Scielo RSS http://www.scielo.org.za/rss.php?pid=2305-886220220003&lang=pt vol. 28 num. 2 lang. pt http://www.scielo.org.za/img/en/fbpelogp.gif http://www.scielo.org.za http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2305-88622022000300001&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2305-88622022000300002&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt BACKGROUND: Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that is most frequently found in lower socio-economic groups globally and is associated with significant maternal and fetal complications. In South Africa (SA), the last two to three decades have seen a rise in the number of people in the low and middle economic social groups seeking private specialist healthcare services OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence rates of maternal and congenital syphilis in a private specialist healthcare setting METHODS: The laboratory case records of women who had antenatal maternal syphilis (MS) screening using the automated chemiluminescence immunoassay (Architect Syphilis TP) in a private laboratory facility in Durban were reviewed RESULTS: A total of 9 740 individual maternal serum samples were analysed and 256 were Architect Syphilis TP positive, resulting in a MS prevalence rate of 2.7%. Of the less than three-quarters of exposed neonates tested (71.1%; n=182/256), 38.5% (n=70/182) were Architect syphilis TP positive. Less than a tenth of exposed neonates (2.43%; n=6) had only rapid plasma reagin (RPR) titers test whereas 26.6% (n=68/256) did not have a syphilis screen test. Based on the 182 exposed neonates tested, the congenital syphilis (CS) prevalence from the laboratory records was 7.7%. The highest rate of MS was in the >35 years age group CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MS in the private specialist healthcare sector in SA is relatively high and warrants continued maternal antenatal screening during early pregnancy across all socio-economic groups. The high rate of MS in the age group over 35 years warrants further investigations and explanation http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2305-88622022000300003&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt BACKGROUND: The pathophysiology of gestational diabetes, which is related to abnormal gluocose tolerance and hyperinsulinaemia, renders standard fetal monitoring models ineffective, insufficient and inappropriate, as these models revolve around detecting and prognosticating on placenta-mediated disease rather than increased metabolic rates due to hyperinsulinaemia, functional hypoxia and ischaemic trophoblastic thresholds. To improve perinatal morbidity and mortality in gestational diabetes, there is therefore a need to introduce new prognostic parameters and scoring systems OBJECTIVES: A proposed risk scoring system has been developed, based on our previous studies, to risk-categorise patients with gestational diabetes in terms of fetal outcome in view of the fact that the pathophysiology of gestational diabetes is not recognised by standard monitoring models, which revolve around placental insufficiency rather than metabolic anomalies METHODS: Patients with diabetes from four case-control studies were combined to form a total sample of 159 cases for validation of the risk scoring system. Univariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the effect of individual risk factors with proposed cut-offs on adverse pregnancy outcome. The diagnostic accuracy of the total summative score was assessed by computing the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve RESULTS: Four potential parameters were identified to risk-categorise fetuses in a pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes, i.e. the myocardial performance index (MPI), the E/A ratio (early diastolic filling/late diastolic filling, a marker of diastolic dysfunction), increasing fetal weight (macrosomia), and an increased amniotic fluid index. The total score, obtained by summation of the composite scores for these parameters, ranged from 0 to 11. The total score performed as an excellent predictor of adverse outcome, evidenced by an ROC area under the curve of 0.94. A cut-point of 6 on the score confers a sensitivity of 84.2% and specificity of 90.2% for predicting adverse outcome CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first gestational diabetes scoring system proposed to predict an adverse outcome http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2305-88622022000300004&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt BACKGROUND: Epithelial ovarian carcinomas (EOCs) are lethal female genital tract malignancies with high-grade serous, low-grade serous, endometrioid, clear cell, mucinous and malignant Brenner subtypes. The lifetime risk for developing ovarian carcinoma (OC) is 15% in females who have mismatch repair deficiency (MMR-d). MMR-d is associated with Lynch syndrome, a cancer predisposition condition. Patients who have MMR-d may benefit from immunotherapy. To the best of the authors' knowledge, MMR-d testing of OCs in South Africa (SA) has not been undertaken to date OBJECTIVES: To assess the clinicopathological characteristics and mismatch repair (MMR) status of non-serous EOCs at a single institution in SA METHODS: Following ethical clearance and application of exclusion criteria, 19 cases of non-serous EOC from the Department of Anatomical Pathology at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital were retrieved and assessed. Four immunohistochemical markers (MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2) were used to evaluate MMR status RESULTS: Most tumours were early-stage, unilateral, mucinous EOCs, without capsular breach or lymphovascular invasion (LVI). A single case of grade 1, stage I, unilateral, endometrioid EOC showed MMR-d for MLH1 and PMS2 MMR proteins. This patient had been diagnosed with endometrioid endometrial carcinoma 2 years prior to the diagnosis of OC CONCLUSION: Our study documented a lower proportion of MMR-d OCs compared with international studies. However, our results are concordant with global studies regarding tumour subtype, laterality, grade, stage, LVI and capsular breach. Larger studies are required to estimate the true incidence of MMR-d OCs in SA and to direct effective treatment options globally http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2305-88622022000300005&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt BACKGROUND: Pregnancy-related depression is a common psychiatric disorder and a major public health concern in both developed and developing countries, but the disorder receives little attention and few resources, particularly in developing countries OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of antenatal depression and its sociodemographic risk factors among pregnant women in Limpopo Province, South Africa METHODS: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in a district hospital from 8 March to 12 April 2021. Consecutive women attending antenatal care services during the data collection period were included in the study. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to assess depression symptoms RESULTS: The prevalence of antenatal depression was 31% (95% confidence interval 26.1 - 36.3). Being unmarried, being a smoker, being without financial support from a partner, having a violent partner and having a less-educated partner were significant predictors of antenatal depression in these women CONCLUSION: Nearly one-third of the pregnant women in our study had depressive symptoms. The important predictors of antenatal depression included being unmarried, smoking, lack of financial support from a partner, intimate partner violence and having a less-educated partner. These findings may help healthcare workers to identify women at risk early, so that support can be offered during pregnancy and childbirth http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2305-88622022000300006&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt BACKGROUND: Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is produced by the granulosa cells of ovarian antral follicles and plays a role in the recruitment of dominant follicles during folliculogenesis. The serum level of AMH is proportional to the number of developing follicles in the ovaries and reflects ovarian reserve. Nomograms of AMH variation with age exist from Caucasian populations, but there are none drawn from local African data OBJECTIVES: To establish age-specific median serum AMH levels in an unselected East African population of women of reproductive age METHODS: We retrospectively analysed data on 1 718 women who underwent AMH testing using the Beckman Coulter AMH Gen II enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay during the period 2015 - 2019 at Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya. Age-specific median AMH levels were derived and presented in 5-year age bands. AMH levels were then log-transformed and, using linear regression in a natural spline function, presented on a scatter plot to demonstrate variation across reproductive age RESULTS: The median (interquartile range (IQR)) age of women who were tested for AMH was 38 (19 - 49) years. For the study population, the median (IQR) serum AMH level was 0.87 (0.01 - 17.10) ng/mL. The AMH concentration was inversely related to age, with a progressive decline whereby an increase of 1 year resulted in a corresponding decrease in AMH of 0.18 ng/mL. The proportion of women with decreased ovarian reserve increased exponentially with age from 14.9% in those aged 20 - 24 years to 48.7% at 35 - 39 years CONCLUSION: From a large dataset of mainly black African women, this study confirms that serum AMH declines with advancing age, as reported elsewhere in Caucasian populations. There was, however, a higher than expected number of women with diminished ovarian reserve for age. Future studies prospectively exploring ovarian reserve in the general population could unravel underlying biological, reproductive and environmental factors that may influence AMH levels and reproductive capacity in this indigenous population http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2305-88622022000300007&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt Ultrasound in pregnancy has become standard of care, resulting in an increased number of antenatally diagnosed fetal anomalies. It is important to have a consistent approach to the management of these abnormalities. This may include offering termination of pregnancy, standard care or non-aggressive/palliative care. A categorisation of anomalies and management options is proposed to assist with these decisions, underpinned by an ethical framework.