A pregnant patient with type II osteogenesis imperfecta pregnancy

Osteogenesis imperfecta(OI)is a primary bone fragility disorder with an estimated prevalence of 1/15,000 births and is a hereditary syndrome characterized by one or more of the following:fractures,blue sclerae,impaired hearing,defective dentition,and hyperlaxibility throughout life.[1,2]We report a pregnant woman with type II OI and review her prenatal counseling,diagnosis,and pregnancy management to assist obstetricians in understanding the disease and managing it in emergency situations.

Pregnancy on Bicornuate Unicollis Uterus: Diagnosis, Management and Prognosis in Underprivileged Areas: About a Case, Yaoundé-Cameroon

Background: A bicornuate uterus is a relatively common and often asymptomatic congenital uterine malformation. Objective: The aim of this work is to highlight the diagnostic difficulty in this case, as well as its therapeutic and prognostic aspects. We report here the case of a young girl carrying a pregnancy on an undiagnosed unicollis bicornuate uterus, which was initially diagnosed as an unruptured ectopic pregnancy. Conclusion: The bicornuate uterus still poses diagnostic difficulties, especially in disadvantaged populations due to the poor accessibility of diagnostic means.

Diagnosis and treatment discussion of congenital factor VII deficiency in pregnancy:A case report

BACKGROUND Congenital factor VII deficiency(FVIID)is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder.The clinical manifestations of this deficiency vary greatly.Predicting the risk of bleeding during and after childbirth of pregnant women with congenital FVIID is difficult.Recombinant factor VIIa is the most common replacement therapy for FVIID.However,no unified diagnosis and treatment plan for pregnant women with congenital FVIID has been established.CASE SUMMARY We report the clinical history of a pregnant woman who was considered to have congenital FVIID.Recombinant factor VIIa was prophylactically administered to the pregnant woman at the time of cervical fully opening.She successfully delivered a live infant without any complications,such as postpartum hemorrhage,neonatal abnormalities,and so on.CONCLUSION Prophylaxis of recombinant factor VIIa during delivery can effectively reduce the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage among pregnant women with congenital FVIID associated with a high risk of bleeding.

Early Pregnancy Diagnosis by Serum Acid Titration in Three Sheep Breeds

[ Objective] Earlier identification of pregnant and non-pregnant animals post mating can greatly improve reproductive efficiency and pregnancy rate and decrease the interval between services. The experiment was conducted to develop a rapid and simple early pregnancy diagnostic method in sheep. [Method] The eady pregnancy diagnosis was conducted with serum acid titration in 1 317 female sheep （Duolang sheep, Cele sheep and Karakul sheep） after 16 -30 d post artificial insemination. [Result] After the serum acid titration, 1 128 pregnant ewes and 189 non-pregnant ewes were detected in the three sheep breeds. Compared with the actual pregnancy detection, the coincidence rate of pregnancy was 89.88% （1 013/1 128） ; the coincidence rate of non-pregnancy was 96.83% （183/189） ; and the total coincidence rate was 90.81% （1 196/1 317）. Chi-square test analysis showed that no significant difference （P 〈 0.05） was found between the three sheep breeds or between any two breeds. [ Conclusion ] This serum acid titration is a simple, convenient and highly accurate method for early pregnancy diagnosis in sheep, which shows highly practical and popularizing value.

The Diagnosis and Treatment for a Special Type of Cesarean Scar Pregnancy

Caesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is a rare form of ectopic pregnancy, and its incidence has been increased due to the increased rate of Cesarean sections performed. A special type of CSP, concealed CSP, was found in the clinical work in our institution. A retrospective review was performed. From September 2011 to June 2014, 208 women were presented with cesarean scar pregnancy by use of transvaginal color Doppler sonography. The medical records were consulted to collect the demographics and pertinent information. Six of them were determined to be concealed CSP. Four women were diagnosed in the first-trimester pregnancy after termination of pregnancy. The initial ultrasound of the other two women displayed that the gestational sacs were located in the lower uterine cavity. Placenta accrete, increta and previa were diagnosed by the following ultrasounds. Concealed CSP is a very unusual form of CSP. Continued pregnancy may be sufficiently evaluated because of subsequently serious complications. Our results indicate that continued pregnancy increases the risk of laparotomy and hysterectomy. Medical abortion in the first-trimester pregnancy should be considered as the optimal choice for the women with prior cesarean sections who want to terminate the gestation.

Liver biopsy for visceral leishmaniasis diagnosis in pregnancy: report of 2 cases

Visceral leishmaniasis(VL) or kala-azar is a zoonosis caused by intracellular protozoa of the Leishmania genus and is transmitted to humans by the bite of phlebotomine sandflies. It particularly affects cells in the phagocytic mononuclear system, accompanied by disturbances of cellular and humoral immunity. VL is potentially fatal and is characterized by fever, hepatosplenomegaly, diarrhea, epistaxis, jaundice, anemia, leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, hypoalbuminemia and hyperglobulinemia. Diagnostic suspicion is based on epidemiological, clinical and laboratory data and isconfirmed by detecting the parasite in infected tissue. Splenic aspiration is the most sensitive method, followed by bone marrow aspiration(BMA) by sternal puncture, liver biopsy and lymph node aspiration; but, due to safety concerns, BMA is the most recommended method. VL is included as a target disease by players in drug research and development. Severe liver dysfunction associated with VL is uncommon. We report two VL cases in pregnant women from Bauru, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, considered an endemic area. The first of them developed hepatic failure due to fulminant hepatitis. In both cases, BMA was unable to find the protozoan; thus, liver biopsy was the only means of making the diagnosis.

Antenatal Diagnosis of Isolated Total Arhinia in the Second Trimester of Pregnancy

Congenital arhinia is a very rare condition especially when it is isolated. Most of arhinia are identified after birth and only five prenatal cases are described in the literature. Generally, arhinia is associated with other malformations mainly craniofacial anomalies. Genetics aberrations are uncommon. Our case was diagnosed in the second trimester of pregnancy and we found no associated anomaly except for a single umbilical artery. Autopsy confirmed the diagnosis and neuropathology analysis revealed the absence of olfactory bulbs and tracts.

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF CESAREAN SCAR PREGNANCY

Objective To investigate the early diagnosis and treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy(CSP).Methods Clinical data of 28 patients with CSP in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 1994 to April 2007,including age,interval from the last cesarean delivery to diagnosis,clinical presentation,location of the lesion,process of diagnosis and treatment,outcome,and follow-up,were retrospectively analyzed.Results CSP constituted 1.05% of all ectopic pregnancies,and the ratio of CSP to pregnancy was 1∶1221.The mean age of the group was 31.4 years.Twenty-six women had only one prior cesarean delivery.The interval from the last cesarean delivery to diagnosis ranged from 4 months to 15 years.The most common presenting symptoms of CSP were amenorrhoea and vaginal bleeding.Seventeen cases were misdiagnosed as early intrauterine pregnancies and 2 were misdiagnosed as gestational trophoblastic tumor.The other 9 were diagnosed definitely before treatment.The diagnosis was made based on cesarean delivery history,gynecologic examination,ultrasound,and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI).The treatment of CSP included systemic or local methotrexate administration,conservative surgery,and hysterectomy.The conservative treatment was successful in 24 cases.All of the 28 women were cured through individual therapies.Conclusions CSP is rare and usually misdiagnosed as other diseases.Ultrasound is valuable for diagnosing CSP,and MRI can be used as an adjunct to ultrasound scan.Early diagnosis offers the options of conservative treatment and greatly improves the outcome of patients.Individual therapy is strongly recommended.

Management of Ectopic Pregnancy in a Broad Ligament and Recurrent Tubal Pregnancy: A Case Report

Broad ligament pregnancy is a rare event and always delays in diagnosis. A pregnant woman in early twenties presented for our center. Routine ultra-sonography revealed a first trimester abdominal pregnancy. Broad ligament pregnancy was diagnosed intraoperation and treated with laparoscopic resection successfully. The patient has a history of right tubal pregnancy 2 years ago and terminated with Laparoscopic Salpingostomy. According to the long term followed-up for the patient, we found that she had recurrent right tubal pregnancy 5 months after the broad ligment ectopic pregnancy. She received the salpingectomy laparoscopically. We presented the case to discuss the clinical management of broad ligament ectopic pregnancy and options of surgical treatments of tubal pregnancy to reduce the risk of recurrent.

Incidental Serous Tubal Intraepithelial Carcinoma Detected by a Surgery for Ectopic Pregnancy

Serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma is a putative precursor of high-grade serous carcinoma, which is the most common histological type of ovarian or pelvic peritoneal cancer. Serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma is commonly found in patients with breast cancer susceptibility gene mutations who undergo risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy. Incidental serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma found by a non-prophylactic surgery is rare. A 33-year-old woman referred to our hospital for a diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy. She underwent a laparoscopic right salpingectomy. Pathologically, ectopic pregnancy in the ampulla of the right fallopian tube was confirmed and serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma was observed in the fallopian tube. Subsequently, she underwent a laparoscopic hysterectomy, bilateral oophorectomy, and left salpingectomy as additional treatment. She has experienced no recurrence thus far for 37 months since the surgery.

Uterine artery embolization in association with methotrexate infusion for the treatment of tubal ectopic pregnancy

Objective To investigate the safety, feasibility, and effectiveness of uterine artery embolization in association with methotrexate(MTX) infusion for the treatment of tubal ectopic pregnancy. Methods Fifty-one patients with tubal ectopic pregnancy were referred for interventional management. All patients received super-selective arteriography of the uterine artery, were infused with 50–100 mg methotrexate(MTX) through a catheter, and underwent embolization of the uterine artery with a gel-foam pledge. Clinical presentation, findings of physical examination, β-HCG values, and the size of the ectopic mass were documented for comparison. The concentration of MTX in blood was evaluated at 0.5, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours after the procedure. Results Forty-seven out of the 51 patients had clinical resolution of their tubal pregnancy(92.2%). The average time for the β-HCG value to decrease and come back to normal was 9.16 ± 2.54 days(mean +/-SD). MTX levels in peripheral blood could not be detected for patients who received 50 or 75 mg MTX at 36 hours after the procedure, while the MTX level was 0.01 μmol/L at 48 hours after the procedure for patients who received 100 mg. Out of the 4 cases whose ectopic mass size was ≥5 cm, 3 failed to respond to the treatment; however, those whose ectopic mass size was ≤5 cm responded positively to the treatment, regardless of the β-HCG concentration and abdominal bleeding, except for 1 patient who had to undergo laparoscopy for severe abdominal pain and who showed a reduction in her β-HCG level. Conclusion Uterine artery embolization in association with methotrexate infusion is safe and effective in the treatment of tubal ectopic pregnancy, especially for those women with mild to moderate bleeding, or for those at risk of a major hemorrhage. The selection criterion of mass size >5 cm should, therefore, be carefully considered.

Tubal pregnancy with molar degeneration in concurrent eutopic pregnancy. A case report

This research paper presents the infrequent case of a heterotopic pregnancy based on a tubal ectopic pregnancy with molar degeneration in concurrent eutopic pregnancy. Treatment with evacuation/suction curettage and perlaparoscopic salpingectomy was required. This case report confirms what is biologically valid in the statistically unlikely.

Pregnancy and Congenital Uterine Anomalies: Case Series

Background: Congenital Uterine Anomalies are malformations of the Uterus which occur during embryonic life and result from the abnormal formation, fusion or resorption of the Mullerian ducts. Most of them are asymptomatic and diagnosis is done incidentally or during examinations performed for other purposes. We report three cases of women with pregnancies in malformed uteri. Aim: To depict the diagnostic challenges and therapeutic aspects of management of pregnancies in congenitally malformed Uteri. Case Presentation: The first case was a 22-year-old student who came to consult for a second opinion on the management of an ectopic pregnancy. A 2D Ultrasound done prior revealed an ectopic pregnancy but failed to specify its location in a rudimentary uterine horn. Management with a Multi-dose Methotrexate regimen was initiated but progress was not favorable. She came to us for a second opinion on management. Diagnostic laparoscopy was done and revealed an ectopic pregnancy in a rudimentary uterine horn. This was confirmed by histopathology. Management consisted of resection of the rudimentary horn and a right total salpingectomy. The second case was that of a woman who presented with spotting in early pregnancy. An Obstetric 2D ultrasound done revealed a bicornuate Uterus with a Gestational sac in one horn. She was placed on progesterone supplementation for 2 weeks, with regular antenatal contacts. She had an elective cesarean section at 39 weeks. Surgery revealed a complete Bicornuate Uterus. The post-operative period was uneventful with no complications. The third case was that of a woman with a past history of five successive spontaneous abortions, who presented with spotting at about 8 weeks of gestation. An Obstetric Ultrasound done revealed a Bicornuate Uterus and an embryo in one cornus. She was admitted, given her poor obstetric history, for about 14 days and placed on progesterone supplementation till 20 weeks of gestation. Antenatal contacts were regular and she had an emergency cesarean section at 36 weeks. There were no complications in the post operative period. Conclusion: The high degree of diagnostic accuracy makes 3D ultrasound the diagnostic modality of choice. Nevertheless, 2D and Hysterosalpingography can be used as well. Management of pregnancies in women with congenital Uterine anomalies varies per case as presenting symptoms and outcomes with pregnancies are not alike. When diagnosed out of pregnancy, and depending on the type of anomaly, surgical management may be recommended.

Maternal diaphragmatic hernia in pregnancy:A systematic review with a treatment algorithm

BACKGROUND Diaphragmatic hernia(DH)is extremely rarely described during pregnancy.Due to the rarity,there is no diagnostic or treatment algorithm for DH in pregnancy.AIM To summarize and define the most appropriate diagnostic methods and therapeutic options for DH in pregnancy based on scarce literature.METHODS Literature search of English-,German-,Spanish-,and Italian-language articles were performed using PubMed(1946–2021),PubMed Central(1900–2021),and Google Scholar.The PRISMA protocol was followed.The search terms included:Maternal diaphragmatic hernia,congenital hernia,pregnancy,cardiovascular collapse,mediastinal shift,abdominal pain in pregnancy,hyperemesis,diaphragmatic rupture during labor,puerperium,hernie diaphragmatique maternelle,hernia diafragmática congenital.Additional studies were identified by reviewing reference lists of retrieved studies.Demographic,imaging,surgical,and obstetric data were obtained.RESULTS One hundred and fifty-eight cases were collected.The average maternal age increased across observed periods.The proportion of congenital hernias increased,while the other types appeared stationary.Most DHs were left-sided(83.8%).The median number of herniated organs declined across observed periods.A working diagnosis was correct in 50%.DH type did not correlate to maternal or neonatal outcomes.Laparoscopic access increased while thoracotomy varied across periods.Presentation of less than 3 days carried a significant risk of strangulation in pregnancy.CONCLUSION The clinical presentation of DH is easily confused with common chest conditions,delaying the diagnosis,and increasing maternal and fetal mortality.Symptomatic DH should be included in the differential diagnosis of pregnant women with abdominal pain associated with dyspnea and chest pain,especially when followed by collapse.Early diagnosis and immediate intervention lead to excellent maternal and fetal outcomes.A proposed algorithm helps manage pregnant women with maternal DH.Strangulated DH requires an emergent operation,while delivery should be based on obstetric indications.

Intratubal Methotrexate Injection Combined with Chinese Herbal Medicine for Tubal Pregnancy and Following Pregnancy Prognosis

Objective: To compare the effects of treatment of tubal pregnancy (TP)and its following second pregnancy by intratubal methotrexate injection(IMI) alone and combination of IMI with Chinese herbal medicine. Methods: Thirty-five patients suffering from unruptured TP were divided into two groups at random, to the 19 patients in the treated group, the treatment of combined IMI with Ectopic Pregnancy decoction No. 2 (EP2, a traditional Chinese medical decoction) was applied, and to the other 16 patients in the control group, IMI alone was applied for control. Serum concentrations of human chorionic gonadotro-pinβ(β-HCG), size of the gestational sac, existent time of fetal cardiac beat and peritoneal fluid were measured before and after treatment. And hysterosalpingography were performed 6 months after ending the treatment to verify the presence of tubal obstruction and the condition of relapse.Results: The treatment of all the 35 women was successful. The recovery duration of serumβ-HCG, disappearance duration of TP sac and existent time of peritoneal fluid in the treated group were 20.0±7. 8 days, 1.2±0. 7 months and 10. 7±2. 9 days respectively, which were significantly different from those in the control group (24. 4 ±8.1 days, 3.6±1.7 months and 19.1±3. 2 days respectively(P<0. 05, P<0.01 and P<0. 05 respectively), but the existent time of fetal cardiac beat in the two groups (8.8±1. 9 days vs 9.0±1. 3 days) was not significantly different (P>0.05). The post-treatment oviduct obstructive rate in the two groups was 10.5% and 43.8% respectively, that in the treatment group was less significant (P<0.05). The relapse rate of EP in the treatment group was insignificantly different from that in the control group (5.3% vs 18.8%, P>0.05). Conclusion: The two therapies (IMI alone and IMI combined with EP2) could obtain e-qual efficacy in curing TP. Compared with IMI alone, the combined therapy appears to have the effects of accelerating the resorption of gestational sac and peritoneal fluid, improving the patency of fallopian tube and ameliorating the circumstance of pregnancy, which is favorable to improvement of the re-pregnancy rate and reduction of the re-occurrence of ectopic pregnancy as well as to the enhancement of the effect of IMI in killing trophocytes. But there is not enough proof to show the potency of EP2 in killing embryo.

Tubal Pregnancy with Acute Bleeding Treated by Laparoscopic Surgery: Tips and Case Presentation

Laparoscopic surgery is the standard surgical approach for ectopic pregnancy. However, some surgeons prefer laparotomy for patients with acute bleeding. We evaluated four cases of tubal pregnancy with massive hemoperitoneum (>800 ml) and performed laparoscopic surgery. The patient age ranged from 20 to 37 years, and the gestational age ranged from 5 to 8 weeks. All cases were hemodynamically unstable. Two cases had hemoperitoneum of >2000 mL, which was caused by the rupture of the left isthmus tube. In three cases, surgery could be started within approximately 30 min, and in one case, the start time extended owing to difficulty in anesthesia introduction. Moreover, in three cases, the target lesion was reached within 7 min, and the lesion was excised in approximately 20 min from the start of insufflation, and in one case with a lesion exceeding 7 cm, the time extended. All patients were safely treated via laparoscopic surgery. To initiate surgery without deterioration of the hemodynamic condition, blood transfusion can be started simultaneously with preparation for laparoscopic surgery. Lifting the lesion with a pair of forceps can help immediately stop bleeding, even if it is difficult to secure the visual field owing to massive bleeding. When there is difficulty in anesthesia or a large pregnancy lesion, care should be taken to avoid an increase in the amount of bleeding associated with extension of the perioperative period.

Recurrent tubal pregnancy following ipsilateral partial salpingectomy

A 34-year-old woman came into the Emergency Department of PUMCH with the complaint of sudden lower abdominal pain lasting 4 hours on May 1st, 2004. She had normal menstruation cycle with a period of 30 days. But her last menstruation was started 37 days ago. She experienced laparosalpingectomy for right tubal pregnancy on Jan. 23rd, 2003. During that operation, it was found that she had pelvic adhesions in the Douglas pouch.

Management and Results of Ectopic Pregnancy Adapted by Clinical Guidelines: Two Years Experience of University Hospital in Turkey

Ectopic pregnancy is defined as the fertilized ovum implants in a location outside the endometrial cavity, remains to be an important cause of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide and is a health problem with incidence ranges between 0.25% and 2% of all pregnancies. In our study, in Izmir Katip Celebi University Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology from 2011 to 2013, 96 cases with diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy managed by the adapted RCOG’s Guide were analyzed retrospectively. The data were analyzed as follows: age, the history of operation, smoking, the presence of intrauterine device, blood groups, hemoglobin, platelets, values of B-hCG, the diagnostic interval, intra-abdominal free fluid and/or acute abdomen, the method of treatment and the success of treatment.

Review of a challenging clinical issue:Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy(ICP) is a reversible pregnancy-specific cholestatic condition characterized by pruritus, elevated liver enzymes, and increased serum bile acids. It commences usually in the late second or third trimester, and quickly resolves after delivery. The incidence is higher in South American and Scandinavian countries(9.2%-15.6% and 1.5%, respectively) than in Europe(0.1%-0.2%). The etiology is multifactorial where genetic, endocrine, and environmental factors interact. Maternal outcome is usually benign, whereas fetal complications such as preterm labor, meconium staining, fetal distress, and sudden intrauterine fetal demise not infrequently lead to considerable perinatal morbidity and mortality. Ursodeoxycholic acid is shown to be the most efficient therapeutic agent with proven safety and efficacy. Management of ICP consists of careful monitoring of maternal hepatic function tests and serum bile acid levels in addition to the assessment of fetal well-being and timely delivery after completion of fetal pulmonary maturity. This review focuses on the current concepts about ICP based on recent literature data and presents an update regarding the diagnosis and management of this challenging issue.