These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Diethylstilbestrol exposure in utero: review of literature.
    Author: Glaze GM.
    Journal: J Am Osteopath Assoc; 1984 Feb; 83(6):435-8. PubMed ID: 6368486.
    Abstract:
    This report reviews the results of various studies concerning the progeny of pregnant women exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES), focusing on the effects on male and female progeny (lesions of the genital tract and reproductive performance). Studies concerning the DES effects on male progeny are few and involve small numbers of participants. The design of these studies attempts to show a relationship between structural abnormalities and/or infertility from DES exposure in utero. Driscoll and Taylor found that the ratio of interstitial cells to spermatogonia in the testicles of exposed male perinates was increased over that in controls. They also found squamous metaplasia rather than cuboidal tissue in the prostatic utricle. Structural abnormalities such as varicoceles and epididymal cysts were 8.9 times more common in DES exposed males than for nonexposed volunteers. Cryptorchidism and testicular hypoplasia have also been reported. Also cited in the literature are a decrease in sperm counts and in quality of sperm. Retrospective studies have shown that the incidence of clear cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina in exposed females is 0.14-1.4/1000 up to age 24. Approximately 2/3 of the 400 cases on registery from 1950 have been associated with exogenous estrogen use during the mother's pregnancy. The survival rate is 80% overall, and 90% if found at stage I. Observations of the vaginal and cervical epithelial changes found in DES exposed females appear in the literature from 1970 to the present. To data there is no increased risk of squamous cell cancer in these women. Several studies have noted that the amount of vaginal epithelial changes (VEC) observed in exposed women depended on the timing and the amount of drug given. These studies indicate that unless DES exposure was begun before the 18th week of gestation, the chance of VEC is very small. Sandburg et al. combined the results of pregnancy outcome studies from their institution with similar studies conducted elsewhere in an effort to isolate any difference in outcome of pregnancy between exposed and unexposed women. Their review included the following conclusions: approximately 25% of all pregnancies ended in elective abortion regardless of DES related history; the incidence of spontaneous abortion among exposed women is 24% versus 12% in the unexposed population; the incidence of preterm delivery was 3 times as great in the exposed population of women (approximately 16%); more than 2/3 of the exposed population had a least 1 pregnancy that ended with a term delivery; live births resulted in 67% of all pregnancies of exposed women in contrast to 87% in unexposed women; and 1 of every 24 exposed parous women will have at least 1 ectopic pregnancy and 1 of every 30 pregnancies in exposed women will be ectopic.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]