Tehran University Medical Journal

---

Introduction: Thyroid diseases are one of the most common endocrine diseases. Incidence of thyroid diseases in women is ten times more than men. Menstrual irregularities and fertility is occasionally the first sign of thyroid diseases.

Materials and methods: In a prospective study, 325 thyroid patients were evaluated in Emam hospital. Incidence and type of menstrual irregularities were evaluated in these patients.

Results: 55.8 percent of hypothyroid patients had normal pattern ob bleeding. 44.2 hyper thyroid patients had menstrual irregularities which were in the form of oligomenorrhea and 41.7 percents of hypo-thyroid patients were irregular in the form of polymenorrhea, oligomenorrhea and menorrhagia.

Conclusion: In these patients, menstrual irregularities cured by treatment of thyroid diseases and reduced surgical interventions.

---

Background: Vaginal vault prolapse is a significant longer-term complication in patients undergoing hysterectomy. An important cause is generally acknowledged to be weakness in the uterosacral and cardinal ligaments. Vaginal delivery is known to be a risk factor, and obesity and menopause are predisposing factors. Urogynecologists are constantly looking for simple, safe and effective ways to cure vaginal apex prolapse. Infracoccygeal sacropexy, also known as posterior intravaginal slingplasty, is a useful and less-invasive procedure, with low morbidity. The aim of this study is to confirm the efficacy, safety and long-term outcome of infracoccygeal sacropexy for the treatment of vault prolapse.
Methods: In a prospective observational study, we performed infracoccygeal sacropexy to treat 26 patients who had at least grade 3 symptomatic vault prolapse secondary to transvaginal hysterectomy. Data collection included anatomic outcome, and intra- and post-operative complications.
Results: The mean patient age was 67 years. The mean operation time was 30 minutes and mean blood loss was 130 ml. No intraoperative rectal perforation was seen, and all patients were discharged within 24 hours of surgery. The symptomatic cure of prolapse rate, urgency, nocturia and pelvic pain was 96.2%, 88.8%, 92.6% and 77% orderly. Only one tape rejection occurred in one of the 26 patients.
Conclusion: Our initial experience with infracoccygeal sacropexy shows an efficacy similar to other more established surgical techniques for the cure of vault prolapse, but with less surgical morbidity. Therefore, the procedure is found to be efficient and safe, with shorter operation times, reduced postoperative complication and shorter hospital convalescence.

---

Background: Abdominal hysterectomy is one of the therapeutic options in treatment of gynecologic diseases. The most common methods are total and subtotal abdominal hysterectomy. The effect of hysterectomy on sexuality is not fully understood and, until recently, total and subtotal abdominal hysterectomies have been compared only in observational studies. In this study, we compare total vs. subtotal abdominal hysterectomy in terms of surgical complications and postoperative sexual function of patients.

Methods: In a single-blinded randomized clinical trial, we enrolled 25 patients who underwent subtotal abdominal hysterectomy (STAH), and 25 patients who underwent total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH). All patients were followed for 24 months after surgery. Three, six, 12 and 24 months after the procedures, all variables were compared between these two groups.

Results: The duration of operation (p=0.007), volume of bleeding (p=0.0007) and duration of hospital stay after surgery (p=0.03) were less in the STAH group than the TAH group. No complications were experienced during the operation, nor excessive post-operative pain or infection for either group. No significant differences were seen between the two groups with regard to dyspareunia, sexual satisfaction of the patients and their partners were. Spot bleeding in the STAH group was significantly more frequent than in the TAH group.

Conclusion: TAH and STAH do not have significantly different outcomes with regard to sexual satisfaction and function and surgical complications.

---

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of a new minimally-invasive surgical procedure using trans-obturator Tape (TOT) to treat female stress urinary incontinence.

Methods: This clinical trial study was performed from 2003 to 2004 in the Gynecology Department of Imam Hospital, Vali-e-Asr, Tehran, Iran. A total of 35 women with stress urinary incontinence underwent the TOT procedure. All patients underwent pre-operative clinical examination, cough-stress test (full bladder), uroflowmetry and post-voiding residual volume assessment.

Results: The mean age of patients was 50 years, ranging from 26 to 74 years, with an average urinary stress incontinence duration of six years. The mean time of follow-up was 14 months (at 1, 6, 12 and 24 months) and the average duration of surgery was about 20 minutes. The perioperative complication rate was 9% with no vascular, nerve or bowel injuries. The rate of hemorrhagic side effects (spontaneously-absorbed hematoma and blood loss not requiring blood transfusion) was 2.9%. Post-operative urinary retention and vaginal erosion occurred in one case each the former was treated by intermittent self-catheterization. In total, 91.4% of patients were completely cured and 8.6% were improved without failure of treatment.

Conclusions: The present study confirms the results obtained by Delorme and coworkers, and allows us to consider TOT as a safe, minimally invasive and efficient short-term surgical technique for the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence, alone or in combination with prolapse repair. Following this study, a randomized control trial is recommended to compare TOT with the gold standard surgery for women with urinary incontinence.

---

Background: Neural Tube Defect (NTD) characterized by failure of neural tube to close properly be the second most common born defect after congenital heart disease. The most prevalent forms of NTD are Anencephaly and Spinal-bifida. Many factors are involved in this anomaly. New researches suggest environmental factors like radiation, hyperthermia, Vitamin A and acid folic deficiency, anti epileptic drug like Carbamazepine, Phenobarbital, phenytoin, Folic acid antagonist like Sulfasalazine, Triametherine and systemic disease like diabet mellitus, obesity, genetic factors, the most schance 40 to 70 percentages.
Methods: In this survey cross sectional study was conducted in five hospitals depend to Tehran university during three years. Study subject identified through review of admission and discharge at major hospital through regular contact with newborn nurseries and birth hospital.
Results: In 38473 reported cases, 143 cases have neural tube defect. Among NTD cases, 11.9% of mothers had medical diseases in their previous history such as diabetes mellitus, epilepsy-psychiatric, and disorder-heart diseases. In this study group, 5.6% have preclampsia during pregnancy period. The most common NTD anomaly in this study was anencephaly and meningomyelocele that was different from studies in literature.
Conclusion: NTD result from failure of neural tube close threats fetus health up to 28 days after conception. When is often prior to the recognition of pregnancy since many pregnancy are unplanned NTD prevention is best achieve by adequate daily folic acid intake thought of reproductive ages .educational effort to promote daily intake of folic acid supplemental by women of reproductive age and NTD risk factor should be done. Early diagnostic procedure for high risk pregnancy advised.