METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study at a tertiary urogynecological unit. A total of 337 patients were seen for a standardized interview, clinical examination (ICS POP-Q) and 4D translabial ultrasonography. Stored imaging data were analyzed offline to evaluate functional pelvic floor anatomy and investigate associations with symptoms and other findings.
RESULTS: Of the 337 women seen during the study period, 13 were excluded due to missing data, leaving 324. Vaginal laxity was reported by 24% with a mean bother of 5.7. In a univariate analysis, this symptom was associated with younger age, vaginal parity, POP symptoms and bother, clinically and sonographically determined POP and hiatal area on Valsalva maneuver.
CONCLUSIONS: Vaginal laxity or 'looseness' is common in our urogynecology service at a prevalence of 24%. The associated bother is almost as high as the bother associated with conventional prolapse symptoms. It is associated with younger age, vaginal parity, symptoms of prolapse, prolapse bother and objective prolapse on POP-Q examination and imaging, suggesting that vaginal laxity may be considered a symptom of prolapse. The strongest associations were found with gh + pb and hiatal area on Valsalva maneuver, suggesting that vaginal laxity is a manifestation of levator ani hyperdistensibility.
Case Report: A 74-year-old woman presented with a rapidly progressive neck swelling, with hoarseness and compressive symptoms. Physical examination revealed a multilobulated firm thyroid mass with unilateral vocal cord palsy. Histopathological findings confirmed the diagnosis of SCC while radiological investigations and panendoscopy findings ruled out the possibility of other primary tumors. A surgical intervention was performed; however, the patient eventually succumbed to death prior to undergoing an oncological treatment.
Conclusion: With no standard consensus to guide the management plan, SCC of the thyroid gland presents a great challenge for the managing team to come up with the best treatment option, due to its unfavorable rate of survival.
Methods: This is a controlled semi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test design. Ninety eligible ones of the elderly living in the Abadeh nursing homes and from July to September 2017, entered the study. Some of the criteria for entering the study include being over 60 years old, orientation, not having blindness and deafness, lack of physical and mental problems. After determining the intervention and control groups, the scale of depression and QOL was administered to the subjects and their scores were collected in the pre-test.
Results: Most of the study samples were in the intervention (35.55%) and control (37.77%) group in the age range of 60-69 years. In both intervention and control groups, respectively, 31.11% and 68.88% elderly were males and females. The mean scores of depression in the intervention group after LT (M = 2.57) were lower than those before the intervention (M = 6.87) [CI = -5.58-(-3.02)] and also the results of independent t-test showed a statistically significant difference before and after the intervention between the two groups (P < 0.001). The mean score of dimensions of QOL after LT was higher than that before in the intervention and there was a statistically significant difference in all dimensions with paired t-test (P < 0.001).
Conclusion: Since the implementation of this programme could improve the mental status and QOL of the elderly, this method of therapy can be used as an alternative or complementary model to enhance the health of the elderly.