Vasa previa is a condition in which fetal blood vessels are located on fetal membranes within 2 cm of the internal cervical os. Vasa previa has been classified into two types: Type 1, in which ...vessels connect a velamentous umbilical cord to the placenta, and Type 2, in which vessels connect the lobes of a bilobed placenta or the placenta to a succenturiate lobe. However, there are also atypical cases that cannot be classified into these two types. These cases are manifested by a center or marginal cord insertion with a normal shaped placenta, and fetal vessels were also located on membranes around the internal cervical os. These cases were recently proposed as Type 3 vasa previa. The present study investigated the incidence of Type 3 vasa previa and elucidated differences in clinical and ultrasonographical characteristics between traditional types and Type 3.
This was a single-center observational study using a cohort of all vasa previa cases between January 2010 and April 2020.
Among 8,723 deliveries, there were 14 cases (0.16%) of vasa previa, all of which were diagnosed prenatally by US, not after vaginal delivery or CS. There were 9 (64%), 0, and 5 (36%) cases of Types 1, 2, and 3, respectively. All 5 Type 3 cases had only one fetal aberrant vessel of vasa previa, while 6 out of 9 Type 1 cases (67%) had two or more aberrant vessels. Seven Type 1 cases (78%) possessed two or more known risk factors, such as velamentous cord insertion, whereas all Type 3 cases only had one. Difficulties were associated with diagnosing two out of the 14 cases of vasa previa using routine transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS). In these cases, the aberrant fetal vessel of vasa previa was only one vein with a thin wall that was not clearly visualized by gray-scale TVUS as well as slow flow that was easily misread by color-Doppler. These cases were ultimately diagnosed as vasa previa based on non-pulsatile flow detected by color and pulsed Doppler.
The present results suggest that Type 3 may account for a large proportion of vasa previa cases. Most Type 3 cases may present with only one fetal aberrant vessel of vasa previa and fewer risk factors, suggesting that the diagnosis of vasa previa may be more challenging in Type 3 cases than in the other types. Vasa previa with a venous vasa previa needs to be considered because of the difficulties associated with an antenatal diagnosis due to unclear imaging of the vasculature or the lack of specific color Doppler flow patterns. Pulsed Doppler imaging may be helpful for the diagnosis of these cases.
This study explored whether psychosocial intervention applications (apps) are effective in preventing postpartum depression.
We conducted an initial article search on 26 March 2020, and the updated ...search on 17 March 2023 on the electronic databases of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE via Ovid, Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I. Furthermore, we searched the International Clinical Trials Platform Search Portal (ICTRP), and Clinical Trials.
We identified 2515 references, and sixteen studies were ultimately included in this review. We conducted a meta-analysis of two studies on the onset of postpartum depression. There were no significant differences between the intervention and control groups (RR 0.80; 95% CI 0.62 to 1.04; P = 0.570). We performed a meta-analysis of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The intervention group had significantly lower EPDS scores than the control group (mean difference -0.96; 95% CI -1.44 to -0.48; P < 0.001, I2 = 82%, Chi
= 62.75, P < 0.001; high heterogeneity).
This study presents the results of current RCTs on interventions with apps, including an app with an automated psychosocial component for preventing postpartum depression that has been conducted. These apps improved the EPDS score; furthermore, they may prevent postpartum depression.
Low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LGESS) typically has a favorable prognosis. Hormone therapy is considered the first choice of treatment for recurrent LGESS. In this report, we describe a case ...of recurrent LGESS where hormone therapy was ineffective, chemotherapy showed a partial response (PR), and pazopanib resulted in stable disease (SD). A 50-year-old patient with LGESS underwent a simple total hysterectomy and bilateral adnexectomy (pT1aN0M0, stage IA). Five years later, pelvic tumors and ascites were observed. Exploratory laparoscopy revealed bloody ascites, an 8 cm pelvic tumor, and extensive peritoneal dissemination. Nuclear atypia of the tumor cells was mild, pleomorphism and mitotic figures could not be confirmed, and necrosis was not observed. Immunostaining was positive for CD10 and estrogen receptor, negative for the BCL6 corepressor (BCOR), and showed a low Ki-67 index. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) examination of the tissue showed rearrangement of the JAZF zinc finger 1 (JAZF1) gene. Multigene panel testing revealed a homozygous deletion of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A). Accordingly, the patient was diagnosed with recurrent LGESS and was treated with an aromatase inhibitor, followed by medroxyprogesterone acetate; both were ineffective. The patient had a PR to chemotherapy (doxorubicin/ifosfamide) and SD to pazopanib. The patient died 1.5 years after recurrence. In conclusion, we present a case of LGESS with a poor prognosis where hormone therapy was ineffective, and chemotherapy and pazopanib were both partially effective. The poor prognosis may have been associated with the CDKN2A homozygous deletion.
Aim
Manual fundal pressure (MFP) is still used to assist vaginal deliveries during the second stage of labor in predominantly lower‐middle income countries; however, there is insufficient evidence on ...the risk factors in MFP‐assisted vaginal deliveries for adverse neonatal outcomes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between placental location and neonatal outcomes in MFP‐assisted vaginal deliveries.
Methods
The present study was a single‐center retrospective cohort study in patients with all MFP‐assisted vaginal singleton deliveries from January 2016 to December 2020. Placental location was divided into two categories: posterior‐lateral and anterior‐fundal. The primary outcome was a neonatal adverse composite including umbilical artery blood pH <7.2, Apgar score <7 at 5 min, neonatal intensive care unit admission and neonatal resuscitation. We used multivariable logistic regression models to investigate the association between placental location and neonatal outcomes.
Results
We extracted 522 MFP‐assisted deliveries among 5053 vaginal deliveries. The proportion of posterior‐lateral and anterior‐fundal placentation was 239 (45.8%) and 283 (54.2%), respectively. The crude prevalence of neonatal composite outcome in the anterior‐fundal group was significantly higher than that in the posterior‐lateral group (39.6% vs. 28.9%; p = 0.013). Multivariable logistic regression analysis found that the prevalence of neonatal adverse outcome in the anterior‐fundal group was significantly higher compared with the posterior‐lateral group (adjusted odds ratio, 1.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.04–2.23).
Conclusion
Anterior‐fundal placentation was significantly associated with an increased risk of neonatal adverse outcomes compared to posterior‐lateral placentation in MFP‐assisted vaginal deliveries.
Purpose
Intravenous dexamethasone is recommended in elective caesarean delivery to decrease postoperative pain. However, the efficacy of spinal anaesthesia with an intrathecal long-acting opioid such ...as morphine or diamorphine for caesarean delivery has not been systematically investigated.
Methods
We searched all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of pregnant women undergoing caesarean delivery under spinal anaesthesia with an intrathecal morphine or diamorphine via MEDLINE, CENTRAL, EMBASE, ICTRP, and ClinicalTrials.gov on May 18, 2022. Primary outcomes were time to first rescue analgesia, consumption of oral morphine equivalents, and incidence of drug-related adverse reactions. We evaluated the risk of bias for each outcome using the Risk of Bias 2. We conducted a meta-analysis using a random effects model. We evaluated the certainty of evidence with the GRADE approach.
Results
Five RCTs (455 patients) were included. The results of intravenous dexamethasone were as follows: time to first rescue analgesia (mean difference MD 0.99 h, 95% confidence interval CI − 0.86 to 2.84; very low certainty) and consumption of oral morphine equivalents (MD − 6.55 mg, 95% CI − 17.13 to 4.02; moderate certainty). No incidence of drug-related adverse reactions was reported (very low certainty).
Conclusion
The evidence was very uncertain about the efficacy of intravenous dexamethasone on time to first rescue analgesia and the incidence of drug-related adverse reactions. Intravenous dexamethasone probably reduces the consumption of oral morphine equivalents. Anaesthesiologists might want to consider intravenous dexamethasone for postoperative pain after caesarean delivery under spinal anaesthesia with an intrathecal long-acting opioid.
Uterine torsion with scoliosis Kamijo, Kyosuke; Kubota, Fumika; Yoshioka, Ikuo
Clinical case reports,
September 2021, Volume:
9, Issue:
9
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Clinicians should consider uterine torsion as a differential diagnosis for acute abdominal pain in women with scoliosis. Scoliosis may have led to an abnormal pelvic structure, making it easier for ...pelvic organs to twist.
Clinicians should consider uterine torsion as a differential diagnosis for acute abdominal pain in women with scoliosis. Scoliosis may have led to an abnormal pelvic structure, making it easier for pelvic organs to twist.
For gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) affecting women of reproductive age, the chemotherapy-first approach is often preferred over the surgery-first approach. Low-risk GTN is treated with a ...chemotherapy-first approach, but the number of courses required can affect fertility. A surgery-first approach may decrease the number of chemotherapy courses, but its efficacy and safety compared to a chemotherapy-first approach are unclear. Thus, we investigated the efficacy and safety of the surgery-first approach compared to the chemotherapy-first approach in treating low-risk GTN.We searched the MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov, and World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform databases for relevant articles in July 2023. A systematic review and meta-analysis of outcome measures were conducted using a random-effects model. The primary outcomes were remission, the mean number of chemotherapy courses required to cure, and adverse events. The certainty of the evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. This study protocol was registered in the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/kysvn/).Studies for low-risk GTN included a qualitative synthesis (with 2,192 participants and ten studies, eight of which were about second uterine curettage and two about hysterectomy) and a meta-analysis (with 138 participants and two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared first-line treatments of second uterine curettage and chemotherapy). Second uterine curettage may result in little to no difference in remission (risk ratio: 1.00, 95% confidence interval: 0.96-1.05; low certainty) and a slight reduction in adverse events (risk ratio: 0.87, 95% confidence interval: 0.47-1.60; low certainty). The evidence is very uncertain on the mean number of chemotherapy courses (mean difference: 2.84 lower, 95% confidence interval: 7.31 lower to 1.63 higher; very low certainty).Based on clinical outcomes, second uterine curettage can be comparable to the chemotherapy-first approach as a first-line treatment option for low-risk GTN; however, the overall certainty of the evidence was low or very low.
Cronobacter sakazakii (C. sakazakii) is a bacterium known to cause severe neonatal infections in premature infants with the consumption of contaminated powdered milk formula. Adult infections are ...rare, and there have been no reports of pyosalpinx due to C. sakazakii to date.
We report a case of left pyosalpinx due to C. sakazakii in a sexually inactive postmenopausal woman. A 70-year-old woman presented to our hospital with left lower abdominal pain and fever. Abdominal computed tomography disclosed a cystic mass continuous with the left edge of the uterus. Urgent laparotomy revealed a ruptured left pyosalpinx with pus-like content. Left salpingo-oophorectomy, resection of the right tube, and washing of the abdominal cavity with saline were performed. Pathological examination of the left adnexa showed tubal tissue with acute inflammation and inflammatory exudate, which were compatible with pyosalpinx, and pus culture yielded C. sakazakii.
This is the first case report of pyosalpinx due to C. sakazakii. Cronobacter sakazakii infections in adult women might occur in the elderly, whose immunity has weakened. Further accumulation of cases of C. sakazakii infection is needed to clarify the etiology and behavior of C. sakazakii in adults.
Obstructed hemivagina and ipsilateral renal agenesis syndrome is a rare complex of structural abnormalities of female urogenital tract. Moreover, delayed treatment of this condition can reportedly ...lead to pelvic infection, endometriosis, and infertility. We present a rare case of obstructed hemivagina and ipsilateral renal agenesis syndrome wherein appropriate treatment was initiated early due to the identification of left renal agenesis. A 14-year-old girl visited the gynecology department due to worsening left lower abdominal pain after menarche. She was diagnosed with renal dysplasia in the pediatric department at the ages of 3 and 9 years, and it was recommended that she visits the gynecology department right after menarche. She experienced her first menarche at the age of 14 years. Imaging studies revealed uterine didelphys with occlusion of the left vagina and formation of hematocolpos. Additionally, hematomas were observed in the left uterine cavity and the left fallopian tube; left renal agenesis was confirmed. Based on these findings, we diagnosed this patient with obstructed hemivagina and ipsilateral renal agenesis syndrome and performed a surgical incision and excision of the closed left vaginal wall, resulting in the disappearance of the hematocolpos. Approximately 2 years postoperatively, the patient has remained recurrence-free. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for preserving fertility in patients with obstructed hemivagina and ipsilateral renal agenesis syndrome, and early referral to the obstetrics and gynecology department is recommended if renal dysplasia is detected during childhood.
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