Ultrasound peripartum

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) on the diagnosis in patients with known or suspected left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC). We retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of 12,811 consecutive patients who had CMR studies between 2008 and 2022 in a large tertiary center. We included patients referred for CMR because of known or suspected LVNC. The study sample consisted of 333 patients, 193 (58.0%) male, median age 39.0 (26.8-51.0) years. Among 74 patients fulfilling the echocardiographic LVNC criteria, the diagnosis was confirmed in 54 (73...

Congenital LQTS is an often undetected inherited cardiac channel dysfunction and can be a reason for intrauterine fetal demise. It can present in utero as CTG and ultrasound abnormalities, i. e., bradycardia, ventricular tachycardia, or fetal hydrops. Diagnosis is made by CTG, echocardiography, or fMCG. Intrauterine therapy with a ß blocker and i. v. magnesium should be started. Our objective was to examine the current knowledge about diagnosis and treatment of LQTS and in particular to highlight the opportunity of vaginal birth under continuous intravenous magnesium therapy...

Between 2016 and 2018, cardiovascular diseases were responsible for 41 deaths, making it the leading cause of maternal death within 42 days postpartum in France. The maternal mortality ratio (MMR) for cardiovascular disease is 1.8 per 100,000 NV, a non-significant increase compared with the 2013-2015 triennium (MMR of 1.5 per 100,000 NV). Deaths from cardiac causes accounted for the majority (n=28), with 26 deaths secondary to cardiac disease aggravated by pregnancy (indirect deaths) and 2 deaths related to peripartum cardiomyopathy (direct deaths)...

OBJECTIVES: Intraoperative hemorraghe and peripartum hysterectomy are the main complications in patients presenting with a low-lying or placenta previa undergoing repeat cesarean delivery. Patients with a high probability of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) at birth also have a higher risk of intraoperative urologic injuries and the aim of this study was to evaluate the ultrasound signs and intraoperative features associated with these injuries. METHODS: This was a retrospective case-control study of consecutive singleton pregnancies included in a prospective cohort of patients with a history of at least one prior cesarean delivery (CD) and were diagnosed prenatally with an anterior low-lying or placenta previa at 32-36 weeks...

Ovarian vein thrombosis (OVT) is an uncommon condition that occurs mainly in the peripartum period. Hyper-coagulable conditions have been reported to cause OVT outside the peripartum period. The clinical presentation is usually nonspecific pain, but it can be asymptomatic in patients with underlying malignancy. Imaging plays an important role in diagnosis. Ultrasound is the initial imaging modality, but it is operator-dependent and has limited sensitivity. Computed tomography (CT) is the most commonly used modality for diagnosis...

PURPOSE: The velamentous cord insertion is a rare pathology in which the umbilical blood vessels branch before reaching the placenta; by varying its structure, the cord becomes prone to spontaneous internal ruptures. This pathology is an obstetric emergency, so its early diagnosis is essential. METHODS AND RESULTS: We present a 27-year-old pregnant woman who attends an antenatal check-up for a routine third-trimester examination. Ultrasound reveals grade I polyhydramnios and suggestive findings of a trivascular umbilical cord with velamentous insertion 35 mm from the nearest placental border...

OBJECTIVE: The maternal cardiovascular system of women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) can be impaired, with higher rates of left ventricular (LV) remodelling and diastolic dysfunction compared to normotensive pregnancies. The primary objective of this prospective study was to correlate cardiac indices obtained by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and circulating angiogenic markers, such as soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) and placental growth factor (PlGF)...

BACKGROUND: To describe and explore the risk factors, clinical presentations, timely diagnostic approaches, and management in patients experiencing unscarred uterine rupture with catastrophic hemorrhage. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed clinical and imaging data from women who encountered postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) and were diagnosed with unscarred uterine rupture within a three-year timeframe (2018-2020). The data were extracted from medical records obtained from a multi-hospital 24-hour emergency PPH transfer system...

INTRODUCTION: Pregnant patients are at risk of several possible complications during the peripartum period. Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a peripartum complication with high mortality and morbidity. The sudden entry of amniotic fluid into the maternal circulation causes a rapid and dramatic sequence of clinical events called AFE. The reported incidence of AFE after a cesarean section is around 19%, and after a normal delivery, it is 11%. AFE causing multiple embolisms is not reported in the literature, nor is the use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in the diagnosis of AFE...

OBJECTIVE: Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy complication associated with premature cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. PE is associated with adverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling in the peripartum and postpartum period - an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, it is unknown if adverse cardiac remodeling is evident in the first trimester in participants at high compared to low risk of PE. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study of singleton pregnancies that underwent screening for preterm PE as part of their routine first-trimester ultrasound assessment at a tertiary center in London, UK, between February 2019 and March 2020 at 11+0 weeks' gestation through 13+6 weeks' gestation...

BACKGROUND: Paenibacillus thiaminolyticus is a cause of postinfectious hydrocephalus among Ugandan infants. To determine whether Paenibacillus spp is a pathogen in neonatal sepsis, meningitis, and postinfectious hydrocephalus, we aimed to complete three separate studies of Ugandan infants. The first study was on peripartum prevalence of Paenibacillus in mother-newborn pairs. The second study assessed Paenibacillus in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from neonates with sepsis. The third study assessed Paenibacillus in CSF from infants with hydrocephalus...

IMPORTANCE: Peripartum separation of the pubic symphysis is a rare but potentially severe complication of childbirth, which may lead to prolonged immobilization. Thus, prompt diagnosis and treatment are paramount. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this review is to define peripartum separation of the pubic symphysis and provide a thorough review of its etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic imaging techniques, management, and prognosis. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: This was a literature review using PubMed and Google Scholar...

BACKGROUND: Transvaginal ultrasound imaging has become an essential tool in the prenatal evaluation of the lower uterine segment and anatomy of the cervix, but there are only limited data on the role of transvaginal ultrasound in the management of patients at high risk of placenta accreta spectrum at birth. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the role of transvaginal sonography in the third trimester of pregnancy in predicting outcomes in patients with a high probability of placenta accreta spectrum at birth...

Background and Objectives: We aimed to prospectively obtain data on pregnancies complicated with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) in the Prenatal Diagnosis Unit of the Emergency County Hospital of Craiova. We collected the demographic data of mothers, the prenatal ultrasound (US) features, the intrapartum data, and the immediate postnatal data of newborns. We aimed to assess the detection rates of IUGR fetuses (the performance of the US in estimating the actual neonatal birth weight), to describe the prenatal care pattern in our unit, and to establish predictors for the number of total hospitalization days needed postnatally...

Globally, the increase in medically complex obstetric patients is challenging the educational approach and clinical management of critically ill obstetric patients. This increase in medical complexity calls into question the educational paradigm in which future physicians are trained. Obstetric anesthesiologists, physician experts in the perioperative planning and management of complex obstetric patients, represent an essential workforce in the strategies to address maternal mortality. Unfortunately, the development of perioperative medicine and maternal critical care curricula has only received minor attention in most countries...

BACKGROUND: The exact timing, causes, and circumstances of stillbirth and neonatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remain poorly described, especially for antenatal stillbirths and deaths occurring at home. We aimed to provide reliable estimates of the incidence of stillbirth and neonatal death in three LMICs (Madagascar, Cambodia and Senegal) and to identify their main causes and associated risk factors. METHODS: This study is based on data from an international, multicentric, prospective, longitudinal, community-based mother-infant cohort...

OBJECTIVE: The prediction of adverse perinatal outcomes in low-risk pregnancies is poor, mainly due to the lack of reliable biomarkers. Uterine artery Doppler is closely associated with placental function and could assist in the peripartum detection of subclinical placental insufficiency. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between mean uterine artery pulsatility index (PI) measured in early labor with obstetric intervention for suspected intrapartum fetal compromise and adverse perinatal outcomes in uncomplicated singleton term pregnancies...

Placenta percreta occurs in about 5% of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) and causes high maternal and fetal peripartum morbidity/mortality. A 34-year-old multiparous 4G2P (1xcesarean section (CS)) was admitted to hospital at the 34th week of gestation. Transvaginal ultrasound revealed a placenta previa totalis et percreta with a small tissue layer towards the bladder. Ultrasound was crucial for further planning. An interdisciplinary setting was established based on this life-threatening diagnosis. Due to the onset of labor one day later, a CS was performed...

OBJECTIVE: Placenta accreta spectrum disorders (PASD) are the leading cause which results in highly maternal mortality during pregnancy. Although hysterectomy has been the gold standard for PASD, the recent study along with our experience has been demonstrated that the association between uterine myometrial resection and transverse B-Lynch suture in conservative management might be effective in the appropriate patients, thus we hereby attempted to determine this issue. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective observational study enrolled 65 patients at Tu Du Hospital in Vietnam between January 2017 and December 2018...

INTRODUCTION: Monochorionic twins may develop fetal anemia when blood is unequally distributed via the placental vascular anastomoses. This review focuses on the causes of fetal anemia in complicated monochorionic twins and highlights the differences in management and outcome. AREAS COVERED: Fetal anemia can occur in the context of twin anemia polycythemia sequence (TAPS), chronic twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) and acute peripartum TTTS, and in cotwins after single fetal demise...