Recurrent Metastatic Pulmonary Synovial Sarcoma during Pregnancy: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Primary pulmonary synovial sarcoma is a rare type of soft tissue tumor. Exceptionally it can occur during pregnancy, representing a challenge in management and treatment given its notable aggressiveness and the not infrequent incidence of maternal death. We report our case of metastatic recurrence of pulmonary synovial sarcoma during pregnancy, with the aim to emphasize the decision-making, diagnostic, and therapeutic multidisciplinary processes and the evolution of the pathology. Besides, we focused on the analysis of the limited literature data available on the topic.

Ultrasound Features and Clinical Outcome of Patients with Ovarian Masses Diagnosed during Pregnancy: Experience of Single Gynecological Ultrasound Center.

(1) Background: The number of adnexal masses detected during pregnancy has increased due to the use of first-trimester screening and increasingly advanced maternal age. Despite their low risk of malignancy, other risks associated with these masses include torsion, rupture and labor obstruction. Correct diagnosis and management are needed to guarantee both maternal and fetal safety. Adnexal masses may be troublesome to classify during pregnancy due to the increased volume of the uterus and pregnancy-related hormonal changes. Management should be based on ultrasound examination to provide the best treatment. The aim of this study was to describe the ultrasound features of ovarian masses detected during pregnancy and to optimize and personalize their management with the expertise of gynecologists, oncologists and sonographers. (2) Methods: Clinical, ultrasound, histological parameters and type of management (surveillance vs. surgery) were retrospectively retrieved. Patient management, perinatal outcomes and follow-up were also evaluated. (3) Results: according to the literature, these masses are most frequently benign, ultrasound follow-up is the best management, and obstetric outcomes are not considerably influenced by the presence of adnexal masses. (4) Conclusions: the management of patients with ovarian masses detected during pregnancy should be based on ultrasound examination, and a centralization in referral centers for ovarian masses should be considered.

Pre-Eclampsia: From Etiology and Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Tools-A Review of the Literature.

Pre-eclampsia is a severe pregnancy-related complication that manifests as a syndrome with multisystem involvement and damage. It has significantly grown in frequency during the past 30 years and could be considered as one of the major causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. However, the specific etiology and molecular mechanisms of pre-eclampsia are still poorly known and could have a variety of causes, such as altered angiogenesis, inflammations, maternal infections, obesity, metabolic disorders, gestational diabetes, and autoimmune diseases. Perhaps the most promising area under investigation is the imbalance of maternal angiogenic factors and its effects on vascular function, though studies in placental oxidative stress and maternal immune response have demonstrated intriguing findings. However, to determine the relative importance of each cause and the impact of actions aiming to significantly reduce the incidence of this illness, more research is needed. Moreover, it is necessary to better understand the etiologies of each subtype of pre-eclampsia as well as the pathophysiology of other major obstetrical syndromes to identify a clinical tool able to recognize patients at risk of pre-eclampsia early.

Low complement levels are related to poor obstetric outcomes in women with obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome. The EUROAPS Registry Study Group.

INTRODUCTION: Obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (OAPS) is an autoimmune disease related to antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) with primaryinflammatory injury followed by clot cascade activation and thrombus formation. Complement system activation and their participation in aPL-related thrombosis is unclosed. METHODS: We haveanalysed adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO) related to low complement (LC) levels in a cohort of 1048 women fulfilling classification criteria for OAPS. RESULTS: Overall, 223 (21.3%) women presented LC values, during pregnancy. The length of pregnancy was shorter in OAPS women with LC compared to those with normal complement (NC) (median: 33 weeks, interquartile range: [24-38] vs. 35 weeks [27-38]; p = 0.022). Life new-born incidence was higher in patients with NC levels than in those with LC levels (74.4% vs. 67.7%; p = 0.045). Foetal losses were more related to women with triple or double aPL positivity carrying LC than NC values (16.3% vs. 8.0% NC; p = 0.027). Finally, some placental vasculopathies were affected in OAPS patients with LC as late Foetal Growth Restriction (FGR >34 weeks) rise to 7.2% in women with LC vs. 3.2% with NC (p = 0.007). DISCUSSION: Data from our registry indicate that incidence of APO was higher in OAPS women with LC levels and some could be reverted by the correct treatment.

Perinatal mental illness and autoimmune diseases: a qualitative sistematic review.

INTRODUCTION: The term "perinatal mental illness" refers to the set of psychiatric disorders that occur during pregnancy and up to one year after childbirth. The disorders that occurred before pregnancy along with the disorders that emerge during pregnancy or in the postpartum period are all considered perinatal mental illnesses. The causes of prenatal mental illness are still unknown. However, recent studies have shown a major risk in patients with autoimmune diseases (AIDs). EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We performed a comprehensive search of relevant studies from February 2000 to December 2021 to ensure all possible studies were captured. A systematic search of PubMed databases was conducted. We selected "autoimmune disease" as the search term, combining with "perinatal mental illness," "perinatal depression" or "postpartum anxiety" or "postpartum psychosis" or "bipolar disorder" or "postpartum blues." EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: The results of our review show that patients with perinatal mental illness have higher risks of subsequent AIDs. In fact, when a woman develops perinatal mental illness, accurate counseling can be employed: on the one hand, the woman should be send to the psychiatrist, on the other hand she has to be informed about the increased risk of a future developement of AID. CONCLUSIONS: As described in the literature, correlation between perinatal mental illness and AID could bring new diagnostic opportunities, relevant for practical decisions. Further studies need to confirm the correlation between perinatal mental illness and AID.

Sex ratio at birth: causes of variation and narrative review of literature.

INTRODUCTION: The human sex ratio at birth (SRB) is the parameter which reflects the relationship between males and females at birth. It is not 50:50, but approximately 0.515 in favor of males. There are many factors that can influence SRB and its variations are not easily demonstrable. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Our aim was to investigate the environmental and human agents capable of causing variations in the SRB by providing a narrative review of the scientific literature. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Studies demonstrated that male and female embryos/fetuses' response to stress in different way and the male ones show less resistance. This phenomenon seems to persist for approximately six months after a stressful event, suggesting a purpose of reproductive regulation and protection of the perpetuation of the species. Although the relationship of dependence with parenting decisions, thanks to prenatal diagnosis and assisted fertility techniques is easily understood, it is more complex to correlate its variations with environmental pressures that act through secondary mechanisms. The Covid-19 pandemic, natural catastrophes, terroristic attacks, economic crises are some of the difficulties encountered in recent times. CONCLUSIONS: The impact of all the factors reported is not explained only with a possible a priori determination of sex at conception, but also with secondary effects in the pregnancy outcomes. Thus, the determination of sex appears to be a complex and multifactorial mechanism, besides a matter of genetics. The pandemic and climate changes are the present important opportunities of research for possibly reaching more certain answers.

A first stage placental site trophoblastic tumor: a case report and review of literature.

Placental site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT) is a very rare form of gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) that occurs mainly in women who have a history of termination of pregnancy. It has different characteristics from other gestational trophoblastic tumors: it grows slowly, secretes low levels of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-hCG), with low metastatic potential. We report a case of PSTT of a 32-year-old patient. Seven months after delivery, the patient presented at our Center with persistence of menorrhagia for at least 1 month. A slightly high level of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-hCG) was observed. TVUS and MRI, an operative hysteroscopy and a laparoscopy were performed. The histological and immunohistochemical findings demonstrated PSTT. Diagnosis of juvenile cystic adenomyoma (JCA) was also added. A total body CT scan was negative for metastases. A total hysterectomy with salpingectomy was performed. We performed a search of relevant studies about PSTT of the last years. A systematic search of Pubmed databases was conducted. Appropriate search terms were constructed by reviewing abstracts, titles and keywords relating to PSTT known to the authors. All articles known to the authors useful to the review were included, comparing with our clinical case. Stages and treatment are related to survival rates, with long term survival expected for stage I low-risk disease after hysterectomy. Our case is a stage I disease with good prognostic factors (patient's age and absence of metastases) and, as described in the literature, a total hysterectomy with salpingectomy was performed.

Bleeding and antithrombotic therapy during pregnancy in women with poor aPL-related obstetric outcomes: A survey of 1075 cases from EUROAPS registry∗.

BACKGROUND: The combination of low-dose aspirin (LDA) and low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) until the end of gestation are the currently the accepted standard of care for the treatment of antiphospholipid-related obstetric disorders. In refractory cases, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) can be added to this standard of care. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the haemostatic safety of LDA and LMWH (medium to high prophylactic doses) during pregnancy and the puerperium in women with both full-blown obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (OAPS) (Sydney criteria) and noncriteria - incomplete - OAPS. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective/prospective multicentre observational study. Obstetric background, laboratory categories, delivery mode, antithrombotic regimens and bleeding complications were compared. SETTING: A total of 30 tertiary European hospitals. PATIENTS: Mainly, Caucasian/Arian pregnant women were included. Other ethnicities were minimally present. Women were controlled throughout pregnancy and puerperium. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary end-point was to evaluate the number of major and minor haemorrhagic complications in this cohort of women. Neuraxial anaesthetic bleeding complications were particularly assessed. Secondly, we aimed to compare local/general bleeding events between groups. RESULTS: We studied 1650 women, of whom 1000 fulfilled the Sydney criteria of the OAPS and 650 did not (noncriteria OAPS). Data on antithrombotic-related complications were available in 1075 cases (65.15%). Overall, 53 (4.93%) women had bleeding complications, with 34 being considered minor (3.16%) and 19 major (1.76%). Neither obstetric complications nor laboratory categories were bleeding-related. Assisted vaginal delivery and caesarean section were related to local haemorrhage. Heparin doses and platelet count were not associated with major bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: LDA and medium to high prophylactic LMWH during pregnancy in women with full-blown OAPS/noncriteria OAPS are safe. A slight increase in bleeding risk was noted in instrumental deliveries. No women who underwent spinal or epidural anaesthesia suffered bleeding complications. No haemorrhage was observed in cases where HCQ was added to standard therapy.

Postnatal Health in Children Born to Women After Bariatric Surgery.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to evaluate short- and long-term consequences in children born to women after different bariatric surgery (BS) procedures. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was given to the mothers referred from 1994 to 2019 to our center for pregnancy and delivery management after BS procedures: (a) malabsorptive surgery, (b) restrictive procedures, and (c) combined restrictive-malabsorptive procedures. RESULTS: Data from 74 children born after BS, aged 0 month to 12 years, were analyzed. The prevalence of children with underweight was 5.4%, normal weight 59.5%, overweight 16.2%, and obesity 18.9%. The prevalence of obesity was higher in children pre-school aged than that in school-aged ones. Neurodevelopmental disorders were more frequent if maternal BMI before bariatric surgery was ≥ 41 kg/m2 (p = 0.008), as well as if the pregnancy occurred less than 18 months after BS (p = 0.028). In school-aged children conceived within 18 months after BS, the highest risk of neurodevelopmental disorders (p = 0.028) and overweight (p = 0.018) was observed. The prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders was much higher for small for gestational age babies (p = 0.048). Children born after biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) showed less maternal breastfeeding, shorter breastfeeding duration, more overweight, and more occurrence of atopic dermatitis in comparison with children born after other bariatric procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Postnatal health in children born to women after BS was impaired by long-term consequences and by other diseases later in life. Children born after BPD were particularly at higher risk for short and long term consequences when compared to children born after other BS procedures.

Myasthaenia gravis in pregnancy, delivery and newborn.

INTRODUCTION: Myasthaenia gravis (MG) is the most common disease of the neuromuscular junction; clinical presentation of the disease includes a variety of symptoms, the most frequent beign the only ocular muscles involvement, to the generalized myasthenic crisis with diaphragmatic impairment and respiratory insufficiency. It is most common in women between 20 ad 40 years. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We performed a comprehensive search of relevant studies from January1990 to Dicember 2019 to ensure all possible studies were captured. A systematic search of Pubmed databases was conducted. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Pregnancy has an unpredictable and variable effect on the clinical course of MG; however, a stable disease before is likely not to relapse during pregnancy. exacerbations can still occur more often during the first trimester and the post partum period. The transplacental passage of antibodies results in a neonatal transient disease, whereas the major concern is related to foetal malformations such as fetal arthrogryposis and polyhydramnios. The overall neonatal outcome described in literature is variable, perinatal mortality in women with MG is generally the same as non affected patients, although in one study the risk of premature rupture of the membranes was higher. Treatment of MG in pregnangncy includes pyridostigmine and corticosteroids, although the latter have been associated with higher risk of cleft palate, premature rupture of the membranes and preterm delivery. These drugs appear also to be safe in breastfeeding. In MG patients spontaneous vaginal delivery should be encouraged, for surgery could cause acute worsening of myasthenic symptoms; also an accurate anesthesiological evaluation must be performed prior to both general and local anesthesia due to increased risk of complications. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the myasthenic women could have uneventful pregnancy with good obstetrical outcomes, both for mother and neonate. However, a careful planning of pregnancy and multidisciplinary team approach, composed by neurologists, obstetricians, neonatologists and anesthesiologists, is required to manage these pregnancies.

The impact of primary Sjogren's syndrome on female sexual function.

INTRODUCTION: Sjogren syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disease that usually affects women more than man with a 9:1 ratio. It leads to a progressive functional impairment of exocrine glands. Tipically, its clinical presentation is characterized by xerostomia and xerophtalmia, but it can also affect, among others, female genital apparatus, causing vaginal dryness and dyspareunia. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for articles in English indexed from January 1995 to November 2019 to assess evidence on the impact of primary Sjogren's syndrome on female sexual function. Our attention was directed specifically on the quality of sexual life of patients affected by primary SS. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: SS is associated with sexual dysfunction and it can significantly worsen patient's quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: The genital disorders secondary to SS can strongly alter the quality of female life both physically and psychologically as they alter sexuality. However, the observation of certain behavioral norms and the use of appropriate local substances can alleviate the symptoms and effectively contribute to reducing the discomfort.

Does hysterosalpingo-foam sonography have any therapeutic effect? A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Tubal patency is one of the mandatory and necessary conditions to be granted in order to guarantee a good pregnancy rate. Numerous studies have been conducted to compare the various testing techniques for tubal evaluation in order to optimize the diagnostic-therapeutic process. Aim of this review is to clarify if hysterosalpingo-foam sonography could be considered as a useful tool not only in the diagnostic procedure, but also in treatment of infertility. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We performed a comprehensive search of relevant studies from January 2010 to December 2019 to ensure all possible studies were captured. A systematic search of PubMed databases was conducted. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Over the years, increasingly less invasive approaches have been used to test tubal patency. For many years Laparoscopic with chromopertubation (DLS) has been considered the reference standard, then less invasive procedures have been introduced, such as hysterosalpingography (HSG). Sonohysterosalpingography (HyCoSy) represents a non-invasive procedure with accuracy comparable to HSG. Several studies have been made on different contrast agents that could be used on this procedure and recent studies considered hysterosalpingo-foam sonography (HyFoSy) procedure as a new technique used for the study of tubal function performed on unfertile women. Nowadays, HyFoSy is largely used in the study of tubal patency, but it is not completely clear the role of this technique as treatment of imperviousness of Fallopian tubes, leading to an increase in pregnancy rate after its use. CONCLUSIONS: As described in the literature for other procedures, similarly with HyFoSy, the tubal flushing improves the chance of an embryo implanting and establishing a spontaneous pregnancy. More prospective studies should be taken to better analyze the singular maternal risk fators, hoping to offer more complete indications to recommend HyFoSy.

Autoimmune Congenital Heart Block: A Review of Biomarkers and Management of Pregnancy.

Autoimmune Congenital Heart Block (CHB) is an immune-mediated disease due to transplacental passage of circulating anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB autoantibodies. It occurs in 2% of anti-Ro/SSA-exposed pregnancies, and recurrence rate is nine times higher in subsequent pregnancies. Aim of this review is to identify biomarkers of CHB and treatment strategies. The Ro-system is constituted by two polypeptides targeted by the anti-Ro52 and anti-Ro60 autoantibodies. The central portion of Ro52 (p200), more than the full amino-acid sequence of Ro-52, is recognized to be the fine specificity of anti-Ro associated to the highest risk of cardiac damage. If anti-p200 antibody should be tested, as biomarker of CHB, over standard commercial ELISAs is still debated. Recent studies indicate that type I-Interferon (IFN) can activate fibroblasts in fetal heart. In the mother the anti-Ro/La antibodies activate the type I IFN-signature, and maternal IFN-regulated genes correlate with a similar neonatal IFN-gene expression. Evaluation of maternal IFN-signature could be used as novel biomarker of CHB. The measurement of "mechanical" PR interval with weekly fetal echocardiogram (ECHO) from 16 to at least 24 weeks of gestation is strongly recommended for CHB prenatal diagnosis. However, ECHO screening presents some limitations due to difficult identification of first-degree block and possible occurrence of a complete block from a normal rhythm in few days. Maternal administration of Hydroxychloroquine from the tenth week of gestation, modulating toll-like receptor and autoantibody-dependent type I IFN activation on the fetus, has an important role in preventing CHB in pregnant women with high risk for recurrent CHB.

Comparative study of obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (OAPS) and non-criteria obstetric APS (NC-OAPS): report of 1640 cases from the EUROAPS registry.

OBJECTIVES: To compare clinical features, laboratory data and fetal-maternal outcomes between 1000 women with obstetric APS (OAPS) and 640 with aPL-related obstetric complications not fulfilling Sydney criteria (non-criteria OAPS, NC-OAPS). METHODS: This was a retrospective and prospective multicentre study from the European Registry on Obstetric Antiphospholipid Syndrome. RESULTS: A total of 1650 women with 5251 episodes, 3601 of which were historical and 1650 latest episodes, were included. Altogether, 1000 cases (OAPS group) fulfilled the Sydney classification criteria and 650 (NC-OAPS group) did not. Ten NC-OAPS cases were excluded for presenting thrombosis during follow-up. All cases were classified as category I (triple positivity or double positivity for aPL) or category II (simple positivity). Overall, aPL laboratory categories showed significant differences: 29.20% in OAPS vs 17.96% in NC-OAPS (P < 0.0001) for category I, and 70.8% in OAPS vs 82% in NC-OAPS (P < 0.0001) for category II. Significant differences were observed when current obstetric complications were compared (P < 0.001). However, major differences between groups were not observed in treatment rates, livebirths and thrombotic complications. In the NC-OAPS group, 176/640 (27.5%) did not fulfil Sydney clinical criteria (subgroup A), 175/640 (27.34%) had a low titre and/or non-persistent aPL positivity but did meet the clinical criteria (subgroup B) and 289/640 (45.15%) had a high aPL titre but did not fulfil Sydney clinical criteria (subgroup C). CONCLUSION: Significant clinical and laboratory differences were found between groups. Fetal-maternal outcomes were similar in both groups when treated. These results suggest that we could improve our clinical practice with better understanding of NC-OAPS patients.

Autoimmunity in obstetrics and autoimmune diseases in pregnancy.

Autoimmune diseases (AIDs) are associated with strong female preponderance and often present before or during the reproductive years; consequently, pregnancy and breastfeeding are topics of major interest for these patients. AIDs show different responses to pregnancy: some ameliorate, while others remain unchanged, and several AIDs aggravate. The response of the AIDs to the hormonal and immunological alterations of pregnancy reflects the different pathophysiology of each disease. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) are associated with multiple autoantibodies, multiorgan involvement, more aggressive therapy, and increased impact on pregnancy outcome. For the management of pregnancy in patients with SLE and/or APS, it is important to individuate the correct risk profile for each woman and timing for treatment. The optimal timing for starting or modulating treatment is at preconception assessment to influence the placentation. In this chapter, we discuss the management of pregnancy in patients with AIDs.

The European Registry on Obstetric Antiphospholipid Syndrome (EUROAPS): A survey of 1000 consecutive cases.

AIM: To analyse the clinical features, laboratory data and foetal-maternal outcomes, and follow them up on a cohort of 1000 women with obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (OAPS). METHODS: The European Registry of OAPS became a registry within the framework of the European Forum on Antiphospholipid Antibody projects and was placed on a website in June 2010. Thirty hospitals throughout Europe have collaborated to carry out this registry. Cases with obstetric complaints related to antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) who tested positive for aPL at least twice were included prospectively and retrospectively. The seven-year survey results are reported. RESULTS: 1000 women with 3553 episodes were included of which 2553 were historical and 1000 were latest episodes. All cases fulfilled the Sydney classification criteria. According to the laboratory categories, 292 (29.2%) were in category I, 357 (35.7%) in IIa, 224 (22.4%) in IIb and 127 (12.7%) in IIc. Miscarriages were the most prevalent clinical manifestation in 386 cases (38.6%). Moreover, the presence of early preeclampsia (PE) and early foetal growth restriction (FGR) appeared in 181 (18.1%) and 161 (16.1%), respectively. In this series, 448 (44.8%) women received the recommended OAPS treatment. Patients with recommended treatment had a good live-birth rate (85%), but worse results (72.4%) were obtained in patients with any treatment (low-dose aspirin (LDA) or low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) not on recommended schedule, while patients with no treatment showed a poor birth rate (49.6%). CONCLUSION: In this series, recurrent miscarriage is the most frequent poor outcome. To avoid false-negative diagnoses, all laboratory category subsets were needed. OAPS cases have very good foetal-maternal outcomes when treated. Results suggest that we were able to improve our clinical practice to offer better treatment and outcomes to OAPS patients.