[Prevalence and complications of monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy]. / Prevalencia y complicaciones del embarazo gemelar monocorial biamniótico.

BACKGROUND: Monochorionic biamniotic (MC/BA) twin pregnancies are at higher risk for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), selective intrauterine growth restriction (sIUGR) and structural defects. MATERIAL AND METHOD: During an 18 months period all MC/BA twins referred to our unit for clinical surveillance were evaluated. Chorionicity was assessed based on the characteristics of the intertwin amniotic membrane. MC complicated cases were labeled either as, TTTS or sIUGR and classified according to severity. All cases were closely evaluated for structural defects. RESULTS: There were 34 MC/BA pregnancies, from them 20 presented TTTS, 6 in a moderate stage of severity, and 14 severely affected. Four cases had sIUGR, all severely affected. Four pregnancies showed a structural defect, 2 cardiac, 1 urological, and 1 open neural tube defect. Six twin MC/BA pregnancies underwent gestation without complications. CONCLUSION: The presence of a MC/BA twin pregnancy warrants close monitoring, including a detailed anatomical review and hemodynamic assessment of the umbilical arteries and ductus venosus of both twins.

[Hypokalemic paralysis during pregnancy: a report of two cases]. / Parálisis hipocalémica en el embarazo: reporte de dos casos.

The hypokalemic paralysis is a disease characterized by the development of acute muscular weakness, associated to low levels of blood potassium (< 3.5 meq/L). Here we present two cases: in the first one, a 23 years old woman, with 15.5 weeks of gestation has a cuadriplegia associated to blood potassium level of 1.4 meq/L, diagnosed with distal tubular acidosis; she required mechanical ventilation for respiratory paralysis. The medical profile remits with potassium intravenous replacement and the pregnancy ends with a spontaneous abortion. The second case is a 15 years old woman with 26.5 weeks of pregnancy, who suffers a generalized paralysis with blood potassium of 2.7 meq/L, requiring also mechanical ventilation for respiratory paralysis; the final diagnosis was Barterr syndrome, and the medical profile remited after potassium supplement. Her pregnancy got complicated with a severe preeclampsia, enough reason for interrumpting the pregnancy at 29.1 weeks of gestation. In both cases Guilliain-Barre syndrome was ruled out.