Polycystic ovary syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus:A state-ofthe-art review

Polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)often coexists with a wide spectrum of dysglycemic conditions,ranging from impaired glucose tolerance to type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2D),which occur to a greater extent compared to healthy body mass index-matched women.This concurrence of disorders is mainly attributed to common pathogenetic pathways linking the two entities,such as insulin resistance.However,due to methodological flaws in the available studies and the multifaceted nature of the syndrome,there has been substantial controversy as to the exact association between T2D and PCOS which has not yet been elucidated.The aim of this review is to present the best available evidence regarding the epidemiology of dysglycemia in PCOS,the unique pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the progression of dysglycemia,the most appropriate methods for assessing glycemic status and the risk factors for T2D development in this population,as well as T2D risk after transition to menopause.Proposals for application of a holistic approach to enable optimal management of T2D risk in PCOS are also provided.Specifically,adoption of a healthy lifestyle with adherence to improved dietary patterns,such the Mediterranean diet,avoidance of consumption of endocrine-disrupting foods and beverages,regular exercise,and the effect of certain medications,such as metformin and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists,are discussed.Furthermore,the maintenance of a healthy weight is highlighted as a key factor in achievement of a significant reduction of T2D risk in women with PCOS.

Intrapartum application of the continuous glucose monitoring system in pregnancies complicated with diabetes: A review and feasibility study

Intrapartum maternal normoglycemia seems to play an important role in the prevention of adverse perinatal, maternal and neonatal outcomes. Several glucose monitoring protocols have been developed, aiming to achieve a tight glucose monitoring and control. Depending on the type of diabetes and the optimal or suboptimal glycemic control, the treatment options include fasting status of the parturient, frequent monitoring of capillary blood glucose, intravenous dextrose infusion and subcutaneous or intravenous use of insulin. Continuous glucose monitoring system(CGMS) is a relatively new technology that measures interstitial glucose at very short time intervals over a specifi c period of time. The resulting profi le provides a more comprehensive measure of glycemic excursions than intermittent home blood glucose monitoring. Results of studies applying the CGMS technology in patients with or without diabetes mellitus(DM) have revealed new insights in glucose metabolism. Moreover, CGMS have a potential role in the improvement of glycemic control during pregnancy and labor, which may lead to a decrease in perinatal morbidity and mortality. In conclusion, the use of CGMS, with its important technical advantages compared to the conventional way of monitoring, may lead into a more etiological intrapartum management of both the mother and her fetus/infant in pregnancies complicated with DM.

Faster Healing Process by Sparing Intramural Myoma’s Pseudocapsule during Laparoscopic Myomectomy Compared with Removing It during Open Myomectomy

Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumours in the reproductive system. They are proliferations of smooth muscle cells of the myometrium containing a large quantity of extracellular matrix and they are surrounded by a pseudo capsule of compressed areolar tissue and smooth muscle cells. They can cause various symptoms such as menorrhage, pain and infertility and therefore they can be a traumatic experience for several women. The treatment of choice is myomectomy. In the past, myomectomy was performed by relatively atraumatic techniques, which involved stretching the myoma from its pseudocapsule to extract the fibroid directly from the surrounding fibromuscular tissue, breaking up the fibrous bridge. Modern laparoscopic intracapsular myomectomy (LIM), however, leaves the fibrovascular network surrounding the myoma (namely the “fibroid neurovascular bundle”) intact which reduces the bleeding and/or uterine musculature trauma, and spares the neuropeptide fibers of the pseudocapsule. In this observational study, we compare the two techniques-laparoscopic intracapsular myomectomy (LIM) and conventional abdominal myomectomy (CAM) regarding the longterm uterine healing and a significantly faster healing process of the uterine incision was achieved by LIM compared to CAM.