Successful management of a pregnant woman of lower-limb arteriovenous malformation with chronic cardiac failure.

The clinical features of extracranial arteriovenous malformations (AVM) vary from stages I (quiescence) with few symptoms to IV (decompensation) with overt symptoms of cardiac failure. Although the maternal outcomes of pregnant women with extracranial AVM is understudied due to its rarity, previous studies suggested the difficulty in the management of recurrent hemorrhage due to AVM progression during perinatal period; thus, pregnant case of extracranial AVM complicated with cardiac failure were considered challenging. We have reported a woman of stage IV extracranial AVM in the right lower limb with a history of below-the-knee amputation, in which two pregnancies and vaginal deliveries under epidural anesthesia were managed successfully. Cardiac failure did not exacerbate throughout the gestational or postpartum periods. Ulceration gradually worsened, with no massive hemorrhage. It is ideal to assess abnormal vascularity, especially in the lower abdomen, vagina, and epidural and subdural spaces, through magnetic resonance imaging to ensure safe delivery.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of obstetric and maternal outcomes after prior uterine artery embolization.

This study aimed to review the obstetric complications during subsequent pregnancies after uterine artery embolization (UAE) for postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) by exploring the relationship between prior UAE and obstetric complications through a meta-analysis. We conducted a systematic literature review through March 31, 2021, using PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials in compliance with the PRISMA guidelines and determined the effect of prior UAE for PPH on the rate of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), PPH, placenta previa, hysterectomy, fetal growth restriction (FGR), and preterm birth (PTB). Twenty-three retrospective studies (2003-2021) met the inclusion criteria. They included 483 pregnancies with prior UAE and 320,703 pregnancies without prior UAE. The cumulative results of all women with prior UAE indicated that the rates of obstetric complications PAS, hysterectomy, and PPH were 16.3% (34/208), 6.5% (28/432), and 24.0% (115/480), respectively. According to the patient background-matched analysis based on the presence of prior PPH, women with prior UAE were associated with higher rates of PAS (odds ratio [OR] 20.82; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.27-132.41) and PPH (OR 5.32, 95% CI 1.40-20.16) but not with higher rates of hysterectomy (OR 8.93, 95% CI 0.43-187.06), placenta previa (OR 2.31, 95% CI 0.35-15.22), FGR (OR 7.22, 95% CI 0.28-188.69), or PTB (OR 3.00, 95% CI 0.74-12.14), compared with those who did not undergo prior UAE. Prior UAE for PPH may be a significant risk factor for PAS and PPH during subsequent pregnancies. Therefore, at the time of delivery, clinicians should be more attentive to PAS and PPH when women have undergone prior UAE. Since the number of women included in the patient background-matched study was limited, further investigations are warranted to confirm the results of this study.

Two cases of pregnancy after achieving complete remission of chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection.

Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (CAEBV) infection characterized by persistent infectious mononucleosis-like symptoms can lead to cardiovascular diseases. We encountered two pregnant women with CAEBV histories complicated with cardiovascular diseases. A 36-year-old woman with a history of myocardial infarction due to CAEBV and coronary artery bypass grafting became pregnant. Her left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) decreased, and cesarean section was performed at 36 weeks of gestation. Her LVEF recovered after delivery. A 32-year-old woman with a history of CAEBV and chronic hypertension was diagnosed with mild pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) after conception. She strongly desired to continue the pregnancy. She became complicated with severe superimposed preeclampsia at 31 weeks of gestation, and cesarean section was performed. Her PAH did not deteriorate during pregnancy or the postpartum period. Women treated for CAEBV, even with complete remission, require a preconception evaluation focused on the cardiovascular system and careful management of their pregnancy.

Stinging abdominal pain at 32 gestational weeks with prior classical uterine incision: Careful assessment or emergency cesarean delivery?

The risk of uterine rupture in subsequent pregnancy is 1%-12% in patients with prior classical uterine incision. Management of mild/moderate abdominal pain without an obvious abnormal finding before 36 weeks is challenging owing to fetal immaturity.

The association of endometriosis with placenta previa and postpartum hemorrhage: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to review the effect of endometriosis on the prevalence of placenta previa and postpartum hemorrhage in pregnant patients and the surgical outcomes of pregnant patients with endometriosis developing placenta previa. DATA SOURCES: In compliance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a systematic review of the literature was conducted on December 31, 2020, using PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Comparative studies between pregnant women with and without endometriosis and studies that investigated the surgical outcomes of patients with and without endometriosis developing placenta previa were included. METHODS: Here, 2 reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts, completed data extraction, and assessed the reporting quality using the Risk of Bias in Nonrandomized Studies of Interventions tool. RESULTS: Overall, 19 studies (from 2010 to 2020) met the inclusion criteria (98,463 pregnancies with endometriosis and 7,184,313 pregnancies without endometriosis). In the adjusted pooled analysis, endometriosis was associated with a higher rate of placenta previa (adjusted odds ratio, 3.17; 95% confidence interval, 2.58-3.89), whereas the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage was similar between pregnant women with and without endometriosis (adjusted odds ratio, 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 0.99-1.34). When the analysis was restricted to histologically confirmed endometriosis cases, the relationship of endometriosis with placenta previa (adjusted odds ratio, 4.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.74-10.30) and postpartum hemorrhage (adjusted odds ratio, 1.29; 95% confidence interval, 0.50-3.34) was consistent with results from the nonrestricted analysis. There was no study that examined the surgical outcomes of patients with endometriosis developing placenta previa patients. However, there are 3 studies that examined the effect of endometriosis on surgical outcomes during cesarean delivery: 1 study showing that endometriosis was associated with increased intraoperative bleeding during emergent cesarean delivery; the other study showing that endometriosis was associated with an increased incidence of postpartum hemorrhage during cesarean delivery (adjusted odds ratio, 1.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-1.2), especially in primiparous women with singleton pregnancies (adjusted odds ratio, 1.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-2.0); and another study suggesting a significantly higher rate of hysterectomy (7.1%) and bladder injury (7.1%) in patients with endometriosis than in those without endometriosis. CONCLUSION: Endometriosis can potentially be associated with adverse surgical outcomes during cesarean delivery. Although there is a correlation between endometriosis and increased rate of placenta previa, the surgical outcomes of patients with endometriosis developing placenta previa remain understudied.

Antenatal diagnosis of placenta accreta spectrum after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Increasing evidence suggests a relationship between in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) and placenta accreta spectrum (PAS). Some studies have reported a lower rate of antenatal diagnosis of PAS after IVF-ET compared to PAS with spontaneous conception. This study aimed to review the diagnostic accuracy of PAS after IVF-ET and to explore the relationship between IVF-ET pregnancy and PAS. According to the PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive systematic review of the literature was conducted through August 31, 2020 to determine the effects of IVF-ET on PAS. In addition, a meta-analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between IVF-ET pregnancy and PAS. Twelve original studies (2011-2020) met the inclusion criteria. Among these, 190,139 IVF-ET pregnancies and 248,534 spontaneous conceptions met the inclusion criteria. In the comparator analysis between PAS after IVF-ET and PAS with spontaneous conception (n = 2), the antenatal diagnosis of PAS after IVF-ET was significantly lower than that of PAS with spontaneous conception (22.2% versus 94.7%, P < 0.01; < 12.9% versus 46.9%, P < 0.01). The risk of PAS was significantly higher in women who conceived with IVF-ET than in those with spontaneous conception (odds ratio [OR]: 5.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.34-7.56, P < 0.01). In the sensitivity analysis accounting for the type of IVF-ET, frozen ET was associated with an increased risk of PAS (OR: 4.60, 95%CI: 3.42-6.18, P < 0.01) compared to fresh ET. Notably, frozen ET with hormone replacement cycle was significantly associated with the prevalence of PAS compared to frozen ET with normal ovulatory cycle (OR: 5.76, 95%CI 3.12-10.64, P < 0.01). IVF-ET is associated with PAS, and PAS after IVF-ET was associated with a lower rate of antenatal diagnosis. Therefore, clinicians can pay more attention to the presence of PAS during antenatal evaluation in women with IVF-ET, especially in frozen ET with hormone replacement cycle.

Complement activation by an angiogenic imbalance leads to systemic vascular endothelial dysfunction: A new proposal for the pathophysiology of preeclampsia.

The underlying mechanism of preeclampsia by which an angiogenic imbalance results in systemic vascular endothelial dysfunction remains unclear. Complement activation directly induces endothelial dysfunction and is known to be involved in preeclampsia; nevertheless, the association between complement activation and angiogenic imbalance has not been established. This study aimed to evaluate whether angiogenic imbalance affects the expression and secretion of inhibitory complement factor H (CFH) in endothelial cells, resulting in complement activation and systemic vascular endothelial dysfunction. Viability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was assessed upon CFH knockdown by targeted-siRNA, and were incubated with complement factors. HUVECs were also treated with placental growth factor (PlGF) and/or soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt1), and CFH expression and secretion were measured. These cells were evaluated by cell viability assay and cell surface complement activation was quantified by immunocytochemical assessment of C5b-9 deposition. HUVECs transfected with CFH-siRNA had significantly lower viability than that of control cells. Moreover, the expression and secretion of CFH were significantly increased upon PlGF treatment compared with PlGF + sFlt1 combo. HUVECs treated with PlGF had less C5b-9 deposition and higher viability than HUVECs treated with PlGF + sFlt1. In summary, CFH was found to be essential for endothelial cell survival by inhibiting complement activation. An angiogenic imbalance, including decreased PlGF and increased sFlt1, suppresses CFH expression and secretion, resulting in complement activation on the surface of endothelial cells and systemic vascular endothelial dysfunction.

Placenta previa with posterior extrauterine adhesion: clinical features and management practice.

BACKGROUND: A diagnostic sign on magnetic resonance imaging, suggestive of posterior extrauterine adhesion (PEUA), was identified in patients with placenta previa. However, the clinical features or surgical outcomes of patients with placenta previa and PEUA are unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of placenta previa with PEUA and determine whether an altered management strategy improved surgical outcomes. METHODS: This single institution retrospective study examined patients with placenta previa who underwent cesarean delivery between 2014 and 2019. In June 2017, we recognized that PEUA was associated with increased intraoperative bleeding; thus, we altered the management of patients with placenta previa and PEUA. To assess the relationship between changes in practice and surgical outcomes, a quasi-experimental method was used to examine the difference-in-difference before (pre group) and after (post group) the changes. Surgical management was modified as follows: (i) minimization of uterine exteriorization and adhesion detachment during cesarean delivery and (ii) use of Nelaton catheters for guiding cervical passage during Bakri balloon insertion. To account for patient characteristics, propensity score matching and multivariate regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: The study cohort (n = 141) comprised of 24 patients with placenta previa and PEUA (PEUA group) and 117 non-PEUA patients (control group). The PEUA patients were further categorized into the pre (n = 12) and post groups (n = 12) based on the changes in surgical management. Total placenta previa and posterior placentas were more likely in the PEUA group than in the control group (66.7% versus 42.7% [P = 0.04] and 95.8% versus 63.2% [P < 0.01], respectively). After propensity score matching (n = 72), intraoperative blood loss was significantly higher in the PEUA group (n = 24) than in the control group (n = 48) (1515 mL versus 870 mL, P < 0.01). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that PEUA was a significant risk factor for intraoperative bleeding before changes were implemented in practice (t = 2.46, P = 0.02). Intraoperative blood loss in the post group was successfully reduced, as opposed to in the pre group (1180 mL versus 1827 mL, P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: PEUA was associated with total placenta previa, posterior placenta, and increased intraoperative bleeding in patients with placenta previa. Our altered management could reduce the intraoperative blood loss.

Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy in Relation to Coffee and Tea Consumption: The Japan Environment and Children's Study.

BACKGROUND: The association between coffee/tea intake and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association of caffeine, coffee, and tea intake during pregnancy with the risk of HDP. METHODS: We assessed this association in 85,533 singleton pregnant women with live births in the Japan Environment and Children's Study, a prospective cohort in Japan that included women from early pregnancy onward. Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee and tea (green, oolong, and black) consumption during pregnancy was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire conducted at mid-pregnancy, and caffeine intake was calculated based on coffee and tea consumption. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association with the risk of HDP. RESULTS: HDP developed in 2222 women (2.6%). Caffeine intake was weakly associated with increased risk of HDP; the multivariable odds ratio of HDP for the highest versus the lowest quartile was 1.26 (95% confidence interval: 1.11, 1.43). Coffee drinkers of two or more cups per day showed a decreased risk compared with non-drinkers (multivariable odds ratio 0.79; 0.62, 0.99) even after adjustment for total caffeine intake. Tea consumption was not associated with the risk of HDP. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that higher caffeine intake may increase HDP risk, while coffee drinkers had a lower risk. Further high-quality studies are needed to replicate these findings, and to elucidate if other substances in coffee may be protective against HDP.