Background: Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is a common concern. A high prevalence of VDD has been reported among pregnant women in different countries. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of VDD in the first trimester of pregnancy. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 267 pregnant women (before 14 weeks of gestation). The level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) was measured. Demographic data (age, educational level, season of blood sampling, and vitamin D supplementation intake) were collected using a questionnaire. Results: Based on the results of the study, 205 out of 267 subjects (76.8%) had deficient vitamin D levels (<20 ng/mL), 39 (14.6%) had insufficient levels (20-29 ng/mL), and 23 (8.6%) had sufficient levels (≥30 ng/mL). In addition, 133 women (49.8%) had severe VDD. VDD was more prevalent in autumn/winter than in spring/summer (P=0.03). The prevalence of VDD was higher among the younger age group than in the older group (P=0.04). In multivariate analysis, the only variable that was significantly associated with low vitamin D status was taking supplements. Those who were not receiving vitamin D supplements had higher odds of VDD status (adjusted odds ratio=77.3, 95% CI 23.9-249.6). Conclusion: VDD is a public health problem in the first trimester of pregnancy. Greater awareness among healthcare providers and the community is required for prevention and appropriate treatment.

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Background Clear-cell carcinoma arising from the surgical cesarean section scar is very infrequent. The present study reports two patients with clear-cell carcinoma arising from an abdominal wall scar 20 and 23 years after their last cesarean section. Case presentation Both Iranian patients had prior cesarean sections nearly 20 years earlier. Patients 1 and 2 had transverse and vertical abdominal incisions, respectively. The initial clinical presentation was a huge lower abdominal mass at the site of the previous cesarean section scar. Both patients underwent abdominal wall mass biopsy. The histological analysis revealed the presence of malignancy. Both patients underwent full-thickness resection of the abdominal wall mass. All surgical margins were tumor-free; however, patient 1 had a very narrow tumor-free margin near the pubic symphysis. As the imaging report of patient 2 revealed the presence of a pelvic mass, the exploration of the intraperitoneal space, simple total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO), and the excision of enlarged pelvic lymph nodes were performed during the surgery. Six cycles of paclitaxel and carboplatin every 3 weeks as adjuvant chemotherapy was administered for both patients after the surgery. One of the patients had disease recurrence 5 months after the termination of chemotherapy, and the other is still disease-free. These two patients had similar pathology and received a similar initial adjuvant treatment; however, they were different in terms of the direction of tumor spread, tumor distance from the pubic symphysis, status of tumor margins, and surgical procedures. Conclusions We encountered distinct prognoses in the clear-cell carcinoma of cesarean section scars presented herein. The researchers can recommend complete surgical excision of the abdominal wall mass with wide tumor-free margins, exploration of the abdominopelvic space, TAH, and BSO during the first surgery.

Background: Ovarian cancer, the third most important genital cancer and fifth cause of cancer-related death in women, is diagnosed at terminal stages in 70% of cases. Therefore, it is imperative to know the possible risk factors associated with ovarian cancer. Only a few studies have discussed the histopathological features of ovarian masses occurring after hysterectomy. Objectives: The study aimed to investigate the five-year prevalence and histopathological distribution of ovarian masses after hysterectomy in Iranian patients and to determine the need for prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy. Patients and Methods:This descriptive cross-sectional study enrolled all patients with ovarian masses and a history of hysterectomy for benign conditions who were visiting the gynecology clinic of Baqiyatallah Hospital, Tehran, between May 2009 and May 2014. Demographic information, pathological features of ovarian masses, family history, the time between hysterectomy and ovarian mass surgery, and method of hysterectomy were recorded in a predesigned checklist. The level of tumor markers such as CA125 and alphafetoprotein (α-FP) were measured. Results: Of the 1052 patients with ovarian masses, 45patients (mean age, 53.11 ± 9.56 years) who had undergone abdominal hysterectomy underwent analysis. The study participants had a mean age of 47.92 ± 1.58 years at the time of hysterectomy. The mean time interval between hysterectomy and diagnosis of ovarian mass was 5.38 ± 4.15 years. Based on pathological reports, serous cystadenoma was the most frequent (43.2%) pathological diagnosis, followed by mucinous cystadenoma (17.5%). Conclusions: A majority of ovarian masses, especially those diagnosed within a short duration after hysterectomy, are benign. Iranian patients with such ovarian masses when asymptomatic and associated with negative tumor markers could be followed up, and prophylactic oophorectomy may not be necessary.

Background and Objective: Each type of cancer has its own histopathological findings that determine the type of treatment regimen and the course of the disease. The present study aimed to histopathologically determine the types of gynecological cancers in patients admitted to Baqiyatallah Hospital over a nine-year period. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted based on hospital data of patients who were admitted to Baqiyatallah Hospital and underwent any procedure, treatment, and diagnosis of gynecologic cancers during 2011-2019. Patients' information was extracted from hospital integrated archiving system. Results: A total of 404 patients were diagnosed with gynecological cancers between 2011 and 2019. Among these cancers, ovarian cancer with 212 (52.5%) patients was the most common gynecological cancer. Among patients with ovarian cancer, Serous Adenocarcinoma and Endometrioid Adenocarcinoma with 137 (64.6%) and 29 (13.7%) cases had the highest frequency of pathology, respectively. The mean (standard deviation) age of the patients with gynecological cancer was 55. 88 (11.51) years. During the study period, there was a relatively increasing trend for ovarian cancer during 2011-19. Conclusion: ovarian cancer with Serous Adenocarcinoma was the most common cancer diagnosed in patients admitted to Baqiyatallah Hospital during 2011-19. The relatively increasing trend of this type of female genital cancers during this 9-year period and the observed age pattern highlight the importance of implementing timely screening and treatment programs.