ObjectiveTo investigate whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval debulking surgery is superior to primary debulking surgery in terms of perioperative complications and progression-free survival, in advanced epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer patients with high tumor load.MethodsPatients with advanced epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer (stage IIIC-IV) underwent laparoscopy. Patients with high tumor load assessed by a standardized laparoscopic predictive index were randomly assigned (1:1 ratio) to undergo either primary debulking surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy (arm A), or neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval debulking surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy (arm B). Co-primary outcome measures were progression-free survival and post-operative complications; secondary outcomes were overall survival, and quality of life. Survival analyses were performed on an intention-to-treat population.Results171 patients were randomly assigned to primary debulking surgery (n=84) versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n=87). Rates of complete resection (R0) were different between the arms (47.6% in arm A vs 77.0% in arm B; p=0.001). 53 major postoperative complications were registered, mainly distributed in arm A compared with arm B (25.9% vs 7.6%; p=0.0001). All patients were included in the intent-to-treat analysis. With an overall median follow-up of 59 months (95% CI 53 to 64), 142 (83.0%) disease progressions/recurrences and 103 deaths (60.2%) occurred. Median progression-free and overall survival were 15 and 41 months for patients assigned to primary debulking surgery, compared with 14 and 43 months for patients assigned to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, respectively (HR 1.05, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.44, p=0.73; HR 1.12, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.65, p=0.56).ConclusionsNeoadjuvant chemotherapy and primary debulking surgery have the same efficacy when used at their maximal possibilities, but the toxicity profile is different.

Objective To describe the clinical and ultrasound characteristics of uterine sarcomas. Methods This was a retrospective multicenter study. From the databases of 13 ultrasound centers, we identified patients with a histological diagnosis of uterine sarcoma with available ultrasound reports and ultrasound images who had undergone preoperative ultrasound examination between 1996 and 2016. As the first step, each author collected information from the original ultrasound reports from his/her own center on predefined ultrasound features of the tumors and by reviewing the ultrasound images to identify information on variables not described in the original report. As the second step, 16 ultrasound examiners reviewed the images electronically in a consensus meeting and described them using predetermined terminology. Results We identified 116 patients with leiomyosarcoma, 48 with endometrial stromal sarcoma and 31 with undifferentiated endometrial sarcoma. Median age of the patients was 56 years (range, 26–86 years). Most patients were symptomatic at diagnosis (164/183 (89.6%)), the most frequent presenting symptom being abnormal vaginal bleeding (91/183 (49.7%)). Patients with endometrial stromal sarcoma were younger than those with leiomyosarcoma and undifferentiated endometrial sarcoma (median age, 46 years vs 57 and 60 years, respectively). According to the assessment by the original ultrasound examiners, the median diameter of the largest tumor was 91 mm (range, 7–321 mm). Visible normal myometrium was reported in 149/195 (76.4%) cases, and 80.0% (156/195) of lesions were solitary. Most sarcomas (155/195 (79.5%)) were solid masses (> 80% solid tissue), and most manifested inhomogeneous echogenicity of the solid tissue (151/195 (77.4%)); one sarcoma was multilocular without solid components. Cystic areas were described in 87/195 (44.6%) tumors and most cyst cavities had irregular walls (67/87 (77.0%)). Internal shadowing was observed in 42/192 (21.9%) sarcomas and fan‐shaped shadowing in 4/192 (2.1%). Moderate or rich vascularization was found on color‐Doppler examination in 127/187 (67.9%) cases. In 153/195 (78.5%) sarcomas, the original ultrasound examiner suspected malignancy. Though there were some differences, the results of the first and second steps of the analysis were broadly similar. Conclusions Uterine sarcomas typically appear as solid masses with inhomogeneous echogenicity, sometimes with irregular cystic areas but only very occasionally with fan‐shaped shadowing. Most are moderately or very well vascularized. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Objective To assess the accuracy of preoperative ultrasound examination for predicting lymph‐node (LN) status in patients with vulvar cancer. Methods This was a single‐institution retrospective observational study of all women with a histological diagnosis of vulvar cancer triaged to inguinal surgery within 30 days following ultrasound evaluation between December 2010 and January 2016. For each groin examined, 15 morphological and dimensional sonographic parameters associated with suspicion for LN involvement were examined. A morphometric ultrasound pattern (MUP) was expressed for each groin, classifying the inguinal LN status into five groups (normal; reactive‐but‐negative; minimally suspicious/probably negative; moderately suspicious; and highly suspicious/positive) according to subjective judgment, followed by stratification as positive or negative for metastasis according to morphometric binomial assessment (MBA). In cases of positive MBA, fine‐needle aspiration cytology was performed. Combining the information obtained from MUP and cytologic results, a binomial final overall assessment (FOA) was assigned for each groin. The final histology was considered as the reference standard. Comparison was performed between patients with negative and those with positive LNs on histology, and receiver‐operating‐characteristics curves were generated for statistically significant variables on univariate analysis, to evaluate their diagnostic ability to predict negative LN status. Results Of 144 patients included in the analysis, 87 had negative inguinal LNs and 57 had positive LNs on histology. A total of 256 groins were analyzed, of which 171 were negative and 85 showed at least one metastatic LN on histology. The following parameters showed the greatest accuracy, with the best balance between specificity and sensitivity, in predicting negative LN status: cortical (C) thickness of the dominant LN (cut‐off, 2.5 mm; sensitivity, 90.0%; specificity, 77.9%); short‐axis (S) length of the dominant LN (cut‐off, 8.4 mm; sensitivity, 63.9%; specificity, 90.6%); C/medulla (M) thickness ratio of the dominant LN (cut‐off, 1.2 mm; sensitivity, 70.4%; specificity, 91.5%), the combination of S length and C/M thickness ratio (sensitivity, 88.9%; specificity, 82.4%); and the FOA analysis (sensitivity, 85.9%; specificity, 84.2%). Conclusions Preoperative ultrasound assessment, with or without the addition of cytology, has a high accuracy in assessing inguinal LN status in patients with vulvar cancer. In particular, the combination of two ultrasound parameters (S length and C/M thickness ratio) provided the greatest accuracy in discriminating between negative and positive LNs. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Objectives To describe the clinical and ultrasound characteristics of adnexal torsion. Methods This was a retrospective study. From the operative records of the eight participating gynecological ultrasound centers, we identified patients with a surgically confirmed diagnosis of adnexal torsion, defined as surgical evidence of ovarian pedicle, paraovarian cyst and/or Fallopian tube twisted on its own axis, who had undergone preoperative ultrasound examination by an experienced examiner, between 2008 and 2018. Only cases with at least two available ultrasound images and/or videoclips (one grayscale and one with Doppler evaluation) were included. Clinical, ultrasound, surgical and histological information was retrieved from each patient's medical record and entered into an Excel file by the principal investigator at each center. In addition, two authors reviewed all available ultrasound images and videoclips of the twisted adnexa, with regard to the presence of four predefined ultrasound features reported to be characteristic of adnexal torsion: (1) ovarian stromal edema with or without peripherally displaced antral follicles, (2) the follicular ring sign, (3) the whirlpool sign and (4) absence of vascularization in the twisted organ. Results A total of 315 cases of adnexal torsion were identified. The median age of the patients was 30 (range, 1–88) years. Most patients were premenopausal (284/314; 90.4%) and presented with acute or subacute pelvic pain (305/315; 96.8%). The surgical approach was laparoscopic in 239/312 (76.6%) patients and conservative surgery (untwisting with or without excision of a lesion) was performed in 149/315 (47.3%) cases. According to the original ultrasound reports, the median largest diameter of the twisted organ was 83 (range, 30–349) mm. Free fluid in the pouch of Douglas was detected in 196/275 (71.3%) patients. Ovarian stromal edema with or without peripherally displaced antral follicles was reported in the original ultrasound report in 167/241 (69.3%) patients, the whirlpool sign in 178/226 (78.8%) patients, absent color Doppler signals in the twisted organ in 119/269 (44.2%) patients and the follicular ring sign in 51/134 (38.1%) patients. On retrospective review of images and videoclips, ovarian stromal edema with or without peripherally displaced antral follicles (201/254; 79.1%) and the whirlpool sign (139/153; 90.8%) were the most commonly detected features of adnexal torsion. Conclusion Most patients with surgically confirmed adnexal torsion are of reproductive age and present with acute or subacute pain. Common ultrasound signs are an enlarged adnexa, the whirlpool sign, ovarian stromal edema with or without peripherally displaced antral follicles and free fluid in the pelvis. The follicular ring sign and absence of Doppler signals in the twisted organ are slightly less common signs. Recognizing ultrasound signs of adnexal torsion is important so that the correct treatment, i.e. surgery without delay, can be offered. Copyright © 2020 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley &...

IntroductionRecurrence of endometrial cancer is an important clinical challenge, with median survival rarely exceeding 12 months. The aim of this study was to analyze patterns of endometrial cancer recurrence and associations of these patterns with clinical outcome.MethodsThe study included patients with endometrial cancer who underwent primary surgical treatment with or without adjuvant treatment between July 2004 and June 2017 at the Gynaecologic Oncology Unit of one of three tertiary hospitals of the Catholic University Network in Italy with complete follow-up data available. Information on the date and pattern of recurrence was retrieved for each relapse. Post-relapse survival was recorded as the time from the date of recurrence to the date of death or last follow-up. Survival probabilities were compared using log rank tests, and associations of clinico-pathological characteristics with post-relapse survival were tested using Cox’s regression models.ResultsA total of 1503 patients were included in the analysis. We identified 210 recurrences (14.0%) and 105 deaths (7.0%) at a median follow-up of 34 months (range 1–162). One hundred and fifty-eight recurrences (78.1%) occurred during the first two years of follow-up. Most recurrences were multifocal (n=121, 57.6%) and involved extrapelvic sites (n=38, 65.7%). Parameters associated with post-relapse survival in the univariate analysis included histotype, grade, time to recurrence, pattern of recurrence, number of relapsing lesions, and secondary radical surgery. Only the pattern of recurrence and secondary radical surgery were independent predictors of post-relapse survival in the multivariate analysis (p=0.025 and p=0.0001, respectively).ConclusionLymph node recurrence and the feasibility of secondary radical surgery were independent predictors of post-relapse survival in patients with recurrent endometrial cancer.