Article Abstract:
The incidence of the human papillomavirus infection of the vagina and cervix (venereal warts, condyloma) has increased among women. Papillomavirus infections of the cervix have been associated with cervical cancer. One type of treatment involves vaporizing the lesions with laser therapy, which uses high intensity magnified light to manipulate tissues. However, 10 to 35 percent of the lesions return after treatment. The chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has recently been used in combination with laser therapy to prevent recurrent disease. 5-FU is a highly potent chemical that can cause chromosomal damage. One case is reported of woman with a history of condyloma who was treated with laser therapy at age 19. The lesions reappeared at age 26 and laser conization (removal of cervical tissue in a cone shape) was followed by topical application of 185 milligrams 5-FU. She subsequently found out she was pregnant during treatment with 5-FU. The patient proceeded with the pregnancy after ultrasound and prenatal diagnostic tests appeared normal. The infant was normal at birth and developmentally normal at the six-month evaluation. A second case is presented of a 21-year-old patient with lupus erythematosus disease (an autoimmune collagen disease that affects many body systems), who was diagnosed with recurrent papillomavirus disease and was treated with laser therapy and a total of 260 milligrams of topical 5-FU. Exposure to 5-FU also occurred during the period of conception. The woman had a normal pregnancy and delivery, and the infant developed normally. It is not clear what level of 5-FU is needed to cause damage. It is thought that exposure to 5-FU before implantation of the embryo (within two weeks of conception) would result in pregnancy loss in cases where it is toxic to the fetus, and otherwise the pregnancy would proceed normally. It is also possible that exposure of 5-FU during the period of conception is not teratogenic, meaning that it will not result in a poor pregnancy outcome. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
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Article Abstract:
Perinatal death may be more common in pregnancies of twins or triplets when the pregnancy is spontaneous, rather than the product of assisted reproduction techniques. Fertility drugs, in vitro fertilization, and other techniques can be used to assist conception. Researchers compared 72 spontaneous pregnancies and 124 assisted pregnancies with two or three fetuses. The prenatal and postpartum rates of death were substantially higher for fetuses conceived spontaneously. Spontaneously-developed multiple gestations may be more likely to share a placenta, increasing the likelihood of complications.
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Article Abstract:
The gynecological and obstetrical details of the Blazek sisters are described. Born in Czechoslovakia, they were joined at the pelvis but one of the sisters became pregnant and gave birth to a normal child.
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