Zentralbl Gynakol

[Echinococcosis--case report and review of the literature]

Year 1998
Moller S. Kairies M. Krause BT.
Klinik und Poliklinik fur Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universitat Greifswald.
Echinococcosis is a rare disease in central Europe. But with the increasing numbers of foreign citizens, this disease becomes more important in cases of cystic processes of unknown origin. It is still very difficult to achieve a diagnosis and a subsequent therapy, particularly in cases of multiple cysts, means a long lasting process containing certain risks. We report on a 20 years old female patient, suspected to have a severe inflammatory pelvic disease. We found multiple abdominal cysts, not originating from or involving ovaries, tubes, bowel, liver or kidneys. The serologic investigations proved our clinical suspicion on an echinococcosis. But neither serology nor clinical investigations could provide any indication on which kind of echinococcosis we found. We started a therapy with high doses of mebendazole to achieve a shrinkage of the multiple cysts to enable a surgery.

[Electrophysiologic studies of fecal incontinence in the woman]

Year 1998
Jost WH. Loch EG. Muller-Lobeck H.
Fachbereiche Neurologie/Klin. Neurophysiologie, Deutsche Klinik fur Diagnostik, Wiesbaden.
The cause of urinary or fecal incontinence may be a complex one. A central or peripheral neurogenic lesion is frequently found to be accounting for the problem. The diagnosis should be specified by neurologic examinations and adequate neurophysiologic workup prior to any conservative or surgical treatment. Of particular expressiveness are, neurological history, both neurography of the pudendal nerve and electromyography of the external anal sphincter. Additional measures such as recording of the motor or sensory potentials, determination of reflex latencies and an electromyogram of other striated muscles of the pelvic floor may be taken as needed. Close co-operation of gynecologists, proctologists, and neurophysiologically trained neurologists will help to improve the prospects of treatment and avoid inappropriate therapeutic approaches.

[Obesity and risk of cancer in the woman]

Year 1998
Schindler AE.
Zentrum fur Frauenheilkunde, Universitatsklinikum Essen.
Experimental studies in animals and investigations in human beings have demonstrated that an increase of body fat mass and the increase of the waist/hip-ratio raises the risk of endometrial and breast cancer. There are also indications for an influence on ovarian and colon cancer. These effects by adipose tissue are created by endocrine changes such as an increase of total and free estradiol, changes in progesterone secretion, protein binding concentrations, growth factors and receptor action. Besides the increased risk for cancer there is also an effect on prognosis.