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Different aetiologies in post-partum thyroiditis?

During a 4 year period 19 women with post-partum onset of thyroid dysfunction have been seen in our clinic. Five women had high radioiodine uptake thyrotoxicosis (Graves' disease). Twelve women had hypothyroid symptoms starting within 3-6 months of delivery. All of these women had thyroid microsomal and/or cytoplasmic autoantibodies and thyroid lymphocytic infiltration suggesting aggravation of pre-existing subclinical autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's disease). At follow-up thyroid function gradually improved in all but signs of persistent thyroid hypofunction remained in seven. Thus women developing symptomatic postpartum hypothyroidism should be followed regularly and when thyroxine treatment is commenced in the post-partum period, it has to be continued indefinitely in many cases. Two women presented with transient low radioiodine uptake thyrotoxicosis and a small painless goitre. Thyroid cytology revealed thyroiditis but they had no thyroid autoantibodies. When followed after a succeeding delivery none of these women developed post-partum thyroid dysfunction in contrast to women in the autoimmune group. Probably the aetiology of thyroid dysfunction in these 2 women was different.

Autoimmune Diseases↗

Psychoanalytic constructions of female development and women's conflicts about achievement--Part II.

Central to the dynamics that underlie women's conflicts about their own autonomous achievements are the reappraised psychoanalytic concepts of penis envy and masochism. These ideas need not be abandoned because of the phallocentric bias that is responsible for their initial formulation. When they are conceptualized as serving defensive ego-maintaining functions for the woman, their richness in expressing aspects of women's psychological experiences becomes evident. Both culturally ascribed meanings to physiological differences and the physical differences themselves have an impact on an individual's developing psychological sense of self, and of self in relation to others. Girls and boys have different anatomies, which give rise to different bodily sensations, different definitions of what is acceptable and what is taboo, and arouse different feelings and reactions in caretakers on whom the child is dependent. The girl's developmental task of separation and individuation is complicated in two major ways that are relevant to adult women's achievement-related conflicts. First, as a female child, she is both more closely identified with her mother and more closely identified with by her mother. Her sensitivity to relationship and loss--particularly in her bond to her mother--grows in part from the intensities of these reciprocal identifications and from the capacities for empathic, affective relating that cultural and maternal expectations impart to daughters. Because mothers are so identified with their same-sex children, and because, as women, they themselves have learned to sacrifice aspects of their autonomy for either nurturant or dependent functions, mothers communicate ambivalent wishes and expectations to their daughters. On the one hand, a daughter receives the injunction that she carry on for her mother by fulfilling her thwarted longings and by compensating, with her own achievements, for her mother's disappointments. On the other hand, the daughter receives the simultaneous message that her accomplishments arouse her mother's envy and potential retaliation, but, most destructively, threaten to leave her empty, without a dependent appendage through whom she can live and bolster her self-worth. The second, complicated, aspect of the girl's task of separation and individuation, which relates to her adult conflicts around achievement, lies in the relationship between the cultural devaluation of whatever women have to do, and the kinds of fantasies and experiences to which the more hidden, internal and mysterious female genitals lend themselves.

Achievement↗

Ego development in women with histories of sexual abuse.

As many as a third of the women in this culture experience sexual abuse prior to reaching age 18. Recent literature and research have presented divergent views related to the impact of early abuse on ego development, with arguments supporting both ego fragmentation and ego acceleration. This preliminary study compared the level of ego development, as measured by Loevinger's Washington University Sentence Completion Test (SCT), of 30 women with histories of childhood sexual victimization, and 30 women with no history of abuse. Results indicated no significant difference between the ego levels of the sexually abused and nonabused groups, with a slight trend toward higher ego development in the abused group. Factors contributing to these findings are discussed and recommendations for future research are suggested.

Adolescent↗

A follow up of silastic sling for genuine stress incontinence.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the use of silastic sling for genuine stress incontinence. DESIGN: Retrospective descriptive analysis. SETTING: Tertiary referral centre for urogynaecology. SUBJECTS: Eighty-eight women with urodynamically proven genuine stress incontinence, 10 had coexistent detrusor instability. In 74 women, the sling operation was for recurrent incontinence. INTERVENTION: A low Pfannenstiel incision was used and a suburethral tunnel dissected to insert the sling, which was attached under minimal tension with non-absorbable sutures to each ileopectineal ligament. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical and urodynamic data were assessed between two and three months post-surgery; thereafter clinical assessment and pad testing were performed at yearly intervals for five years. RESULTS: The subjective cure at three months was 81% and the objective cure was 69%. There was a fall in success rate with increasing number of continence operations, and this was statistically significant for women with three or more previous continence operations (P < 0.05). Neither age, parity nor menopausal status made a statistical difference to the cure rate. Twenty-three women had reached their fifth year follow up and the success rate using life table analysis was 71%. Post-operatively, 29 women had detrusor instability: 22 women developed detrusor instability de novo and seven had detrusor instability presurgery. Urodynamic findings postsurgery showed an increase (P < 0.001) in outflow resistance. Four women required removal of sling for voiding difficulties. Ten women developed sling erosions: five vaginal, four bladder erosions and one urethral erosion. After removal of the sling, seven women still remained continent. CONCLUSIONS: A silastic sling operation for the treatment of genuine stress incontinence provides a good long term cure, considering that 45% of women had two or more previous failed continence operations. The high prevalence of detrusor instability and voiding difficulties postsurgery should be noted.

Adult↗

Psychosexual development of women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) (N = 31) and their unaffected sisters or female cousins (N = 15) participated in a study of psychosexual development. All participants were > or = 18 years of age (mean age, 25 years; range, 18-40). Comparisons were also made between the CAH women with the salt-wasting (SW) form of the disorder and those with simple virilization (SV). A psychosexual assessment protocol examined six variables: (1) sex assignment at birth (probands only); (2) recalled sex-typed behavior during childhood; (3) gender identity and gender role identification in adulthood; (4) relationship status; (5) sexual orientation in fantasy; and (6) sexual orientation in behavior. Salt-wasting status and sex assignment at birth were also ascertained for the CAH women who either refused to participate in the study (N = 10) or could not be traced (N = 13). Compared to the controls, the women with CAH recalled more cross-gender role behavior and less comfort with their sense of "femininity" during childhood. The two groups did not differ in degree of gender dysphoria in adulthood, although the probands showed more cross-gender role identification. Three of the nonparticipant probands were living, as adults, in the male social role (2 reared from birth as boys and 1 who changed from the female to the male social role during adolescence). The CAH women and the controls did not differ in relationship status (married/cohabiting vs. single). The CAH women had lower rates of exclusive heterosexual fantasy and fewer sexual experiences with men than the controls; however, the CAH women did not have more sexual experiences with women than the controls. Comparisons between the SW and SV revealed several differences: the SW were less likely to be assigned to the female sex at birth, recalled more cross-gender role behavior during childhood, were less likely to be married or cohabiting, and had lower rates of sexual experiences with men. The results were discussed in relation to the effects of prenatal androgens on psychosexual differentiation.

Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital↗

Aetiology, clinical course and outcome of sporadic acute viral hepatitis in pregnancy.

Hepatitis E causes large-scale epidemics in endemic areas. The disease, during epidemics, has increased incidence and severity in pregnant women. Sporadic acute viral hepatitis (AVH) is common in endemic areas. The relationship of sporadic AVH and pregnancy has not been well studied. Over a 3-year period we prospectively studied 76 pregnant women and 337 non-pregnant women of childbearing age with sporadic acute viral hepatitis for aetiology, clinical course and outcome of disease. The aetiology in sporadic AVH was hepatitis A virus (HAV) in six (1.5%), hepatitis B virus (HBV) in 62 (15%), hepatitis C virus (HCV) in seven (1.7%), hepatitis D virus (HDV) co-infection in six (1.5%), hepatitis E virus (HEV) in 205 (49.6%), and hepatitis non-A-to-E (HNAE) in 127 (30.7%). Sixty-five (85.5%) pregnant women and 140 (41.5%) nonpregnant women had hepatitis E. The proportion of pregnant women was 31.7% in HEV group and 5.3% in non-HEV group [P < 0.001; OR=8.3 (95%C1 4.2-16.3)]. The prevalence of HEV in pregnant women in first trimester (76.9%), second trimester (88.9%), third trimester (83.8%) and puerperium (100%) did not differ significantly (P=0.09). Forty-seven (61.8%) of the 76 pregnant women developed fulminant hepatic failure (FHF), 69.2% in HEV group and 10% in non-HEV group (P < 0.001). Thirty-four (10.1%) nonpregnant women developed fulminant hepatic failure, 10% in HEV group and 9.7% in non-HEV group (P=0.86). FHF had occurred in four (40%) of 10 patients with HE in first trimester as against 41 (74.5%) of 55 patients in second trimester and beyond (P=0.015). Amongst the major complications of fulminant hepatic failure, cerebral oedema (53.2%) and disseminated intravascular coagulation (21.3%) occurred more often in pregnant women than in nonpregnant women (29.4% and 2.8%; P=0.03 and 0.016, respectively) while infections occurred more often in nonpregnant women (36.1%) than in pregnant women (10.6%; P=0.003). Fifty (61.7%) patients with FHF died [25 (53.2%) pregnant women and 25 (69.5%) nonpregnant women (P=0.06)]. Cerebral oedema and HEV aetiology were independent variables of survival in patients with FHF. Patients with cerebral oedema had worse prognosis and patients with HEV aetiology had best chances of survival. Hence HEV was the most common cause of sporadic AVH in this endemic area. High proportion of pregnant women and increased severity of disease in pregnancy were limited to patients with hepatitis E. Sporadic AVH caused by agents other than HEV did not show any special predilection to or increased severity in pregnancy. FHF in pregnant women caused by HEV was an explosive disease with short pre- encephalopathy period, rapid development of cerebral oedema and high occurrence of disseminated intravascular coagulation and may represent a severe manifestation of a Schwartzmann-like phenomenon.

Adult↗

Independent risk factors for atrial fibrillation in a population-based cohort. The Framingham Heart Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the independent risk factors for atrial fibrillation. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: The Framingham Heart Study. SUBJECTS: A total of 2090 men and 2641 women members of the original cohort, free of a history of atrial fibrillation, between the ages of 55 and 94 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sex-specific multiple logistic regression models to identify independent risk factors for atrial fibrillation, including age, smoking, diabetes, electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy, hypertension, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and valve disease. RESULTS: During up to 38 years of follow-up, 264 men and 298 women developed atrial fibrillation. After adjusting for age and other risk factors for atrial fibrillation, men had a 1.5 times greater risk of developing atrial fibrillation than women. In the full multivariable model, the odds ratio (OR) of atrial fibrillation for each decade of advancing age was 2.1 for men and 2.2 for women (P < .0001). In addition, after multivariable adjustment, diabetes (OR, 1.4 for men and 1.6 for women), hypertension (OR, 1.5 for men and 1.4 for women), congestive heart failure (OR, 4.5 for men and 5.9 for women), and valve disease (OR, 1.8 for men and 3.4 for women) were significantly associated with risk for atrial fibrillation in both sexes. Myocardial infarction (OR, 1.4) was significantly associated with the development of atrial fibrillation in men. Women were significantly more likely than men to have valvular heart disease as a risk factor for atrial fibrillation. The multivariable models were largely unchanged after eliminating subjects with valvular heart disease. CONCLUSION: In addition to intrinsic cardiac causes such as valve disease and congestive heart failure, risk factors for cardiovascular disease also predispose to atrial fibrillation. Modification of risk factors for cardiovascular disease may have the added benefit of diminishing the incidence of atrial fibrillation.

Age Factors↗

In preeclampsia, the circulating factors capable of altering in vitro endothelial function precede clinical disease.

The pathophysiology of preeclampsia involves the release of a circulating factor(s) from a hypoperfused placenta that activates the maternal endothelium. This study investigated the effect on in vitro endothelial function of plasma taken from women in whom preeclampsia subsequently developed. Women at increased risk for an adverse pregnancy outcome were identified using Doppler waveform analysis. Plasma samples (22 and 26 weeks) were incubated with myometrial vessels taken from women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Wire myography was used to study the effect of plasma on the endothelium-dependent vessel behavior. Incubation of vessels from normal pregnant women with plasma from women in whom preeclampsia subsequently developed (n=19) significantly reduced endothelium-dependent relaxation, compared with vessels incubated with plasma from normal pregnant women (n=48). This effect was demonstrable for plasma taken at 22 weeks (residual constriction 47.1+/-6.6% versus 32.0+/-4.4%, P=0.004 at 1-hour incubation; and 59.1+/-8.4% versus 42.3+/-5.9%, P=0.001 at 18-hour incubation) and 26 weeks (59.2+/-5.2% versus 29.1+/-5.6%, P<0.001 at 1 hour; and 63.3+/-7.6% versus 31.9 +/-7.2%, P<0.0001 at 18 hours). Endothelial-dependent relaxation was unaltered after incubation with plasma taken from women in whom normotensive intrauterine growth restriction subsequently developed (n=19). This study supports the hypothesis that plasma, from women in whom preeclampsia develops, collected weeks before diagnosis is capable of altering endothelial function.

Blood Physiological Phenomena↗

Family study of women showing development of antibody to human T-cell leukemia virus I and assessment of the risk of vertical transmission of the virus to their children.

When pregnant women were tested for antibody to human T-cell leukemia virus-I, some were found to be positive although they had been negative during the previous pregnancy. In these women, HTLV-I infection was found from pedigree studies to have been acquired from their mothers rather than from their husbands. Furthermore, some of them had apparently remained HTLV-I antibody-negative for long periods after infection. When the breast-fed children of these women, in whom HTLV-I was acquired from their mothers but who were in an HTLV-I antibody-negative state, were also examined for evidence of HTLV-I infection, none was found.

Carrier State↗

Hemostatic effects of oral contraceptives in women who developed deep-vein thrombosis while using oral contraceptives.

OBJECTIVE: Comparison of the effect of oral contraceptives on hemostatic variables in venous thrombosis patients (thrombosis while using oral contraceptives) with the effect in healthy control subjects. Our aim was to assess whether some of these effects were more pronounced in women who had suffered thrombosis, i.e., whether these were "hemostatic hyperresponders". STUDY DESIGN: A population-based case-control study, the Leiden Thrombophilia Study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated 99 pre-menopausal women, age 15-49 years, who had used oral contraceptives at the time of a first, objectively confirmed episode of deep-vein thrombosis. They were not pregnant, nor in puerperium, nor had had a recent miscarriage, and were not using injectable progestogens, nor suffering from inherited coagulation defects. The median time between occurrence of deep-vein thrombosis and venepuncture was 18 months, and 30 of the 99 women were still using oral contraceptives, while 69 had discontinued oral contraceptive use. In addition, a group of 153 control women (54 of them were oral contraceptive users and 99 were non-users) were studied. The following hemostatic variables were measured: APTT, factor VII, factor VIII, factor XII, fibrinogen, prothrombin, total antithrombin, normalised activated protein C sensitivity ratio (n-APC-sr), protein C, protein S and free protein S. RESULTS: We found marked and significant effects of oral contraceptive use on the levels of several clotting factors, with an increase in factor VII, factor XII, protein C and a decrease in antithrombin, n-APC-sr and protein S. Less marked effects that were non-significant or only significant in either patients or controls, were an increase in factor VIII, fibrinogen and prothrombin and a decrease in the APTT and free protein S. In the former thrombosis patients several of these effects of oral contraceptives were more pronounced than in healthy women: specifically on factor VII, antithrombin, n-APC-sr and protein C. CONCLUSIONS: Our results of the effects of oral contraceptives generally confirm previous reports in healthy volunteers. Our data also show that in former deep-vein thrombosis patients these effects are more pronounced. Apparently some women become "high hemostatic responders" when exposed to oral contraceptives, and they may be the women most vulnerable to its thrombogenic effects.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

Early detection of preeclampsia by determination of platelet aggregability.

Preeclampsia is still a leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. There is evidence for the involvement of platelets. Therefore, we investigated the suitability of corrected whole blood impedance aggregometry as an early predictor of preeclampsia in 71 consecutive, high-risk pregnancies. According to the occurrence of preeclampsia, defined postpartum by an independent investigator, and the stage of pregnancy (early and late, cutoff: 25 weeks of gestation), four study groups were defined. Platelet aggregation data were corrected for the influence of hematocrit and platelet count by a special purpose software package. Women developing preeclampsia showed significantly higher platelet aggregation response compared to controls in early and late pregnancy. In early pregnancy, all women developing preeclampsia had aggregation responses to collagen higher than the highest responses among the controls. Hence, this test had a 100% positive predictive value of subsequent preeclampsia. Despite being significantly increased, platelet aggregability was of minor predictive value in late pregnancy. We conclude that preeclampsia is accompanied by exaggerated platelet aggregability, particularly perceptible early in the course of pregnancy. We propose collagen-induced whole blood platelet aggregation with correction for the influence of hematocrit and platelet count for early detection of preeclampsia.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

[Health developments for Scandinavian women].

The article reports developments in health status among women in four Nordic countries, based upon data published in the Swedish Public Health and two research reports, one Danish the other Nordic. The mean life expectancy of Danish women has fallen and, in an international comparison restricted to OECD countries, was shown only to be higher than that of women in Turkey or Ireland. A similar health development is manifest among women in Norway and Sweden, increasing class differences being a common feature. The mean life expectancy of Finnish women exceeds that of Finnish men by eight years.

Aged↗

Creams for preventing stretch marks in pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Many women develop stretch marks (striae gravidarum) during pregnancy. A number of creams have been used to remove these stretch marks. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review was to assess the effects of topical treatments to prevent the development of stretch marks. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register. In addition, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (CENTRAL/CCTR) was searched. Date of last search: April 1999. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised trials comparing active creams with placebo for the treatment of stretch marks in pregnant women. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Trial quality was assessed and data were extracted independently by two reviewers. MAIN RESULTS: One study involving 100 women was included. Compared to placebo, treatment with a cream containing Centella asiatica extract, alpha tocopherol and collagen-elastin hydrolysates was associated with less women developing stretch marks (odds ratio 0.41, 95% confidence interval 0.17 to 0.99). REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: One particular cream appears to help prevent the development of stretch marks in pregnancy, but only for women who had previously suffered stretch marks in pregnancy. There is no evidence of benefit for general use.

Cosmetics↗