We describe the design of a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of endometrial polyp removal in women with postmenopausal bleeding. We designed a trial in which patients with postmenopausal bleeding and endometrial thickness >4 mm undergo hysteroscopy. If during hysteroscopy an endometrial polyp was diagnosed, patients were asked to participate in this trial and after informed consent allocated to immediate removal of the polyp or expectant management. This trial suffered from lack of recruitment related both to doctors seeking for informed consent as well as to patients’ unwillingness to participate in this trial. However, a randomised controlled trial on this subject is still necessary to evaluate the efficacy of uterine cavity evaluation in the diagnostic work‐up of women with postmenopausal bleeding, focussing on benign pathology. Therefore, we propose an alternative design, which might be more feasible.
To estimate the accuracy of endometrial thickness measurement in the detection of endometrial cancer among women with postmenopausal bleeding with individual patient data using different meta-analytic strategies.Original data sets of studies detected after reviewing the included studies of three previous reviews on this subject. An additional literature search of published articles using MEDLINE databases was preformed from January 2000 to December 2006 to identify articles reporting on endometrial carcinoma and sonographic endometrial thickness measurement in women with postmenopausal bleeding.We identified 90 studies reporting on endometrial thickness measurements and endometrial carcinoma in women with postmenopausal bleeding.We contacted 79 primary investigators to obtain the individual patient data of their reported studies, of which 13 could provide data. Data on 2,896 patients, of which 259 had carcinoma, were included. Several approaches were used in the analyses of the acquired data. First, we performed receiver operator characteristics (ROC) analysis per study, resulting in a summary area under the ROC curve (AUC) calculated as a weighted mean of AUCs from original studies. Second, individual patient data were pooled and analyzed with ROC analyses irrespective of study with standardization of distributional differences across studies using multiples of the median and by random effects logistic regression. Finally, we also used a two-stage procedure, calculating sensitivities and specificities for each study and using the bivariate random effects model to estimate summary estimates for diagnostic accuracy. This resulted in rather comparable ROC curves with AUCs varying between 0.82 and 0.84 and summary estimates for sensitivity and specificity located along these curves. These curves indicated a lower AUC than previously reported meta-analyses using conventional techniques.Previous meta-analyses on endometrial thickness measurement probably have overestimated its diagnostic accuracy in the detection of endometrial carcinoma. We advise the use of cutoff level of 3 mm for exclusion of endometrial carcinoma in women with postmenopausal bleeding.
Abstract Introduction The Pro TWIN trial previously showed no beneficial effect of treatment with a cervical pessary vs usual care to prevent preterm birth in women with a multiple pregnancy. However, in women with a midtrimester short cervix (<38 mm), pessary did reduce the composite outcome of neonatal morbidity and mortality. This follow‐up study evaluates the long‐term outcomes of all children born to mothers who participated in the Pro TWIN trial at 4 years of age. Material and methods Parents received the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire and a health questionnaire. All questionnaires were reported separately and as a combined outcome (abnormal child outcome). A linear mixed effects model was used to adjust for correlated data in twins and correction for confounders was performed. In exploratory analysis, a composite outcome of death or survival with abnormal child outcome was used by combining extrapolated data on child outcome with survival data. All data were analyzed for the total group and the subgroup of women with midtrimester short cervix. Results Of the original 813 women of the ProTWIN trial, we approached 579, of whom 258 participated (45%) in follow‐up. We received questionnaires of 514 children (281 pessary vs 233 control), with 119 children in the subgroup of women with midtrimester short cervix. An abnormal child outcome was found in 23% in the pessary group vs 16% in the control group (odds ratio 1.58; 95% confidence interval 0.94‐2.65). In exploratory analysis with extrapolated data on child outcome (n = 815), no difference in abnormal child outcome was seen between the pessary and control group. In the subgroup of women with a short cervix (n = 268), this composite outcome indicated a favorable outcome for children born to mothers with pessary. Conclusions In women with a multiple pregnancy, the use of a cervical pessary did not improve development, behavior or physical outcomes of the surviving children at age 4.
Log in or Register Subscribe to journalSubscribe Get new issue alertsGet alerts Enter your Email address: Wolters Kluwer Health may email you for journal alerts and information, but is committed to maintaining your privacy and will not share your personal information without your express consent. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy. Subscribe to eTOC Secondary Logo Journal Logo All Articles Images Videos Podcasts Blogs Advanced Search Toggle navigation Subscribe Register Login Articles & Issues Current IssuePrevious Issues Collections Obstetric Airway ManagementMaternal EmbolismRegional Anesthesia for Cesarean SectionGeneral Anesthesia for Cesarean SectionAnalgesia for LaborObstetric HemorrhagePre-Eclampsia/EclampsiaPharmacologyTraumaInfection and SepsisMaternal ObesityMaternl Morbidity and MortalityNeonatal Morbidity and MortalityObstetric ComplicationsAnesthetic ComplicationsNon-Obstetric Maternal DiseaseCritical CareDrug Abuse in PregnancyEthicsSystems Based Practice For Authors Information for AuthorsLanguage Editing Services Journal Info About the JournalEditorial BoardAdvertisingOpen AccessSubscription ServicesReprintsRights and Permissions All Articles Images Videos Podcasts Blogs Advanced Search
Log in or Register Subscribe to journalSubscribe Get new issue alertsGet alerts Enter your Email address: Wolters Kluwer Health may email you for journal alerts and information, but is committed to maintaining your privacy and will not share your personal information without your express consent. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy. Subscribe to eTOC Secondary Logo Journal Logo All Articles Images Videos Podcasts Blogs Advanced Search Toggle navigation Subscribe Register Login Articles & Issues Current IssuePrevious Issues Collections Obstetric Airway ManagementMaternal EmbolismRegional Anesthesia for Cesarean SectionGeneral Anesthesia for Cesarean SectionAnalgesia for LaborObstetric HemorrhagePre-Eclampsia/EclampsiaPharmacologyTraumaInfection and SepsisMaternal ObesityMaternl Morbidity and MortalityNeonatal Morbidity and MortalityObstetric ComplicationsAnesthetic ComplicationsNon-Obstetric Maternal DiseaseCritical CareDrug Abuse in PregnancyEthicsSystems Based Practice For Authors Information for AuthorsLanguage Editing Services Journal Info About the JournalEditorial BoardAdvertisingOpen AccessSubscription ServicesReprintsRights and Permissions All Articles Images Videos Podcasts Blogs Advanced Search
Objective To assess the ability of the Bishop score to predict the mode of delivery in women scheduled for induction of labor at term. Study Design We performed a systematic literature search of electronic databases from inception to July 2009. Studies reporting on both the Bishop score and the outcome of labor in women scheduled for induction of labor at term were eligible. We used a bivariate model to estimate a summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC) curve for the outcome cesarean delivery. Results We included 40 primary articles reporting on 13,757 women. Study quality was mediocre. The sROC curve of the Bishop score in the prediction of cesarean delivery indicated a poor predictive capacity. For the prediction of cesarean delivery, the sensitivity-specificity combinations were 47%-75%, 61%-53% and 78%-44% for the Bishop scores of 4, 5, and 6, respectively. For a Bishop score below 9, the sensitivity-specificity combination was 95%-30%. Conclusion The Bishop score is a poor predictor for the outcome of induced labor at term and should not be used to decide whether to induce labor or not.
