Historically, gynecologic endoscopy began in the 1930s with the development of diagnostic laparoscopy, but today gynecologic endoscopy has become an essential part of gynecologic surgery. In present practice, the benefits of hysteroscopy have become safely entrenched behind undeniable facts, to the hospitals as well as the patients. Hysteroscopy can be regarded as the gold standard for the evaluation of the uterine cavity in cases of abnormal uterine bleeding, infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and suspected intrauterine out-growth. It can be performed in the office setting (outpatient hysteroscopy) or as a day-case procedure, under general anesthesia (inpatient hysteroscopy). Outpatient hysteroscopy has been shown to be as accurate as inpatient hysteroscopy, and it has the advantage of reduced anesthetic risks, enhanced time–cost effectiveness, and patient preference. The factors behind the success of outpatient hysteroscopy are instrument quality, characteristics of the distension medium, the ability and experience of the operators, and recent technical advances, such as the introduction of small-diameter rigid and flexible hysteroscopes. The future looks to further simplification of instrumentation and hence, high safety and accuracy and expedited performance. "Hysteroscopy in Infertility" has addressed the relevant issues with dexterity by substantiating with relevant clinical experiences of authors, who are among the pioneers in this field.

Historically, gynecologic endoscopy began in the 1930s with the development of diagnostic laparoscopy, but today gynecologic endoscopy, both laparoscopy and hysteroscopy, has become an essential part of gynecologic surgery. In present practice, the benefits of laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, and minimally invasive surgical procedures have become safely entrenched behind undeniable facts, to the patients as well as the hospitals. The endoscopic gynecologic surgery now involves the whole gamut of fetal surgery, embryoscopy, outpatient local anesthetic laparoscopy, total laparoscopic hysterectomy, and embolization of myomas. Another interesting fact to come to the fore is that, increasingly, the traditional treatments for infertility are being rendered obsolete by advanced reproductive technologies and gynecologic endoscopy. Endoscopy in Infertility has addressed the relevant issues with dexterity by substantiating with relevant clinical experiences of its authors, who are among the pioneers in this field.

Assisted reproduction refers to a number of advanced techniques that aid fertilization in a couple diagnosed to have reduced fertility such as in women who have irreversible damage to their fallopian tubes or cervical mucous problems. These techniques can also benefit couples with unexplained infertility. Before 1978, infertility diagnosis and treatment revolved around surgical interventions such as fallopian tube(s) repair or inserting sperms into the uterus. Thus, the management was applicable and aimed at removing the mechanical blockage that prevented the fertilization of egg. Then ca.me Louise Brown and Dr. Patrick Steptoe, a couple who were destined to be associated forever in the infertility history books forever. This is because in 1978, Dr. Steptoe made it possible for Louise to conceive in a laboratory in England with IVF. From this turning point in the science of infertility, came techniques that addressed the biochemical and hormonal aspects of infertility thus marking the beginning of a whole new subspecialty called Reproductive Endocrinology. With Dr. Steptoe’s technique, called IVF (In Vitro Fertilization), couples who otherwise had no problems that could be surgically treated now had another option. With the inclusion of Information technology in all aspects of our life, the explosion of Assisted Reproduction Technologies (ART) has resulted in further sophistication of additional techniques, now responsible for the existence of over 20,000 human beings a year that would never have existed. ART deals with all aspects of the science of conception, be it investigating the couple, or determining their ovarian reserve to application of the most appropriate technique to aid conception in that couple.

The management of medical disorders in pregnancy has undergone significant changes in the recent years. The pattern of disease has changed with improvements in socio-economic conditions. For example, the incidence of antenatal anemia has decreased progressively in the past few decades, and pulmonary tuberculosis (which used to be prevalent) is now seen only rarely. Chronic rheumatic heart disease has also become less common. On the other hand, gestational diabetes has become more common. This may be due partly to the setting up of screening services for gestational diabetes in many hospitals. The four most common medical disorders complicating pregnancy are anemia, diabetes mellitus, cardiac disease, and thyroid disorders. In addition, because of the improvements in the medical, obstetric, and anesthetic management of pregnancy, many women with medical disorders can go through a pregnancy without major problems. There has also been a progressive decrease in the perinatal mortality associated with some medical disorders, such as diabetes. It is important for all healthcare professionals involved in the management of pregnant women with medical disorders to be conversant with the latest developments in order to provide the best care to these women. The chapters in this issue are certainly helpful in this respect. The eminent authors for the various chapters have discussed the various options available describing in detail their experiences regarding the various aspects of the condition.

It is an established fact that thyroid hormones play an important role in the metabolism of the body. Pregnancy is a state of significant hormonal as well as metabolic changes, and thyroid hormones have a significant impact on maternal metabolism and fetal development during pregnancy. The fetus relies on maternal thyroid hormone for the development of the CNS, especially in the early stages of gestation, and uncorrected maternal hypothyroidism in this period can leave the child with permanent life-long neurological deficits. From the maternal point of view, a thyroid dysfunction encountered during pregnancy may continue even after delivery as postpartum thyroiditis. Hence, any thyroid dysfunction, be it hypo- or hyperthyroidism, can have serious deleterious consequences if not detected promptly and managed properly. The established guidelines and newer trends for the treatment of thyroid dysfunction are discussed in this update. Thyroid hypofunction has also been known to affect the fertility of women in reproductive age group. With the increasing incidence of infertility and advent of methods to treat them, the early detection and adequate treatment of thyroid hypofunction becomes an unavoidable part of assisted reproductive techniques, in the present day scenario. Even subclinical thyroid disorders can affect the reproductive capacity of non-pregnant women and impact the fetomaternal wellbeing in those who conceive. However, not all cases of subclinical hypothyroidism warrant pharmacological treatment. The guidelines for treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism in the pregnant and non-pregnant states are discussed in detail in this clinical update. An important aspect of reproductive health is family planning, and one of the commonly used means to achieve it is hormonal contraceptives. The interaction of thyroid hormones with hormonal contraceptives and the means of testing thyroid dysfunction in an individual taking hormonal contraceptives have been elucidated in this update.

Even though it seems simple the ability of the mother’s body to retain and nurture the fetus, which is of a non-identical genetic makeup, throughout the gestational period requires a delicate balance of hormonal orchestration to achieve the required immunological permissiveness. The obvious outcome of a failure to achieve this is rejection of the fetal "semi-allograft", which manifests as threatened miscarriage. The occurrence of threatened miscarriage or symptoms suggestive of it is fraught with anxiety both for the patient and the obstetrician, especially if the baby is eagerly awaited. In such a situation, a correct diagnosis and prompt evaluation is imperative to start immediate interventions and prevent the expulsion of the fetus. However it is equally important to rule out the other conditions that may mimic threatened miscarriage and avoid unnecessary interventions. This clinical update handbook attempts to address these and other issues associated with this potentially elusive condition. The first chapter serves to give a concise yet relevant overview about this topic. The various modes of presentation as well as the management protocol are elaborately covered in the second chapter. The chapter on Diagnostic Modalities explains how the risk factors and investigative findings can be used to predict and make an early diagnosis of the condition. It has also touched upon the other conditions that mimic threatened miscarriage and how those can be differentiated from it. The role of stress and how it affects the immunomodulation which is the basis of maternal tolerance of the fetus, is explored in detail in the fourth chapter. The last chapter highlights the complications associated with inappropriate treatment of the condition and explores the adverse effects and relative safety of the recommended treatment protocol. Most of the chapters also include several case reviews that illustrate the aspects covered and are enriched with the vast repertoire of personal experience of the eminent authors.

PCOS is a complex endocrinopathy with wide-ranging variations and clinical manifestations. In the field of gynecology, the clinician is called upon to treat problems of menstrual irregularity, acne and hirsutism, infertility, obesity, and for education on long-term consequences. The mainstay of pharmacological treatment aims at ovarian suppression of androgen secretion. The most effective medical therapy for hirsutism in these cases thus appears to be antiandrogen drugs. The patients need to undergo the therapies for long periods and also understand the need of maintenance. Electrolysis and laser photothermolysis are considered the most effective cosmetic procedures. PCOS is a heterogeneous disorder and no single etiological factor fully accounts for the whole spectrum of the abnormalities in this condition. Only a few genes and mutations show considerable evidence of association with PCOS. Variable manifestation observed within PCOS patients may be due to the interaction with environmental factors with protective genomic variant and predisposing genes. The eminent authors of "Polycystic Ovary Syndrome" have enumerated the various options available described in detail their experiences regarding the various aspects of the condition.