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Diagnostics
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Diagnostic Techniques in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Current Practices and Future...
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Diagnostic Techniques in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Current Practices and Future Directions

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Diagnosis and Prognosis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1787

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Giuseppina Porcaro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Women’s Health Centre, USL Umbria 2, 05100 Terni, Italy
Interests: diagnostic techniques; obstetrics and gynecology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, "Diagnostic Techniques in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Current Practices and Future Directions", delves into the ever-evolving landscape of diagnostic methodologies within the fields of obstetrics and gynecology. It showcases the cutting-edge research and innovative approaches currently employed in clinical practice, exploring their efficacy, safety, and impact on patient outcomes. Additionally, it fosters a forward-looking dialog, examining emerging technologies and potential future trajectories that promise to revolutionize diagnostic processes. Contributions from leading experts illuminate both the strengths and challenges of current practices, paving the way for advancements that could significantly enhance women's healthcare globally.

Dr. Giuseppina Porcaro
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diagnostics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • diagnosis
  • prognosis
  • obstetrics and gynecology markers
  • clinical practice and patient care

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review, Other

12 pages, 396 KB  
Article
Prenatal Ultrasonographic Markers of Macrossomia and C-Peptide in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Prospective Cohort Study
by Roberto Noya Galluzzo, Karine Souza Da Correggio, Aldo von Wangenheim, Gustavo Yano Callado, Heron Werner, Edward Araujo Júnior, Pedro Teixeira Castro, Glória Calagna and Alexandre Sherlley Casimiro Onofre
Diagnostics 2025, 15(16), 1989; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15161989 - 8 Aug 2025
Viewed by 253
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the association between prenatal ultrasonographic markers of macrossomia and C-peptide, a neonatal hyperinsulinemia marker, in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), with a focus on fetal adipose tissue thickness, liver length, and interventricular septal thickness. Methods: This prospective [...] Read more.
Objective: To investigate the association between prenatal ultrasonographic markers of macrossomia and C-peptide, a neonatal hyperinsulinemia marker, in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), with a focus on fetal adipose tissue thickness, liver length, and interventricular septal thickness. Methods: This prospective cohort study included 223 pregnant women followed from 28 to 36 weeks of gestation in two referral centers in Brazil. The GDM group and matched controls underwent serial ultrasound assessments of fetal biometry, including thigh, abdominal, and subscapular skinfolds, fetal liver length, and interventricular septum thickness. Neonatal hyperinsulinemia was assessed using umbilical cord C-peptide levels. Statistical analyses included t-tests, chi-square tests, correlation analyses, and multivariate logistic regression. Results: Fetuses of mothers with GDM exhibited significantly greater abdominal [t(221) = −3.999, p < 0.01] and subscapular [t(221) = −2.502, p = 0.02] skinfolds, liver length [t(221) = −3.785, p < 0.01], and interventricular septum [t(221) = −4.781, p < 0.01] thickness. However, umbilical cord C-peptide levels did not differ significantly between groups [t(189) = −1.724, p = 0.09]. Only weak correlations were found between fetal ultrasound markers and C-peptide levels. Among all parameters, subcutaneous tissue thickness showed the highest (ρ = 0.30), though still limited, predictive value. Conclusions: Fetuses of mothers with GDM demonstrated increased measures of liver length, subscapular adiposity, and interventricular septal thickness compared to controls. However, these prenatal biometric markers showed weak correlations with neonatal C-peptide levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnostic Techniques in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Current Practices and Future Directions)
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Review

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16 pages, 2670 KB  
Review
Infections as a Cause of Preterm Birth: Amniotic Fluid Sludge—An Ultrasound Marker for Intra-Amniotic Infections and a Risk Factor for Preterm Birth
by Mariam Al Baloushi, Badreldeen Ahmed and Justin C. Konje
Diagnostics 2025, 15(16), 2080; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15162080 - 19 Aug 2025
Viewed by 186
Abstract
Preterm labour (PTL) affects about 11% of all deliveries world-wide. It is a major cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Although the precise cause is unknown in about 50% of cases, infections are thought to be a major contributing factor. These infections are [...] Read more.
Preterm labour (PTL) affects about 11% of all deliveries world-wide. It is a major cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Although the precise cause is unknown in about 50% of cases, infections are thought to be a major contributing factor. These infections are more common in earlier preterm deliveries. While some women with these infections will manifest the classical features of fever, tachycardia (maternal and/or fetal), leucocytosis, raised biomarkers of infections, and uterine tenderness/irritation, others will be asymptomatic. Some of the women may develop a short/dilating cervix without any obvious contractions. Identifying such women is potentially challenging. Evidence has shown that a condensation of echogenic particles just above the cervix—amniotic fluid (AF) sludge, identified by ultrasound—is a marker for microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity (MIAC) and preterm birth (PTB) in both asymptomatic and symptomatic women (including those with a short or normal cervix). Those with a short cervix with AF sludge have a significantly greater risk of progression to PTB. Treatment with antibiotics has been shown in some but not all case series to result in a resolution of the sludge and either a delay or prevention of PTB. The widely varied results from treatment could be related to the antibiotics used and the route of administration. The use of the parenteral combination of clindamycin, a cephalosporin, and metronidazole has been shown to be more effective compared to azithromycin. Here we review the literature on the relationship between the sludge and PTB and conclude (1) that the AF sludge is an ultrasound marker of MIAC and PTL and (2) that following its diagnosis, appropriate counselling should be offered and the triple antibiotic combination offered. We suggest that randomised trials should be undertaken to determine the most efficacious antibiotic combination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnostic Techniques in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Current Practices and Future Directions)
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22 pages, 4547 KB  
Review
MR Defecography Improves Diagnosis of Postoperative Pelvic Floor Dysfunction After Gynecological Surgery
by Rosa Alba Pugliesi, Marika Triscari Barberi, Giovanni Roccella, Giuseppe Gullo, Valentina Billone, Elena Chitoran, Gaspare Cucinella, Federica Vernuccio, Roberto Cannella and Giuseppe Lo Re
Diagnostics 2025, 15(13), 1625; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15131625 - 26 Jun 2025
Viewed by 1059
Abstract
Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) is one of the most significant postoperative consequences in gynecological surgery, leading to impaired bowel function, structural alteration, and reduced quality of life. The conventional technique using fluoroscopic defecography and perineal ultrasonography provides an incomplete assessment of multi-compartment defects [...] Read more.
Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) is one of the most significant postoperative consequences in gynecological surgery, leading to impaired bowel function, structural alteration, and reduced quality of life. The conventional technique using fluoroscopic defecography and perineal ultrasonography provides an incomplete assessment of multi-compartment defects and post-surgical changes. Magnetic resonance defecography (MRD) represents a valuable alternative imaging method in the assessment of PFD following gynecological surgery, increasing diagnostic accuracy and enabling personalized treatment planning. MRD achieves high-resolution multi-compartmental assessment of the pelvic floor in dynamic states. Particularly, it is able to detect postoperative complications such as mesh retraction, organ prolapse, and fistula formation, not visible to other modalities. This narrative review discusses the role of MRD in diagnosing PFD and its advantages in detecting functional and anatomical changes following gynecological surgery. This review also examined the ability of MRD to demonstrate surgical changes and its contribution to possible standardization in clinical practice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnostic Techniques in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Current Practices and Future Directions)
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Other

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12 pages, 4567 KB  
Case Report
From Benign Polyp to High-Grade Endometrial Sarcoma: A Case Report with Imaging Correlation
by Marina de Miguel Blanc, Cristina Espada González, Milagros Gálvez Montes and Carmen Simón Bejarano
Diagnostics 2025, 15(17), 2164; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15172164 - 26 Aug 2025
Abstract
Uterine adenosarcoma with sarcomatous overgrowth (ASSO) is an exceptionally rare and aggressive subtype of uterine sarcomas, characterized by high mitotic activity, deep myometrial invasion, and an elevated risk of recurrence and metastasis. We report the case of a 79-year-old institutionalized woman with a [...] Read more.
Uterine adenosarcoma with sarcomatous overgrowth (ASSO) is an exceptionally rare and aggressive subtype of uterine sarcomas, characterized by high mitotic activity, deep myometrial invasion, and an elevated risk of recurrence and metastasis. We report the case of a 79-year-old institutionalized woman with a history of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, chronic hepatitis B, and mild Alzheimer’s disease. During routine hepatic ultrasound surveillance, an incidental 26 mm endometrial lesion was detected. Initial diagnostic hysteroscopy revealed a benign endometrial polyp. However, due to the patient’s institutionalization and absence of gynecologic symptoms, no specialized follow-up was conducted. Four years later, she presented with profuse postmenopausal bleeding. Imaging revealed a markedly enlarged uterus with a 12–13 cm heterogeneous endometrial mass containing cystic and hemorrhagic areas, demonstrating diffusion restriction and significant contrast enhancement on MRI, with no radiologically suspicious lymphadenopathy. Hysteroscopy demonstrated a giant polyp with a broad implantation base; histology suggested sarcomatous transformation. Definitive diagnosis after total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy confirmed high-grade ASSO with homologous sarcomatoid overgrowth, consistent with endometrial stromal sarcoma. This case illustrates the progressive malignant transformation of an initially benign-appearing lesion in a patient with significant comorbidities and limited follow-up. It underscores the importance of clinical vigilance, regular monitoring, and interdisciplinary coordination in the evaluation of uterine enlargement in asymptomatic postmenopausal women. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnostic Techniques in Obstetrics and Gynecology: Current Practices and Future Directions)
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