What is the best method of detecting endometrial cancer in outpatients?‐endometrial sampling,suction curettage,endometrial cytology

Objective:  Office methods of endometrial sampling for outpatients with abnormal uterine bleeding should be minimally invasive. The purpose of this study was to determine the best method for detecting endometrial cancer in an outpatients setting.
Methods:  In all, 114 symptomatic women who were suspected of having endometrial disease by their local gynaecologist were enrolled in this study. After pelvic examination and transvaginal ultrasonography, endometrial cytology, suction endometrial curettage, and four-site endometrial biopsy were performed, in this order without anaesthesia in each patient. After endometrial sampling, the patient was asked to comment on the intensity of any pain experienced during each procedure. Then the final histological diagnosis made from the surgical materials was compared with the results of the three pre-operative methods.
Results:  Among the 114 consecutive patients, 56 had endometrial carcinoma, three had carcinosarcoma, six had endometrial hyperplasia, and 49 had benign conditions. The sensitivity of detecting malignancy was 88% (52/59) with endometrial cytology, 92% (54/59) with suction curettage, and 88% (52/59) with four-site biopsy. When endometrial cytology was combined with suction curettage, the sensitivity of detecting malignancy was increased from 92% to 98%, whereas the sensitivity was increased from 88% to 97%, when endometrial cytology was added to four-site biopsy. Suction curettage was significantly less painful than four-site biopsy.
Conclusion:  Our data indicated that suction curettage plus endometrial cytology was the best combination for pathological examination of outpatients with abnormal uterine bleeding.     

Periodontal pathogens: a quantitative comparison of anaerobic culture and real-time PCR

Periodontitis is a multi-factorial chronic inflammatory and destructive disease of the tooth-supporting tissues. Quantitative anaerobic culture techniques have been used for microbial diagnosis of the different forms of the disease. The aim of this study was to compare real-time PCR with quantitative anaerobic culture for detection and quantification of 5 prominent periodontal pathogens. Real-time PCR assays with the 16s rRNA genes of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Prevotella intermedia, Tannerella forsythensis, Peptostreptococcus micros and Fusobacterium spp. were developed. The PCR was validated on pure cultures of various bacterial strains. Subsequently, subgingival plaque samples from 259 adult patients with periodontitis were analyzed with quantitative anaerobic culture and real-time PCR. A standard curve for DNA quantification was created for each primer-probe set based on colony-forming units equivalents. All bacterial species were correctly identified. The lower limits of detection by PCR varied between 1-50 colony-forming units equivalents depending on the species. No cross-reactivities with heterologous DNA of other bacterial species were observed. Real-time PCR results showed a high degree of agreement with anaerobic culture results. Real-time PCR is a reliable alternative for diagnostic quantitative anaerobic culture of subgingival plaque samples.     

局部刮除肿瘤联合放疗治疗骨巨细胞瘤的临床研究

目的：探讨局部刮除肿瘤联合术中适形固定施源器模型插植放疗和术后外照射治疗骨巨细胞瘤（GCTB）的临床疗效和毒副反应。方法：将2006年2月．2008年2月在湖南省肿瘤医院初次治疗的长骨GCTB患者30例随机分为单纯局部刮除手术组和局部刮除手术联合放疗组,两组患者均行局部肿瘤刮除术,局部刮除手术联合放疗组在此基础上给予术中适形固定施源器模型插植放疗和术后外照射,治疗后比较两组的临床疗效和毒副反应。结果：局部刮除手术联合放疗组1、3、5年均未复发,而单纯局部刮除手术组的1、3、5年复发率分别为9．1％、27．3％、45．5％,3年和5年复发率均显著高于局部刮除手术联合放疗组（P〈0．05）。局部刮除手术联合放疗组中未见严重相关性毒性和死亡,术后两组的关节功能评分比较无明显差剐（P〉0．05）。结论：局部手术刮除病灶结合术中和术后放疗治疗骨巨细胞瘤可显著降低患者的复发率,且不影响关节功能,是一种较为安全的治疗方法。