Background Pelvic palpation is a core component of every Gynecologic examination. It requires vigorous training, which is difficult due to its intimate nature, leading to a need of simulation. Up until now, there are mainly models available for mere palpation which do not offer adequate visualization of the concerning anatomical structures. In this study we present a 3D printed model of the female pelvis. It can improve both the practical teaching of gynecological pelvic examination for health care professionals and the spatial understanding of the relevant anatomy. Methods We developed a virtual, simplified model showing selected parts of the female pelvis. 3D printing was used to create a physical model. Results The life-size 3D printed model has the ability of being physically assembled step by step by its users. Consequently, it improves teaching especially when combining it with commercial phantoms, which are built solely for palpation training. This is achieved by correlating haptic and visual sensations with the resulting feedback received. Conclusion The presented 3D printed model of the female pelvis can be of aid for visualizing and teaching pelvic anatomy and examination to medical staff. 3D printing provides the possibility of creating, multiplying, adapting and sharing such data worldwide with little investment of resources. Thus, an important contribution to the international medical community can be made for training this challenging examination.

Background Simulation in the field of gynecological pelvic examination with educational purposes holds great potential. In the current manuscript we evaluate a 3D printed model of the female pelvis, which improves practical teaching of the gynecological pelvic examination for medical staff. Methods We evaluated the benefit of a 3D printed model of the female pelvis (Pelvisio®) as part of a seminar (“skills training”) for teaching gynecological examination to medical students. Each student was randomly assigned to Group A or B by picking a ticket from a box. Group A underwent the skills training without the 3D printed model. Group B experienced the same seminar with integration of the model. Both groups evaluated the seminar by answering five questions on Likert scales (1–10, 1 = “very little” or “very poor”, 10 equals “very much” or “very good”). Additionally, both groups answered three multiple-choice questions concerning pelvic anatomy (Question 6 to 8). Finally, Group B evaluated the 3D printed model with ten questions (Question 9 to 18, Likert scales, 1–10). Results Two of five questions concerning the students’ satisfaction with the seminar and their gained knowledge showed statistically significant better ratings in Group B (6.7 vs. 8.2 points and 8.1 vs. 8.9 points (p < 0.001 and p < 0.009). The other three questions showed no statistically significant differences between the traditional teaching setting vs. the 3D printed model (p < 0.411, p < 0.344 and p < 0.215, respectively). The overall mean score of Question 1 to 5 showed 8.4 points for Group B and 7.8 points for Group A (p < 0.001). All three multiple-choice questions, asking about female pelvic anatomy, were answered more often correctly by Group B (p < 0.001, p < 0.008 and p < 0.001, respectively). The mean score from the answers to Questions 9 to 18, only answered by Group B, showed a mean of 8.6 points, indicating, that the students approved of the model. Conclusion The presented 3D printed model Pelvisio® improves the education of female pelvic anatomy and examination for medical students. Hence, training this pivotal examination can be supported by a custom designed anatomical model tailored for interactive and explorative learning.

MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is the second-leading cause of deaths by antibiotic-resistant bacteria globally, with more than 100,000 attributable deaths annually. Despite the high urgency to develop a vaccine to control this pathogen, all clinical trials with pre-clinically effective candidates failed so far. The recent development of “humanized” mice might help to edge the pre-clinical evaluation closer to the clinical situation and thus close this gap. We infected humanized NSG mice (huNSG: (NOD)-scid IL2R\(_γ\)\(^{null}\) mice engrafted with human CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells) locally with S. aureus USA300 LAC* lux into the thigh muscle in order to investigate the human immune response to acute and chronic infection. These mice proved not only to be more susceptible to MRSA infection than wild-type or “murinized” mice, but displayed furthermore inferior survival and signs of systemic infection in an otherwise localized infection model. The rate of humanization correlated directly with the severity of disease and survival of the mice. Human and murine cytokine levels in blood and at the primary site of infection were strongly elevated in huNSG mice compared to all control groups. And importantly, differences in human and murine immune cell lineages surfaced during the infection, with human monocyte and B cell numbers in blood and bone marrow being significantly reduced at the later time point of infection. Murine monocytes in contrast behaved conversely by increasing cell numbers. This study demonstrates significant differences in the in vivo behavior of human and murine cells towards S. aureus infection, which might help to sharpen the translational potential of pre-clinical models for future therapeutic approaches.

Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynecological malignancy in women. More than 70% of the cases are diagnosed at the advanced stage, presenting as primary peritoneal metastasis, which results in a poor 5-year survival rate of around 40%. Mechanisms of peritoneal metastasis, including adhesion, migration, and invasion, are still not completely understood and therapeutic options are extremely limited. Therefore, there is a strong requirement for a 3D model mimicking the in vivo situation. In this study, we describe the establishment of a 3D tissue model of the human peritoneum based on decellularized porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) scaffold. The SIS scaffold was populated with human dermal fibroblasts, with LP-9 cells on the apical side representing the peritoneal mesothelium, while HUVEC cells on the basal side of the scaffold served to mimic the endothelial cell layer. Functional analyses of the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and the FITC-dextran assay indicated the high barrier integrity of our model. The histological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural analyses showed the main characteristics of the site of adhesion. Initial experiments using the SKOV-3 cell line as representative for ovarian carcinoma demonstrated the usefulness of our models for studying tumor cell adhesion, as well as the effect of tumor cells on endothelial cell-to-cell contacts. Taken together, our data show that the novel peritoneal 3D tissue model is a promising tool for studying the peritoneal dissemination of ovarian cancer.

Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, die psychische Belastung bei Patientinnen mit auffälligen PAP-Abstrichen oder dysplastischen Veränderungen der Zervix uteri im Rahmen der Dysplasie-Sprechstunde zu erheben. Durch Auswertung und Analyse der Daten im Rahmen des Qualitätsmanagements sollte eine Grundlage für eine verbesserte und angepasste Versorgung geschaffen werden. In dem erhobenen Fragebogen waren vier Fragen von besonderer Bedeutung - die Informationslage bei Vorstellung, die Art der Informationsbeschaffung, der mögliche Wunsch nach mehr Information und der Bildungsstand. In der Auswertung des ausgeteilten Fragebogens konnte erhoben werden, dass 56,9% der Patientinnen bei der Erstvorstellung psychisch belastet waren. Das ist ein großer Anteil in Anbetracht der Tatsache, dass das PAP-Screening eine jährliche Vorsorgeuntersuchung für über 15 Millionen Frauen darstellt [19]. Der Großteil der in der Dysplasie-Sprechstunde erhobenen PAP-Abstriche waren auffällig und somit weiter abklärungsbedürftig. Über 70% der HPV-Tests waren „high risk“ positiv. Der Mittelwert der Verteilung des Alters lag bei 44 Jahren, was bedeutet, dass viele junge Frauen mit potenziell bestehendem Kinderwunsch oder jungen Familien betroffen sind. Die jungen Frauen sind durchschnittlich besser gebildet und psychisch belasteter als die Kohorte der älteren Patientinnen. Ein Blick auf die Verteilung der Bildung zeigt, dass bei Betrachtung der gesamten Kohorte, schlechter gebildete Frauen verunsicherter sind. Viele der Patientinnen, 40,9%, fühlten sich vor der Erstvorstellung nicht ausreichend informiert und mehr als 53,8% der Patientinnen hätten sich mehr Informationen gewünscht. Sieht man sich die Antworten auf die Frage nach der Quelle der Informationsbeschaffung an, fällt auf, dass mit 68,5% weiterhin der/die betreuende Arzt/Ärztin die wichtigste Informationsquelle darstellt. Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass trotz des 2020 deutschlandweit begonnenen organisierten Screenings die betroffenen Frauen anhaltend belastet sind und sich mehr Informationen wünschen. Ein wichtiger Schritt zur Vorbeugung psychischer Belastung wäre eine verbesserte Vermittlung von Information seitens der behandelnden Ärzte/Ärztinnen, auch unter Hinweis auf die online zur Verfügung stehenden Informationen des Bundesministeriums für Gesundheit.