This volume represents an up-to-date overview on the major areas of gynecological endocrinology, providing the reader with a complete explanation of female endocrine regulation and metabolism and relevant disorders and treatment. It is published within the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology (ISGE) Series and is based on the 2013 International School of Gynecological and Reproductive Endocrinology Summer Course. The book covers a very wide range of topics – from primary amenorrhea to menopause, from the impact of ovarian surgery on fertility to fertility cryopreservation, from metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovary to premature ovarian failure and from the clinical impact of selective progesterone receptor modulators to the use of progesterone in prevention of premature labor. It will be an important tool for obstetricians and gynecologists, endocrinologists and experts in women’s health as well as interested GPs.

The right for every woman to have a 'natural' birth has been recognized for many years, yet surgical interventions continue to rise and, paradoxically, complaints and the degree of litigation for disappointing labor outcomes escalate. Proactive Support of Labor enhances professional skills by providing the expertise for preventing long labors - the root-cause of traumatic birth experiences and the cesarean pandemic. Step-by-step, evidence-based guidance on expert care and support during labor is given. Emphasis is placed on pre-labor education, personal attention, and well-defined birth planning - including strict diagnoses and timely corrective measures in abnormal labor - and constant audit of all procedures and outcomes. Striking a new balance between natural birth and intervention, and invariably enhancing women's satisfaction with the childbirth experience, the fully updated revision of this groundbreaking work will be essential reading for obstetricians, midwives, nurses, and trainees. For peer and reader reviews of the first edition see: www.proactivesupportoflabor.com.

This open access book looks at the dramatic history of ovariotomy, an operation to remove ovarian tumours first practiced in the early nineteenth century. Bold and daring, surgeons who performed it claimed to be initiating a new era of surgery by opening the abdomen. Ovariotomy soon occupied a complex position within medicine and society, as an operation which symbolised surgical progress, while also remaining at the boundaries of ethical acceptability. This book traces the operation's innovation, from its roots in eighteenth-century pathology, through the denouncement of those who performed it as 'belly-rippers', to its rapid uptake in the 1880s, when ovariotomists were accused of over-operating. Throughout the century, the operation was never a hair's breadth from controversy.

The Lamaze method is virtually synonymous with natural childbirth in America. In the 1970s, taking Lamaze classes was a common rite of passage to parenthood. The conscious relaxation and patterned breathing techniques touted as a natural and empowering path to the alleviation of pain in childbirth resonated with the feminist and countercultural values of the era. In Lamaze, historian Paula A. Michaels tells the surprising story of the Lamaze method from its origins in the Soviet Union in the 1940s, to its popularization in France in the 1950s, and then to its heyday in the 1960s and 1970s in the US. Michaels shows how, for different reasons, in disparate national contexts, this technique for managing the pain of childbirth without resort to drugs found a following. The Soviet government embraced this method as a panacea to childbirth pain in the face of the material shortages that followed World War II. Heated and sometimes ideologically inflected debates surrounded the Lamaze method as it moved from East to West amid the Cold War. Physicians in France sympathetic to the communist cause helped to export it across the Iron Curtain, but politics alone fails to explain why French women embraced this approach. Arriving on American shores around 1960, the Lamaze method took on new meanings. Initially it offered a path to a safer and more satisfying birth experience, but overtly political considerations came to the fore once again as feminists appropriated it as a way to resist the patriarchal authority of male obstetricians. Drawing on a wealth of archival evidence, Michaels pieces together this complex and fascinating story at the crossroads of the history of politics, medicine, and women. The story of Lamaze illuminates the many contentious issues that swirl around birthing practices in America and Europe. Brimming with insight, Michaels' engaging history offers an instructive intervention in the debate about how to achieve humane, empowering, and safe maternity care for all women.

Written and edited by leading, internationally recognized clinicians and scientists in reproductive medicine and related fields, this unique text is a practical and comprehensive review of the clinical and scientific significance of unexplained male and female infertility and its management. The book is divided into thematic sections to ensure the most useful presentation of topics, opening with definitions and epidemiology of unexplained infertility, including discussion of the WHO's cutoff values for human semen characteristics and its ramifications. Sections covering male and female reproductive pathophysiology follow respectively, covering biological, genetic and environmental causative factors, with a subsequent section on evaluative techniques for male and female patients. Expectant, medical and surgical treatment strategies comprise the fifth section of the book, where active interventions and outcomes of each treatment modality are carefully considered. The final section discusses assisted reproductive techniques to manage unexplained infertility, such as intrauterine insemination and in vitro fertilization, as well as future perspectives. Thoughtful and enlightening, Unexplained Infertility: Pathophysiology, Evaluation and Treatment will be an invaluable resource for all clinicians and scientists working in the fields of reproductive medicine and infertility.

This authoritative volume describes the role of free radicals and antioxidants in prenatal and perinatal disorders currently explored in clinical and pre-clinical trials. In twenty-two inclusive chapters, the book covers the gamut of oxidative stress and its relation to a variety of factors, including fertility, metabolism, redox biomarkers, antioxidant defense and protection, gene polymorphisms, angiogenesis, cell signaling, mutations and oxidative damage involving lipids, proteins and nucleic acids, membrane trafficking, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, alterations in immunological function, hypoxia, and post-natal stressors. This comprehensive source will keep clinicians and research scientists up-to-date on translational research into medical applications. Perinatal and Prenatal Disorders is a significant addition to the well-known Oxidative Stress in Applied Basic Research and Clinical Practice series.

Endometriosis is one of the most common gynecological diseases, causing pelvic pain, infertility, and cancer. The condition reduces the quality of life for the estimated 10% of menstruating women who are affected by it. This book provides a clear insight into the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of endometriosis—essential information for clinicians intending to successfully treat the condition. The first part covers a range of topics including stem cells, NK cells, macrophages, inflammation, cytokines, epigenetics, prostaglandin, sex steroids, aromatase, apoptosis, nerve fibers, and malignant transformation to aid in understanding the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of the disease. The second part provides useful tools for therapy, specifically, notable recent techniques in prevention, imaging, biomarkers, medical treatments, surgical treatments, prevention of recurrence, and infertility treatments. Each chapter was written by an expert in the field, with nearly 40 researchers and clinicians contributing to the work. This book will be highly useful to clinicians as well as to research scientists who are interested in this enigmatic disease.  

Reflecting recent changes to the exam, MRCOG Part 2: 500 SBAs and EMQs, Second Edition has been completely updated to include questions and answers in the new SBA format. With over 50% new content, MRCOG Part 2: 500 SBAs and EMQs offers the most up-to-date and comprehensive set of practice questions for trainees preparing for the MRCOG Part 2 exam. Chapters are mapped to the syllabus to deliver structured revision in all the key topics tested in the exam. Featuring a wealth of practice questions and fully descriptive answers, this book provides the essential revision text to maximise chances of exam success. Key Points 500 questions, comprising 250 SBAs and 250 EMQs, reflecting the breadth of topics encountered in the actual exam Questions structured around MRCOG syllabus core modules, ensuring complete coverage for the exam Answers feature concise descriptions to consolidate knowledge and understanding Extensive evidence-based referencing to relate theory to clinical practice Visually-enhanced answers to improve understanding of key concepts  

Highlighting recent advances in our understanding of breast cancer, this book is intended for a wide audience as a reference book. Included are reviews of genetics, epigenetics, various aspects of cell and molecular biology, and several other areas of breast cancer that are aimed at determining new intervention sites for treatments and cures of the disease. The chapters are written by internationally recognized experts and include reviews of key topics in breast cancer research. Each chapter highlights the new aspects of specific research topics and the various impacts of designing new strategies as well as identifies new targets for therapeutic intervention. The topics addressed are selected to be of interest to patients, scientists, students, teachers, and anyone else interested in expanding their knowledge of breast cancer imaging, diagnostics, therapeutics, or basic biomedical research on breast cancer.

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal malignancy of the female reproductive system and is also the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women. Sharing common characteristics of cancer, ovarian malignancy possess several clinical and biological particularities In Ovarian Cancer: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers in the field provide methods that have been created or adapted to study various aspects of ovarian cancer. These methods and techniques are applicable to study genetic alterations present in ovarian cancer, structural and metabolic features of ovarian cancer cells, include in vitro and in vivo models that recapitulate ovarian cancer development and progression, and describe ovarian cancer-oriented drug delivery approaches. Methodological chapters are grouped into seven thematic parts, any of them is introduced by short subject review. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Ovarian Cancer: Methods and Protocols seeks to aid scientist to optimize study designs, to correctly select the most applicable methods, and to produce interesting and novel results.

This book offers a unique and focused study of the use of ultrasound during the first trimester, a critical time in a fetus' development. It includes basic examination guidelines as well as cutting-edge ultrasound modalities, including Doppler and three-dimensional ultrasound, for the period immediately preceding conception through early embryology. Beginning with a discussion of the safety and efficacy of diagnostic ultrasound and the use of this modality for the evaluation and treatment of infertility, recognized experts in the field explore conditions that may interfere with normal conception or development, including maternal diseases that would benefit from early scanning, elements of teratology, multiple gestations, ectopic pregnancy, gestational trophoblastic disease, fetal anomalies and invasive procedures in the first trimester. Numerous illustrations and figures are provided to serve as aids for understanding key concepts. First-Trimester Ultrasound is a valuable resource for many, in or after training, in obstetrics and gynecology, radiology, emergency medicine, family medicine and genetics.

Nutrition and Diet in Menopause is a single comprehensive source that will provide readers with an understanding of menopause. Holistic in its approach, this volume is divided into five sections covering psychological, endocrine and lifestyle factors, metabolism and physiology, bone and nutrition, cancer and nutrition, cardiovascular factors and dietary supplements in menopause. In-depth chapters review the potential long term consequences of menopause on the overall health of women, not only at the physical level including hot flushes (flashes) , alterations to the genitourinary system, skin changes, decreased cardiovascular functions, hypertension, headache, back pain, and constipation. Written by international leaders and trendsetters, Nutrition and Diet in Menopause is essential reading for endocrinologists, cardiologists, nutritionists and all health care professionals who are interested in women's health.

In recent years, the advancing science and increasing availability of assisted reproduction have given new hope to infertile couples. However, the use of IVF and ART has also led to marked increases in the number of multiple-infant live births. This poses a public health concern, as these neonates have a higher rate of pre-term delivery, compromising their survival chances and increasing their risk of lifelong disability. By optimizing the selection of gametes and embryos with high probabilities of implantation, it is possible to reduce the number of embryos transferred and, by extension, the number of high-risk multiple gestations, while maintaining or increasing pregnancy rates. Human Gametes and Preimplantation Embryos: Assessment and Diagnosis provides a broad yet concise overview of established and developing methodologies for assessment of gamete and embryo viability in assisted reproduction. This book elucidates the best practices for precisely selecting viable specimens based on morphology and cleavage rate and covers the spectrum of emerging adjunctive technologies for predicting reproductive potential. The authors present their extensive knowledge of "omics" approaches (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics), with unbiased delineation of the associated advantages and potential pitfalls. This valuable clinical resource is well suited to infertility specialists, Ob/Gyn physicians, IVF laboratory technicians, and researchers in the fields of embryology and reproductive medicine.

This volume reviews the evolution of information regarding the epidemiology of DCIS and its modes of detection, as well as treatment options as a function of both clinical trial data and ongoing investigational therapeutic prospects. Several of the challenging and clinically-relevant scenarios of DCIS that appear in daily practice is discussed, including the difficulties of distinguishing "true" DCIS from borderline patterns of other breast diseases and the therapeutic implications of differentiating these various diagnoses. Particular attention is paid to pathologic evaluation of DCIS, including histologic patterns and the importance of margin evaluation/margin control. The text also explores the data regarding DCIS in medical research in hereditary susceptibility for breast cancer and race/ethnicity-associated disparities in breast cancer. Written by experts in the field, Ductal Carcinoma In Situ and Microinvasive/Borderline Breast Cancer is a comprehensive, state-of-the art review of the field, and serves as a valuable resource for clinicians, surgeons and researchers with an interest in breast cancer.

The COPD chart presents a detailed overview of the symptoms and causes of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD). Sections help explain the two related respiratory diseases that constitute COPD - emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Heavy gauge 3ml lamination with sealed edges and two metal eyelets for hanging makes chart highly durable. Write-on/wipe-off with dry erase marker (not included).

This volume describes culture media and solutions used in human ART; how they have been developed for in vitro human pre-implantation embryo development, the function and importance of the various components in media and solutions and how they interact, and how the systems in which these are used can influence outcomes. Chapters discuss inorganic solutes, energy substrates, amino acids, macromolecules, cytokines, growth factors, buffers, pH, osmolality, and the interaction of these parameters. The role of incubators and other physical factors are reviewed, along with the relevance and prospects of emerging technologies: morphokinetic analysis using time-lapse imaging and dynamic fluid incubation systems. Results of prospective randomized trials are emphasized to ascertain the added value of these techniques for selecting viable embryos. This comprehensive guide will be invaluable for embryologists, physicians and all personnel involved in the fluid products used in human ART seeking to optimize their successful use of these components.

Clinical Reproductive Medicine and Surgery offers a succinct overview of both the medical and surgical management of reproductive disorders, as well as coverage of associated imaging modalities. The book includes chapters on major reproductive endocrinology and infertility issues such as polycystic ovary syndrome and amenorrhea, management of endometriosis and fibroids (including interventional radiology), imaging modalities such as ultrasonography and sonohysterography, preservation of fertility, and recurrent pregnancy loss. Residents, fellows, and practitioners interested in reproductive endocrinology and infertility will find this focused and practical text invaluable.

Rheumatic (or systemic autoimmune) diseases disproportionately affect young women: the female-to-male ratio for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus during the reproductive years is approximately 9:1. In the mid- to late-twentieth century, women with rheumatic disease diagnoses were often advised to avoid pregnancy due to fear of disease exacerbation and adverse outcome. In more recent years, many women with rheumatic disease have deferred childbearing until a later age due to active disease or unsafe therapies. However, with advances in rheumatology therapies, obstetric monitoring, and reproductive medicine technologies, increasing numbers of women with rheumatic diseases are pursuing pregnancy. As a result, obstetricians and rheumatologists need to be aware of the current state of knowledge and the recommendations for management of pregnancy in these patients. Contraception and Pregnancy in Patients with Rheumatic Disease explains the basics of contraception, fertility treatment, and pregnancy in rheumatic disease patients and serves as a guide and reference tool for both rheumatologists and OB/GYNs. Most general rheumatologists and OB/GYNs have limited experience in caring for rheumatic disease patients during pregnancy, and many do not have ready access to expert colleagues in this area. This book summarizes the current state of knowledge and presents a general approach for assessment of the rheumatic disease patient considering pregnancy, hormonal contraception or infertility treatment.

Constipation: A Practical Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment serves as an unmet resource for physicians and other health care providers, including trainees and students, who see patients with constipation. The text reviews pathophysiologic mechanisms and details evaluation and management strategies. The volume also enables the reader to identify epidemiologic factors and quality of life parameters for patients with constipation, discuss differences in pathophysiologic mechanisms for different etiologies of constipation, recognize primary causes of constipation, and assess special considerations related to the symptom of constipation including presentations in the elderly, in pregnant women, in patients with systemic diseases, and patients with a history of abuse. Written by thought leaders and recognized experts in gastrointestinal motility and medical education, Constipation: A Practical Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment is of great value and utility for gastroenterologists, primary care physicians, gynecologists, nurse practitioners, physician's assistants, as well as fellows and residents.

Complementary & Alternative Medicine (CAM) for Prostate/Urologic Health is designed to capture and clinically review the comprehensive database of clinical research articles that support and do not support the utilization of a variety of dietary supplements and other complementary medicines that physicians are exposed to in their daily practice. This is a critical distinction between this book and any other CAM Complementary & Alternative Medicine for Prostate and Urologic Health is designed to capture and clinically review the comprehensive database of clinical research articles that support and do not support the utilization of a variety of dietary supplements and other complementary medicines that physicians are exposed to in their daily practice. This is a critical distinction between this book and any other Complementary & Alternative Medicine (CAM) books published to date. Each section of the book provides an easy to reference guide into the topic of interest for the individual that works in urology. The various sub-specialty groups in urology are adequately represented, which allows for a physician to rapidly and thoroughly investigate their topic of interest regardless of whether it is fertility, bladder cancer, or prostate disease. Rather than having to sort through the now thousands of articles published yearly on CAM in medicine, this volume focuses first on the specialty and secondarily how it compares to the overall CAM literature. Each chapter includes a summary page that will allow the physician a rapid review of the subject with a patient, colleague or student. The practical nature of this book in urology also cannot be overstated. Chapters include a general overview of the CAM agent, whether or not it has data in medicine and urology, and a list of potential drug interactions and specific clinical scenarios where it can be utilized or discouraged in the specialty. Complementary & Alternative Medicine for Prostate and Urologic Health represents a gold standard text for use in teaching, not only for the students interested in the urologic field but for all current urologic health providers.

Female Puberty: A Comprehensive Guide for Clinicians is a practical reference, covering the full range of issues related to pubertal development. Developed to answer pointed clinical questions and to provide a thorough review of the literature, the book covers both the basics and the complexities of puberty, encompassing psychosocial development to pubertal nuances in highly specialized populations. Comprehensive in scope, this title offers concepts that are concisely conveyed and chapters that complement each other well. Complex subjects such as details of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis are covered in a readily understandable manner and bullet points throughout the text serve as helpful reminders to the reader. An invaluable contribution to the literature, Female Puberty: A Comprehensive Guide for Clinicians will be of great interest to all health providers concerned with female reproductive health - including obstetrician gynecologists, reproductive endocrine specialists, pediatricians, pediatric specialists, family practitioners and allied health professionals.

This concise handbook provides oncologists and other healthcare providers with crucial updates in the field, including an updated review of the current understanding of the biology of the HER2 pathway, an overview of HER2-testing, and evidence-based discussions of available and emerging HER2-targeted treatment options. An essential clinical text for physicians that screen and treat patients with breast cancer and require an accessible, up-to-date survey of the dynamic treatment landscape.

In Sleep Disorders in Women: A Guide to Practical Management, 2nd Edition, a multidisciplinary panel of eminent researchers and practicing clinicians comprehensively updates the multifaceted aspects of sleep disorders in women at different stages of life, illuminating the unique impact that each reproductive and endocrine stage has on both normal sleep and sleep disorders. This title not only introduces primary care physicians and health care providers to the discipline of sleep disorders in women, it also will appeal to a broader set of specialists as it summarizes the latest, cutting-edge research and presents it in a succinct and clinically relevant manner. The goal of this book is to help physicians recognize the symptom patterns of sleep disorders in their female patients, guide them in diagnosing and treating these patients in a timely fashion, and help in the elimination of gender bias in sleep medicine research and care. An invaluable addition to the literature, Sleep Disorders in Women: A Guide to Practical Management, 2nd Edition again fills an important niche by being an accessible, comprehensive, multidisciplinary review on sleep disorders in women.

The human egg - the rarest and most rapidly aging cell in the body - is a topic of intense scientific study. Assisted reproduction clinics are constantly vying to improve success rates - choosing the best gametes is a key step in this process. This new edition of what one reviewer of the first edition described as 'possibly the definitive work on the oocyte' covers the development, biology and pathology of the oocyte, and technologies to manipulate, enhance and control fertility. These technologies are used to overcome infertility, avoid inherited diseases, and create genetically engineered embryos from stem cells and cloning. This progress would have been impossible without the myriad of scientific and technical developments covered in this book. The new edition is thoroughly updated and includes major new research on reprogramming, oocyte molecular development, cryopreservation and viability. We are in exciting times for the egg.