David M O'Sullivan

The noninvasive differentiation between ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathy is frequently difficult. We examined the clinical value of stress electrocardiographic gated (ECG-gated) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to identify ischemic cardiomyopathy and detect coronary artery disease (CAD) in 164 patients without known CAD, ejection fraction < or =40% by ECG-gated SPECT, and subsequent coronary angiography. Summed stress, rest, and difference scores were measured ...

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing in the management of women with atypical glandular cells (AGCs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: After institutional review board approval, cases of AGC with concurrent HPV testing were identified from the pathology database at Hartford Hospital from January 2000 to September 2006, inclusive. Atypical glandular cell-associated disease included cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 (CIN 2) or anything of greater pathologic ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the value of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing for HPV-associated cervical disease (HPV-AD) and overall disease (atypical glandular cell [AGC]-associated cervical disease) in women with AGCs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search was conducted from January 1993 through September 2007 using various AGC-related terms with the exploded Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) term "HPV." Findings from 7 studies were used to calculate disease rates according to HPV ...

BACKGROUND: Although transesophageal echocardiography is the definitive test for the detection of left atrial (LA) appendage thrombus, transthoracic echocardiography has yet to prove useful for the determination of increased risk for LA appendage thrombus formation. The authors hypothesized that higher LA volume and/or lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) might prove valuable as markers of increased risk for LA appendage thrombus formation and tested this hypothesis in a ...

IntroductionWe evaluated whether women with urge urinary incontinence (UUI) have lower quality of life (QOL) than women with other forms of urinary incontinence.MethodsPatients completed three validated questionnaires when presenting for evaluation at a urogynecology practice and were divided into four groups based on their responses: those with symptoms of stress urinary incontinence (SUI), UUI, both SUI and UUI (mixed UI), and neither SUI nor UUI (controls).ResultsA total of 465 women ...

OBJECTIVE: Breast arterial calcifications (BACs) are common but unreported findings on screening mammograms. This study correlated mammographically detected BACs with coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors and a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), estimating the relative risk of ASCVD in patients with BACs.

DESIGN: Women arriving for breast cancer screening mammography gave their consent to complete a questionnaire and to allow their mammograms to be analyzed ...

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate whether increased serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25OHD3) concentrations, in response to calcium/vitamin D (CaD) supplementation, are associated with improved lipids in postmenopausal women.

METHODS: The parent trial was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial designed to test the effects of CaD supplementation (1,000 mg of elemental calcium + 400 IU of vitamin D3 daily) versus placebo in postmenopausal ...

Acid suppressive therapy, in the form of proton pump inhibitor (PPI), is widely used in cirrhotic patients, often in indications which are not clearly justified. PPI facilitates enteric bacterial colonisation, overgrowth and translocation, which might predispose to spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. However, observational studies evaluating the association of PPI and SBP in cirrhotic patients have yielded inconsistent results. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis of relevant clinical ...

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) and cytological abnormalities while addressing demographic and reproductive variables in a sample of rural Nigerian patients.

METHODS: In March 2004, a medical project was conducted in Okene, Nigeria. The obstetrics/gynecology team collected demographics of 231 patients and 199 ThinPrep Pap smears (Cytyc, Marlborough, MA), which were analyzed cytologically and for the presence of HPV DNA.

RESULTS: Of 231 ...

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to estimate the prevalence of malignancy or dysplasia in cervical polyps.

METHODS: A convenience sample was identified by retrospectively searching the Hartford Hospital pathology database for cases of endocervical polyps removed from January 1, 1999, through January 31, 2006. The presence of malignancy, dysplasia, atypia, and other modifiers was recorded along with demographic information, including age, race/ethnicity, residence, and the ordering ...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate cervical polyps and assess whether postmenopausal women are at higher risk for abnormalities than their premenopausal counterparts.

METHODS: After institutional review board approval, the Hartford Hospital pathology database was retrospectively searched for cases of endocervical polyps removed from September 1999 through January 2008, inclusive. The presence of malignancy, dysplasia, and atypia was recorded, along with demographic ...

OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate whether use of a vaginal pessary would change body image, bother symptoms, and quality of life in women with pelvic organ prolapse.

STUDY DESIGN: Women presenting for pessary insertion completed the short forms of Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20, Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire, and Body Image Scale. After successful pessary insertion and use for at least 3 months, subjects completed the surveys again. Scores were compared with a paired t ...

BackgroundRecent literature suggests that the frequency of abnormal SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has decreased over the past two decades despite an increase in the prevalence of many cardiac risk factors. This study examined the trends in the prevalence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) by abnormal and ischemic MPI and invasive angiography.MethodsWe analyzed all patients who underwent stress MPI or invasive angiography at two academic centers between January 1996 ...

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify the prevalence of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in a sample comprising women of mostly Hispanic descent and low socioeconomic status (SES).

METHODS: Demographic data and symptoms related to sexuality were analyzed from 102 women who consecutively came to the Women's Life Center at Hartford Hospital (2004-2008). FSD was defined as decreased sexual desire, dyspareunia, or vaginal dryness; depression as one positive response to a ...

OBJECTIVE: Although pregnancy and breast-feeding require adequate calcium mobilization, it is not known if these affect the acquisition of a healthy peak bone mass (PBM) and, hence, postmenopausal osteoporosis (OPS). The objective of this study was to analyze previous pregnancies and/or breast-feeding and their association with OPS.

METHODS: After obtaining institutional review board approval, postmenopausal women (>49 y) presenting for a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry bone density ...