Reproduction Flashcards
What is the difference between emission and ejaculation?
Emission: sperm travels from the testes to the prostatic urethra to mix with the seminal fluid coming from the ejaculatory duct
- Sympathetic nervous system
- Via the hypogastric nerve
Ejaculation: sperm and seminal fluid travel from the prostatic urethra to the outside world
- Sympathetic nervous system
- Via the pudendal nerve
Name the testicular tumour.
- Yellow and mucinous
- Schiller-Duval bodies
- Aggressive
- Elevated AFP levels
- Most common testicular tumour in boys <3 years of age
Yolk sac (endodermal sinus) tumour
>> Analogous to ovarian yolk sac tumour
>> Schiller-Duval bodies resemble primitive glomeruli
Name the testicular tumour.
- Painless
- Fried-egg appearance
- Increased placental AFP
- Most common testicular tumour overall
- Commonly in 3rd decade and never in infancy
Seminoma
Name the testicular tumour.
- Painful
- Often mixed, rarely pure
- Elevated hCG and normal AFP levels
Embryonal carcinoma
Name the testicular tumour.
- Multiple tissue types
- Elevated hCG levels
- Elevated AFP levels in 50%
Teratoma
>> Unlike in females, mature teratoma in adult males may be malignant; usually benign in children
Name the testicular tumour.
- Disordered syncytiotrophoblastic and cytotrophoblastic elements
- Elevated hCG levels
- Hematogenous metastases to lung and brain
Choriocarcionma
Name the testicular tumour.
- Reinke crystals
- Golden brown in colour
- Causes gynecomastic in men and precocious puberty in boys
Leydig cell tumour
>> Most common of testicular non-germ cell tumour
(Non-germ cell tumour)
Name the testicular tumour.
- Most common testicular cancer in older men
- Aggressive
- Not a primary cancer
Testicular lymphoma
(Non-germ cell tumour)
Name the testicular tumour.
- Estrogen production
- Gynecomastic in men
- Associated with Peutz-Jegher’s syndrome and Carney syndrome
Sertoli cell tumour
(Non-Germ Cell Tumour)
What are three types of Bowen disease?
- Bowen disease
- Erythroplasia of Queyrat
- Bowenoid papulosis
Describe and name the penile pathology.
Bowen disease
- Gray, solitary, crusty plaque on the penile shaft and scrotum
- 10% progresses to invasive squamous cell carcinoma
Describe and name the penile pathology.
Erythroplakia of Queyrat
- Red, velvety plaques
- Usually involving the glans
- Premalignant lesion in situ for penile squamous cell carinoma
Describe and name the penile pathology.
Bowenoid papulosis
- Multiple papular lesions
- Do not become invasive
- Typically in younger individuals
What are the risk factors for squamous cell carcinoma of the penis? What are the premalignant in-situ lesions for the same cancer?
Risk factors for penile SCC
- HPV infection
- Lack of circumcision
Premalignant in-situ lesions
- Bowen disease
- Erythroplakia of Queyrat
- Bowenoid papulosis
What is the mechanism of action of sildenafil?
Phosphodiesterase 5 inhibition
>> Increase cGMP
>> Smooth muscle relaxation in corpus cavernosum
>> Vasodilation
>> Erection
What are the indications for sildenafil?
- Erectile dysfunction
- Raynaud’s phenomenon
- Primary pulmonary hypertension
What are the side effects of PDE5 inhibitors (e.g. sildenafil)?
- Headache
- Flushing
- Dyspepsia
- Impaired blue-green colour visio
- Hypotension
Name one important clinical contraindication for prescription of sildenafil.
Concurrent prescription/intake of nitrates
>> Concomittant intake of nitates and sildenafil can lead to life-threatening hypotension
What drugs can cause priapism?
- PDE5-inhibitors (e.g. sildenafil)
- Anti-coagulants
- Anti-depressants
- Alpha-blockers
- Cocaine
Describe and name the penile lesion.
Genital warts: Condyloma acuminatum
- Benign
- Caused by HPV-6 and HPV-11 mainly
Describe and name the penile lesion.
Balanitis
- Inflammation of the glans penis
- 40% due to Candida
- More common in the uncircumcised and in diabetics
What are the risk factors for balanitis?
- Uncircumcised
- Diabetes mellitus
Which lobes of the prostate are affected in BPH and prostatic adenocarcinoma respectively? Which one is easier to detect via digital rectal examination?
BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia): periurethral (middle and lateral) lobes
Prostatic adenocarcinoma: posterior lobe; easier to detect via DRE
What are the symptoms of BPH?
- Increased urinary frequency (<q2h></q2h>- Urgency
- Nocturia (>2-3 times per night)
- Straining to void
- Intermittent and/or weak urine stream
- Incomplete voiding
What is the full name of BPH?
Benign prostatic hyperplasia
What is the management for BPH?
Pharmacological treatment
- Non-selective alpha-1 antagonists
>> Doxazosin
>> Terazosin
>> Prazosin
- Selective alpha-1A,1D antagonist: Tamsulosin
- 5a-reductase inhibitor: Finasteride, Dutasteride
Surgical treatment
What are some possible side effects of non-selective alpha-1 antagonists?
- Postural hypotension
- Dizziness
- Asthenia
- Fatigue
>> Tamsulosin, the selective alpha-1A,1D blocker, has no anti-hypertensive effects and thus avoids the postural hypotension seen in the use of other non-selective alpha-1 antagonists.
What are some possible side effects of finasteride (5a-reductase inhibitor)?
- Decreased libido
- Ejaculatory disorder
- Erectile dysfunction/impotence
What is the treatment for prostatic carcinoma?
- Flutamide (nonsteroidal androgen receptor antagonist)
- Resection
What is Peyronie’s disease?
Angulation of the penis due to inflammation and fibrous tissue formation of tunica albuginea
What are the different types of prostatitis?
- Acute bacterial
- Chronic bacterial
- Chronic abacterial: most common type
What are the possible organisms causing bacterial prostatitis?
Age <35 years old: Chlamydia and Gonorrhea
Age >35 years old: UTI bugs (KEEPS)
- Klebsiella
- E. coli
- Enterobacter
- Proteus
- Pseudomonas
- Serratia
- Staphylococcus saprophyticus
What are the structures that sperm and seminal fluid pass through during ejaculation?
SEVEN UP
- Seminiferous tubules
- Epididymis
- Vas deferens
- Ejaculatory duct
- (Nothing)
- Urethra
- Penis
What is the mechanism of action of flutamide?
Nonsteroidal competitive inhibitor of androgens at the testosterone receptor
>> For treatment of prostate carcinoma
What is the mechanism of action for the antiandrogenic effects of spironolactone?
- Inhibits steroid binding
- Inhibits 17a-hydroxylase (and thus sex steroid synthesis)
- Inhibits 17,20-desmolase (and thus steroid synthesis)
What is the mechanism of action for the antiandrogenic effects of ketoconazole?
Inhibits 17,20-desmolase and thus inhibits steroid synthesis
What are the indications for testosterone (or methyltestosterone) replacement?
- Hypogonadism
- Promote development of secondary sexual characteristics
- ER+ breast cancer
- Stimulate anabolism for recovery in burns or other injuries
What are the side effects of testosterone replacement?
- Females: Masculinization
Males: decreased intratesticular testosterone production >> gonadal atrophy - Premature epiphyseal plate closure
- Increased LDL, decreased HDL – poor lipid profile
What are the therapeutic actions of oral contraceptive pills (synthetic progestins + estrogen)?
- Suppresses ovulation: birth control
- Thickening of cervical mucus: prevent ascending infection and sperm
- Inhibits endometrial proliferation: decreases menstrual flow and cramps
- Regulates menses
- Decreases ectopic pregnancy (because decreases overall chance for pregnancy)
- Decreased risk for endometrial and ovarian cancer
- Decreases acne (by upregulation of SHBG >> sequestrates testosterone)
What are the side effects of oral contraceptive pills?
- Compliance: noncompliance can lead to pregnancy
- Hypercoagulability: contraindicated in –
>> Smokers >35 years of age
>> Patients with a history of CVA/stroke/clots
>> Patients with a history of migraine with aura - Hypertension
- Increased triglycerides
- GI problems/liver problems
- Mood changes
- ?Weight gain
What are the indications for estrogen replacement/supplementation (usually ethinyl estradiol)?
- Birth control (contraception)
- Menstrual regulation
- Hormone replacement therapy for postmenopausal women
- Hypogonadism/premature ovarian failure
- Men with androgen-dependent prostate cancer
What are the contraindications for estrogen therapy?
- ER+ breast cancer
- History of DVT/PE/clots
- Uncontrolled HTN
- Smoker >35 years of age
- Migraine with aura
What are the indications for progestin therapy?
- Birth control
- Menstrual cycle control: stabilizes endometrial lining by decreasing growth and increasing vascularization of the endothelium
- Uterine protection with estrogen HRT (from endometrial cancer)
What is the average age for menopause?
51.4 years
>> Earlier in smokers
What is the definition of menopause?
Cessation of menstruation associated with decreased estrogen production due to age-linked ovarian follicular atresia
What is the main source of estrogen in postmenopausal women?
Peripheral conversion from androgens in fat cells
>> Postmenopausal women therefore have increased androgen levels, which can lead to hirsutim. Menopause is also associated with grossly increased FSH levels.
What is the treatment for menopausal hot flashes?
- Estrogen replacement therapy (HRT)
- SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) - e.g. sertraline, fluoxetine, citalopram
- SNRIs (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) - e.g. venlafaxine
- Clonidine (alpha-2 receptor antagonist)
- Gabapentin
- Herbal medications/vito-estrogens: soy isoflavones, red clover, black cohosh, vitamin E etc.
What are the indications for hormone replacement therapy?
- Menopausal hot flashes
- Vaginal atrophy
- Osteoporosis (bisphosphonates is first-line; estrogen inhibits osteoclastic activity)
What is vaginismus?
Spasm of the pelvic floor muscle that is generally made worse with touch and especially penetration, leading to vaginal pain
>> Variable severity
>> Can affect sexual function
What is vestibulitis?
Burning sensation at the opening (or the vestibule) of the vagina
- Most focally at the vestibular glands
- Primarily at the Bartholin glands (greater vestibular glands) at 5 and 7 o’clock
>> A prime example of allodynia – neurological damage, trauma, deep-seeded bacterial infection etc.
What are some causes of vaginal pain? List 6.
- Trauma
- Infection
- Mucosal spasm
- Mucosal allodynia or hyperalgesia
>> Allodynia: pain from stimulus that doesn’t normally provoke pain
>> Hyperalgesia: pain from stimulus that should normally provoke minimal pain - Vaginismus
- Vestibulitis
What is the treatment for most cases of vaginal pain?
Desensitization
- Physiotherapy: massage, biotherapy etc.
- Topical lidocaine
- Treat infection if present
- Psychological treatment, esp. if associated with a history of sexual/physical abuse
Describe and name this lesion.
Sarcoma botryoides
- Rhabdomyosarcoma originating from the wall of the bladder or the vagina
- Usually in girls <4 years of age
- Under microscope: spindle-shaped cells that are desmin positive
Where does cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) most commonly occur? Which types of HPV is it associated with? Which gene products are involved in the development of dysplasia?
- Commonly at the squamocolumnar junction of the transition zone (T-zone) between the ectocervix and the endocervix
- Associated with HPV-16 and HPV-18 (and also HPV-31)
- Gene products involved:
>> E6 – inhibits p53 tumour suppressor gene
>> E7 – inhibits Rb protein
What are the risk factors for cervical carcinoma or CIN?
- Multiple sexual partners
- Early sexual intercourse
- HIV infection
- STDs
- Smoking: decreases immune system, making you more susceptible to infection
What are the most commonly presenting complaint for CIN/cervical carcinoma?
ASYMPTOMATIC!
(detected by pap smear – screening for cervical cancer)
- Some may complain of intermenstrual/abnormal vaginal bleeding (esp. post-coital)
How does one stage cervical carcinoma?
- *Cervical cancer is clinically staged!**
- Almost all other gynecological cancers are surgically staged EXCEPT cervical cancer as early cervical cancers do not necessarily need extensive surgery.
- Aided by pap smear +/- colposcopy +/- LEEP or cone biopsy etc.
- Spreads locally
- Lateral spread can cause compression onto the ureters, leading to renal failure
What are the common types of cervical carcinoma?
- Squamous cell carcinoma: ~90%
- Adenocarcinoma: ~10%
Where can endometriosis take place?
- Ovary: endometrioma (“chocolate cyst”)
- Pelvis
>> Posterior cul-de-sac (Pouch of douglas)
>> Uterosacral ligament
>> Uterine surface
>> Fallopian tube
>> Posterior broad ligament
>> Bladder - Peritoneum
- Intestines
What are the risk factors of endometrial hyperplasia?
States of constant high levels of estrogen
- Anovulatory cycles
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Hormone replacement therapy
- Granulosa cell tumours (secretes estrogen)
What are the symptoms of endometrial hyperplasia?
- Menorrhagia or metrorrhagia after age 35
- Post-menopausal vaginal bleeding
>> Diagnosis by endometrial biopsy
What is the most common gynecological malignancy in the US?
Endometrial carcinoma
Peak incidence: 55-65 years
What are the risk factors for endometrial carcinoma?
- Prolonged exposure to unopposed estrogen
- Nulliparity
- Late menopause
- Obesity
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- *HHONDA**
- Hypertension
- Hyperplasia
- Obesity
- Nulliparity
- Diabetes
- Anovulatory state
What are some of the classic locations for leiomyomas (fibroid)? Name 5.
- Subserosal
- Intramural (most common)
- Submucosal
- Cervical
- Broad ligament
What is the most common tumour in females?
Leiomyoma (Fibroids)
>> More common in blacks
>> Peak incidence: 20-40 years old
>> Estrogen senstiive: increases in size with pregnancy, and decreases with menopause
What are the possible complications of leiomyoma?
- Abnormal uterine bleeding
- Bulk symptoms: pelvic pressure and discomfort
- Pain when the fibroid’s centre is necrotic
- Miscarriage
What is the treatment for fibroids/leiomyoma?
Pharmacological treatment
- OCPs
- Continuous GnRH analog: leuprolide
Less invasive surgical treatment
- Embolization
- Ablation
Surgical treatment
- Myomectomy
- Hysterectomy: definitive treatment
What are the histological features of leiomyoma?
Whorled pattern of smooth muscle bundles with well-demarcated borders
+ for desmin
What are the indications for use of leuprolide?
- Endometriosis
- Uterine fibroids
- Precocious puberty
- Infertility
- Prostate cancer (use with flutamide)
What are the most common gynecological cancers in the US? List them in order.
- Endometrial cancer (4th most common cancer overall in the US)
- Ovarian cancer (5th most common cancer overall in the US) – poor prognosis
- Cervical cancer (most common gynecological cancer in the world – not in developed countries due to pap smear screening)
What is the main indication for clomiphene?
Infertility due to anovulation (e.g. clomiphene)
What are the possible side effects for clomiphene?
- Hot flashes
- Breast discomfort
- GI discomfort
- Vision changes
- Ovarian enlargement: pain and torsion
- Multiple gestation pregnancy
What is the mechanism of action for clomiphene?
- Partial agonist for estrogen receptors in the hypothalamus
- Relative decreased effect on negative feedback compared to endogenous estrogen
- Increased LH and FSH levels
- Stimulate ovulation
What are the treatment options for polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)?
- Weight loss
- Treat insulin resistance: Metformin
- Spironolactone (for hirsuitism – anti-androgenic effects)
- Progesterone
>> Protection against endometrial hyperplasia
>> Negative feedback to hypothalamus to decrease LH
>> Increases SHBG to decrease free hormones - Ovarian induction for infertility:
>> Clomiphene
>> Letrozole
>> Pulsatile leuprolide
>> Ovarian drilling
What is the diagnostic criteria for PCOS?
Any 2 of the 3 following:
- Hyperandrogenism – e.g. hirsutism (NOT VIRILIZATION!)
- Anovulation/oligo-ovulation
- Polycystic ovaries (string-of-pearls appearance) on USG
Other features
- Insulin resistance
- Obesity
What are the differences between hirsutism and virilization?
Hirsutism
- Male pattern hair growth
- Acne
- Increased muscle mass
Virilization
- Male pattern balding
- Deepening of the voice (often irreversible)
- Clitoromegaly
Name some causes of anovulation.
Physiological
- First few years after menarche
- Pregnancy
- Menopause
Pathological
- Endocrine
>> Hyper/hypothyroidism
>> Hyperprolactinemia
>> Cushing’s syndrome
>> Adrenal insufficiency
- HPO axis
>> Premature ovarian failure
>> Stress
>> Anxiety
>> Anorexia
What are some pathologies characterized by psammomma bodies? Name 4.
PSaMoMa Bodies
- Papillary thyroid carcinoma
- Serous cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary
- Mesothelioma
- Meningioma
Name the ovarian lesion.
- Endometriosis in the ovary
- “Chocolate cyst”
Endometrioid cyst/endometrioma
Name the ovarian lesion.
- Often bilateral
- Due to luteinization and hypertrophy of the theca interna layer of ovary
- Associated with: molar pregnancy, multiple gestation, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and choriocarcinoma
Theca-lutein cyst
Name the ovarian lesion.
- Psammomma bodies
- The most common malignant ovarian tumour
Serous cystadenocarcinoma
Name the ovarian lesion.
- Multiloculated
- Large
- Unilateral
- Columnar mucus-secreting epithelium that look like intestinal cells
Mucinous cystadenoma
Name the ovarian lesion.
- Pseudomyxoma peritonei >> intraperitoneal accummulation of mucinous material
- Associated with appendiceal tumours
Mucinous cystadenocarcinoma
Name the ovarian lesion.
- The most common ovarian tumour
- 20% bilateral
- Uniloculated
- Lined with fallopian-like ciliated epithelium
Serous cystadenoma
Name the ovarian lesion.
- 15-20% coexist with endometrial carcinoma
Endometrioid tumour/endometrioma
Name the ovarian lesion.
- Unilateral, solid and encapsulated
- Looks like transitional epithelium of the bladder
- Coffee-bean nuclei on H&E stain
Brenner tumour
Name the ovarian lesion.
- Elevated hCG and LDH levels
- Equivalent to the male seminoma
- Sheets of “fried-egg” cells
- Associated with Turner syndrome
Dysgerminoma
Name the ovarian lesion.
- Immature neuroectoderm
- Malignant in women
Immature teratoma
Name the ovarian lesion.
- The most common form of ovarian germ cell tumour
- Elements from all 3 germ cell layers
- Benign in women
Mature teratoma
Name the ovarian lesion.
- Schiller-Duval bodies
- Increased AFP levels
- Malignant
- Yellow, friable solid mass
- Most common tumour in male infants (if found in testes instead)
Yolk sac (endodermal sinus) tumour
Name the ovarian lesion.
- Malignant
- Elevated hCG levels
- Tendency of hematogenous spread to lungs
- Very response to chemotherapy
- Derived with trophoblastic tissue (cyto- and syncytiotrophoblasts)
Choriocarcinoma
Name the ovarian lesion.
- Estrogen-producing
- Leads to precocious puberty and irregular per vaginal bleeding
- Call-Exner bodies (similar to primordial follicles)
Granulosa-theca cell tumour
Name the lesion.
- Meigs syndrome: along with hydrothorax (pleural effusion) and ascites
- Most common ovarian stromal tumour
- Bundles of spindle-shaped fibroblasts
Fibroma
What is placenta previa?
Attachment of the placenta to the lower uterine segment, leading to a risk for antepartum hemorrhage
What are the 4 types of placenta previa?
- Complete
- Partial
- Marginal
- Low-lying
What are the common presenting symptoms of placenta previa?
Painless vaginal bleeding of maternal blood
(Alkali denaturation/Apt-Downey test negative)
What are the risk factors for placenta previa?
- Multiple gestation
- Extremes of maternal age
- History of placenta previa
- History of previous C/S, D&C, myomectomy and other uterine surgeries
- Smoking and alcohol use during pregnancy
What is the management for placenta previa?
Cesarean section delivery
What is vasa previa?
Fetal blood vessels covering the cervical os
What are the presenting symptoms of vasa previa?
Painless vaginal bleeding of fetal blood
Can lead to fetal death: fetal hemorrhage can kill within minutes!
(Alkali denaturation/Apt-Downey test positive)
What is placenta accreta?
Defective decidual layer leading to inability for the placenta to detach after delivery >> severe post-partum hemorrhage >> life-threatening for mother
What are the risk factors for placenta accreta?
- Prior C-section
- Previous placenta previa
- Advanced maternal age
- Multiparity
- History of previous myomectomy or other uterine surgeries (aggressive curettage leading to Asherman syndrome, thermal ablation and uterine artery embolization)
- Inflammation of the uterus/pelvis