Clinical Research Directory

Selective Removal of Endometriotic Lesions Using CUSA Clarity in Ovarian Endometriomas

This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and tissue selectivity of a novel surgical technology, the Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator (CUSA) Clarity, in the management of ovarian endometriomas. Ovarian endometriomas are cysts caused by endometriosis that can damage ovarian reserve when treated by conventional surgery. In this study, ovarian cyst wall specimens are examined ex vivo using different Tissue Select settings of the CUSA device. Histopathological analyses are performed to determine whether endometriotic epithelium can be selectively removed while preserving normal ovarian tissue. The findings may contribute to developing fertility-preserving surgical approaches for women with endometriomas.

Non-inferiority Trial Comparing Vaginal Ultrasound-guided Ethanol Sclerotherapy and Laparoscopic Cystectomy for the Management of Ovarian Endometriomas (E-STEP)

Endometriosis is a disease that affects between 6 and 10% of women of childbearing age. It is defined by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity, most often in the ovaries or the peritoneal cavity. The standard treatment for endometriomas is laparoscopic intraperitoneal cystectomy. This treatment has been shown to be associated with a lower rate of recurrence of painful symptoms than simple cyst drainage, and with higher pregnancy rates. Nevertheless, cystectomy can lead to a reduction in ovarian reserve due to the removal of adjacent healthy ovarian tissue, particularly when there is no cleavage plane between the ovary and the endometrioma. Other methods have been developed to manage endometriomas while preserving the ovarian reserve. Endometrioma sclerotherapy is one of the most promising techniques for reducing the risk of recurrence while preserving the ovarian reserve. This technique involves injecting a sclerosing agent into the cystic cavity, which has been drained beforehand, in order to create an abrasion of the cystic epithelium, resulting in inflammation and fibrosis that can lead to the permanent destruction of the cyst. The aim of the study is to conduct a single-centre randomised controlled non-inferiority trial comparing sclerotherapy and intraperitoneal cystectomy for the treatment of endometriomas. The main hypothesis of the study is that sclerotherapy is not inferior to cystectomy in terms of reducing painful symptoms one year after the operation and that it is superior to cystectomy on one or more of the following criteria: preservation of ovarian reserve, operative complications, post-operative pain, patient acceptability/satisfaction. The number of patients to be included will be 64, calculated to demonstrate non-inferiority between sclerotherapy and cystectomy for the primary endpoint.

Estetrol/Drospirenone to Reduce the Average Size of Endometriomas

Endometriosis, a chronic gynecological disorder associated with pain and infertility, is a common condition affecting approximately one in ten women. Up to 50% of patients with endometriosis have ovarian endometriomas (or "chocolate cysts"). These cysts directly impact fertility and ovarian reserve (ie. ability to have children) and can cause additional symptoms in women such as added pain, discomfort, and surgical emergencies (cyst rupture, or more rarely twisting). While endometriomas tend to require surgical excision as a solution, medical management with a variety of medications has been shown to be effective in reducing their size. Medical management (ie. medications and treatments that don't involve surgery) to reduce cyst size can help relieve symptoms either as a long term solution, before fertility treatments, or temporarily until surgery can be offered. Because the COVID-19 pandemic caused significantly reduced access to surgery and resources, medical management has become important for relief of the overburdened healthcare network. The purpose of this study is to see how effective Estetrol/drospirenone, a combined oral contraceptive (COC), is in the reduction of ovarian endometriomas after a 3- and 6-month period of treatment. This single arm interventional study will recruit women 18 years or older with an ovarian endometrioma of at least 3cm, who are seeking a hormonal treatment for their endometrioma(s). Consenting participants of the study will take Estetrol/drospirenone once daily, orally, for a 6 month duration. An ultrasound assessment of ovarian endometrioma(s) will be performed before starting the drug (0 months), and will be repeated at 3-months and 6-months time. At each of these hospital visits (0, 3 \& 6 months), participants will have their weight and blood pressure measured, and they will complete questionnaires regarding their endometriosis symptoms, incidence of amenorrhea, compliance and incidence of any adverse effects.

Surgery and ART For Endometrioma

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent chronic disease, characterized by the presence of endometrial-like tissue, glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity. Although endometriosis is classified in four stage (minimal, mild, moderate, severe), from the clinical point of view it is possible to subdivide among peritoneal superficial lesions, ovarian endometriomas and Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis (DIE). According to the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) Guideline on the management of women with endometriosis, it is recommended to clinicians that in infertile women with endometrioma larger than 3 cm, cystectomy should be considered prior to Assisted Reproduction Technology (ART) to improve endometriosis-associated pain or the accessibility of follicles. They further recommend that clinicians counsel women with endometrioma regarding the risks of reduced ovarian function after surgery, the possible loss of the ovary, and consider that the decision to proceed with surgery should be taken carefully if the woman has had previous ovarian surgery. In addition, this Guideline suggests that clinicians can prescribe prolonged (3-6 months) pituitary downregulation with Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone-agonists (GnRH-a) prior to ART, in order to increase live birth rate by four-fold. Despite these recommendations, to date there is not robust evidence to choose between the two strategies prior to ART in order to improve reproductive outcomes. For this reason, the aim of the current study will be to compare reproductive outcomes in infertile women affected by ovarian endometrioma, undergoing laparoscopic enucleation or prolonged pituitary downregulation with GnRH-a, prior to ART.