratio was calculated as 3.077 (95% CI 1.245-7.603) in terms of the cut-off point.

Conclusion

We think that RDW-CV which is a marker of inflammation is a simple, cheap, and accessible marker for the prediction of CC resistance.

Maternal serum thiol/disulfide homeostasis in pregnancies complicated by fetal hypoxia

We aimed to evaluate maternal serum thiol/disulphide homeostasis in pregnancies complicated by fetal distress (FD). A total of 100 patients beyond the 34th week of pregnancy were included in this study, and they were divided into two groups. The study group included 50 patients who had been diagnosed with FD; the control group was composed of 50 patients who had shown no signs of FD and who had undergone an elective (previous) caesarean section (CS). The native thiol, total thiol and native thiol/total thiol (%) concentrations were lower in Group 1 patients than Group 2 patients (p < .001). The disulphide, disulphide/native thiol (%) and disulphide/total thiol (%) concentrations were higher in Group 1 patients than Group 2 patients (p < .001). This study suggests that maternal thiol/disulphide homeostasis is impaired in pregnancies complicated by FD.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known about this subject? Oxidative stress (OS) has previously been investigated in FD. This study reports for the first time a new novel and automatic measurement method.What do the results of this study add? This study shows that the thiol balance shifts in the direction of disulphide in the cases of FD.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and further research? Thiol balance can be used for the timely diagnosis of FD.

Risk factors for relaparotomy after cesarean section due to hemorrhage: a tertiary center experience

Aim: This study aimed to examine the risk factors for relaparotomy after cesarean section (RLACS) due to bleeding.Material and methods: In this retrospective descriptive case-control study, women who underwent RLACS only for bleeding between 2008 and 2019 at a single tertiary center were examined (the center oversees approximately 25,000 deliveries per year). Maternal characteristics, postoperative findings, and surgical features were compared with a control group that included non-complicated cesarean sections (CS). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for relaparotomy.Results: Relaparotomy complicated 0.07% (n = 40) of CS during the study period (n = 58,095). When compared with the control group, age, parity, estimated blood loss (EBL), postoperative pulse, blood replacement, and length of hospital stay were statistically higher in patients undergoing relaparotomy, whereas their postoperative systolic and diastolic blood pressure were found to be low. A history of pelvic surgery, the need for intensive care, and complications were more frequent in patients undergoing relaparotomy. When CSs were grouped according to 8-h periods of the day, it emerged that relaparotomies were mostly performed on the patients who underwent CS after working hours. Time interval during the day of the CS [OR: 2.59 (1.10-6.12)] and high postoperative pulse rate [OR: 1.58 (1.28-1.96)] were found to be independent risk indicators for RLACS (AUC: 0.97).Conclusions: Monitoring vital signs in the postoperative period and increasing the number of physicians and nurses during off-hours in hospitals working with on-call duty procedures as determined by the Ministry of Health will reduce the incidence rate of relaparotomy, maternal morbidity, and mortality due to hemorrhage.

A Squamous Cell Carcinoma and a Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma Developing in a Patient with a Mature Cystic Teratoma

We present a very rare case of malignant transformation of a benign mature cystic teratoma. The pathology report revealed malignant transformation of both the epithelial and sarcomatous elements of a benign dermoid cyst. To the best of our knowledge, this appears to be the third case of a malignant fibrous histiocytoma and a squamous cell carcinoma developing from a mature cystic teratoma. Malignant transformation of a dermoid cyst is usually diagnosed postmenopausally, but our patient was premenopausal. The etiology and prognosis of malignant transformation of this benign condition remain unknown.

An analysis on the roles of angiogenesis-related factors including serum vitamin D, soluble endoglin (sEng), soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the diagnosis and severity of late-onset preeclampsia

AIM

The aim of this study was to evaluate the roles of proangiogenic factors including serum vitamin D and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and anti-angiogenic factors including soluble endoglin (sEng) and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1) in the diagnosis and severity of late-onset preeclampsia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was conducted at Yuzuncu Yil University Research and Education Hospital Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics. The study included a patient group of 40 women with late-onset preeclampsia who were pregnant at ≥32 weeks of gestation according to the last menstrual period (LMP) or ultrasonographic fetal biometric measurement and a control group of 40 healthy pregnant women who presented to our clinic for routine pregnancy examination and were at the same age and gestational period with those in the patient group. The two groups were compared in terms of maternal age, gravida, parity, week of gestation, systolic/diastolic blood pressure, total protein in spot urine sample, 24-h urine protein, white blood cell (WBC), hemoglobin (Hgb), platelet count, urea, creatinine, liver function tests (AST, ALT, LDH), vitamin D₃, 25(OH) vitamin D₃, 1,25(OH) vitamin D₃, sEng, sFlt1, and VEGF levels, mode of delivery, the infant APGAR score at 1 and 5 min after delivery, and infant weight at delivery.

RESULTS

The groups were similar in terms of age, gravida, parity, week of gestation, serum vitamin D₃, 25(OH) vitamin D₃, 1,25(OH)₂ vitamin D₃ and VEGF levels, and infant weight at delivery (p > 0.05). Systolic/diastolic blood pressure, total protein in spot urine sample, 24-h urine protein, WBC, Hgb, serum urea, creatine, AST, ALT, and LDH were significantly higher in the preeclamptic group compared to the healthy group (p < 0.05). However, thrombocyte level and the APGAR score at 1 and 5 min after delivery were significantly lower in the preeclamptic group compared to the healthy group (p < 0.05). No significant correlation was found between serum sEng, sFlt1, VEGF, vitamin D₃, 25(OH) vitamin D₃, and 1,25(OH)₂ vitamin D₃ levels. The sEng level was higher in the women with severe preeclampsia compared to the women with mild preeclampsia (p < 0.05) and no significant difference was observed in serum sFlt1, VEGF, vitamin D₃, 25(OH) vitamin D₃, and 1,25(OH)₂ vitamin D₃ levels between the subgroups of preeclampsia (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Both sEng and sFlt1 levels are remarkably high in patients with late-onset preeclampsia; however, only sEng may be a useful tool in the determination of the severity of preeclampsia.

Blood pressure and pulse rate changes associated with cervical traction

BACKGROUND

This study was carried out at the Physiotherapy unit of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, to observe the effects of continuous cervical traction for 10 minutes on arterial blood pressure and pulse rate.

METHODS

Forty healthy subjects free of any cardiovascular complications, participated in the study. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and pulse rate (PR), were recorded before, during and after the application of cervical traction 10% body weight, using spty-pulse 2000 Electronic sphygmomanometer.

RESULT

Analysis of variance showed statistically significant (P < 0.05) increase in systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and pulse rate (PR) from 114.6 +/- 10.4 mmHg, 72.4 +/- 9.5 mmHg and 71.7 +/- 5.9 beats/min to 123.5 +/- 9.8 mmHg, 77.9 +/- 8.9 mmHg and 78.2 +/- 5.7 beats/min respectively following traction.

CONCLUSION

It is advised that clinicians should comprehensively assess all cardiovascular parameters of patients before applying cervical traction.

Detection of chromosomal abnormalities by fluorescent in-situ hybridization in immotile viable spermatozoa determined by hypo-osmotic sperm swelling test

If randomly selected immotile spermatozoa are used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), pregnancy rates are significantly decreased. The hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOST) is the only method available to detect the viable, but immotile spermatozoa for ICSI. However, evidence is still lacking for the chromosomal abnormalities for the normal-looking, but immotile spermatozoa positive for HOST. Sperm samples from 20 infertile men with normal chromosomal constitution were obtained. After Percoll separation, morphologically normal but immotile spermatozoa were transported individually into HOST solution for 1 min using micropipettes. Cells that showed tail curling with swelling in HOST were then transferred back into human tubal fluid solution to allow reversal of swelling. These sperm cells were fixed and processed for the multi-colour fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) for chromosomes X, Y and 18. The same FISH procedure was applied for the motile spermatozoa from the same cohort, which formed the control group. The average aneuploidy rates were 1.70 and 1.54% in 1000 HOST positive immotile and motile spermatozoa respectively detected by FISH for each patient. Our results indicate that morphologically normal, immotile but viable spermatozoa have an aneuploidy rate similar to that of normal motile spermatozoa.