[A pregnant woman with gastric cancer and placental involvement]. / Een zwangere vrouw met maagkanker en placentaire metastasen.

BACKGROUND: About 200 pregnant women in the Netherlands are yearly diagnosed with cancer. Pregnant women with cancer are often diagnosed later than non-pregnant women because symptoms of cancer are common during pregnancy and may elude suspicion. We report a patient with gastric carcinoma masquerading as hyperemesis gravidarum. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 39-year-old pregnant woman was admitted at 25 weeks' gestation for the evaluation of persistent nausea, vomiting and weight loss (29 kg) since the beginning of her pregnancy. A presumptive diagnosis of hyperemesis gravidarum was made. Endoscopic examination was not performed. At 28 weeks' gestation caesarean was performed due to fetal distress and revealed a gastric tumour with abnormalities of the omentum. Microscopic examination of the omentum and placental specimen demonstrated poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma cells. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates that endoscopic examination should be conducted in pregnant patients presenting with persistent gastrointestinal symptoms for the differential diagnosis of hyperemesis gravidarum.

Reproductive choices and obstetrical experience in Dutch carriers of haemophilia A and B.

Reproductive choices, pregnancy and childbirth are influenced by culture and traditions. This probably also plays a role in carriers of haemophilia. The aim of the study is to evaluate the reproductive choices and obstetrical experiences in the current generation of carriers of haemophilia in our Haemophilia Centre in the north of the Netherlands, a largely secular country with liberal abortion laws and a unique tradition of home births. Retrospective survey among haemophilia carriers. We sent a questionnaire to 74 carriers, 65 were available, 75% responded. Median age was 41 (range 20-83) years. Of the 49 women, 46 had 120 pregnancies: 25 resulted in foetal loss, two in pregnancy termination (one for haemophilia) and 93 in live births. No woman had chosen not to start a family. Mean number of children was 2.0, 2.4 vs. 1.8 in women with and without sons with haemophilia (P = 0.008), respectively. Twenty women (20 of 46) were unaware of their carriership during 1st pregnancy; they were younger at 1st pregnancy than known carriers (25 vs. 29 years, P = 0.03). Twenty-three percentage reported bleeding complications during the first delivery. Overall, 10% vs. 3% of deliveries was complicated by a primary and secondary postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), respectively. In our Haemophilia Centre, carrier state has not influenced reproductive choices in the past, other than older age at first pregnancy. Carriers of haemophilia have an increased risk of primary PPH.

Cumulative pregnancy rates after sequential treatment with modified natural cycle IVF followed by IVF with controlled ovarian stimulation.

BACKGROUND: In modified natural cycle IVF (MNC-IVF), treatment is aimed at using the one follicle that spontaneously develops to dominance, using a GnRH-antagonist together with gonadotrophins in the late follicular phase only. The MNC-IVF is of interest because of its low-risk and patient-friendly profile. The effect of application of MNC-IVF preceding standard IVF with ovarian stimulation on overall results is unknown. METHODS: This single-center cohort study provides follow-up of an earlier study in which nine cycles of MNC-IVF were offered to 268 patients. Ongoing pregnancy rates and live birth rates, as well as time-to-pregnancy after controlled ovarian stimulation-IVF (COS-IVF) following MNC-IVF, were evaluated. RESULTS: Actual observed cumulative ongoing pregnancy rates and live birth rates after sequential treatment with MNC-IVF followed by COS-IVF were 51.5 (95% CI: 45.4-57.6) and 50.0% (95% CI: 43.9-56.1) per patient, of which 8.0 and 6.7% were twins. Median time to ongoing pregnancy was 28.8 weeks. Including treatment-independent pregnancies, cumulative ongoing pregnancy rate was 56.7% (95% CI: 50.7-62.8). CONCLUSIONS: Sequential treatment with MNC-IVF followed by COS-IVF does not appear to compromise overall success rates, while twin pregnancy rate is low. Because of its patient-friendly and low-risk profile, it seems appropriate to perform MNC-IVF preceding COS-IVF.

No increased systemic fibrinolysis in women with heavy menstrual bleeding.

BACKGROUND: Bleeding disorders have been recognized as important etiologic or contributory factors in women with heavy menstrual bleeding. Fibrinolysis in the endometrium plays a role in heavy menstrual bleeding. It is unknown whether increased systemic fibrinolysis might also increase the risk of heavy menstrual bleeding. OBJECTIVE: To investigate fibrinolytic parameters, including clot lysis time, in women with heavy menstrual bleeding. METHODS: We included 102 patients referred for heavy menstrual bleeding (Pictorial Bleeding Assessment Chart score of > 100) in our cohort. Patients and controls (28 healthy volunteers without heavy menstrual bleeding) underwent hemostatic testing in the first week after menstruation. For 79 patients and all controls, fibrinolytic parameters (thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor activity, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, tissue-type plasminogen activator and plasmin inhibitor levels) and clot lysis time were available. RESULTS: Fibrinolytic parameters were similar between patients and controls, except for thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (89.4% vs. 82.5%) and plasmin inhibitor (106% vs. 96%), the levels of which which were significantly higher in patients. In women with menorrhagia without gynecologic abnormalities, we found lower thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 levels than in women with gynecologic abnormalities (thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor, 85.4% vs. 94.8%; plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, 16.0 µg L(-1) vs. 24.5 µg L(-1) ). CONCLUSION: Systemic fibrinolytic capacity is not increased in women with heavy menstrual bleeding. Overall, levels of the fibrinolytic inhibitors thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor and plasmin inhibitor were even higher in patients than in controls. However, in a subgroup of women without gynecologic abnormalities, relatively lower levels of inhibitors may contribute to the heavy menstrual bleeding.

Incidence of hypersensitivity skin reactions in patients on full-dose low-molecular-weight heparins during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH) are the most commonly used anticoagulants for the treatment and prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in pregnancy. Hypersensitivity skin reactions associated with the use of LMWH are frequently seen, but are probably underreported. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence of hypersensitivity skin reactions due to the use of LMWH in pregnancy, and the subsequent management of anticoagulation. PATIENTS/METHODS: From 1999 to 2009, we followed consecutive women who used therapeutic anticoagulation for venous indications. Women visited a combined obstetric/coagulation clinic and were seen by a thrombosis specialist every two months until six weeks postpartum. All women were started on nadroparin. RESULTS: We included 135 pregnancies in 88 women. Overall, in 52 of 135 pregnancies (39%), women switched at least once to another anticoagulant because of the development of hypersensitivity skin reactions. Switching to another preparation of LMWH was effective in 77% of the cases. In 23% of the cases skin reactions recurred and another switch had to be made. CONCLUSION: In almost half of the pregnancies, women had to switch at least once to another anticoagulant preparation due to the development of hypersensitivity skin reactions on LMWH. In most cases, skin reactions did not recur on the second preparation of LMWH used.

Gynaecological and obstetric bleeding in moderate and severe von Willebrand disease.

A nation-wide cross-sectional study was initiated to assess gynaecological and obstetrical symptoms in an unselected cohort of women with moderate and severe von Willebrand disease (VWD) in the Netherlands. A total of 423 women aged ≥16 years were included. Bleeding severity was measured using the Tosetto Bleeding Score (BS). Menorrhagia, defined as occurrence of ≥2 menorrhagia symptoms, was reported by 81%. Of all VWD women, 78% received any kind of treatment for menorrhagia and 20% underwent a hysterectomy predominantly because of severe menstrual bleeding. Over half of the women reported more blood loss than can be expected with a normal delivery. In 52% of reported pregnancy losses curettage was needed because of bleeding. Mean number of live births was 1.9, which is comparable with the general Dutch population. In conclusion, women with moderate or severe VWD frequently have menorrhagia in need of treatment, and 20% of the VWD women underwent a hysterectomy. Bleeding complications occurred in over 50% of the women after childbirth or pregnancy loss. Progeny seems not to be affected in women with moderate or severe VWD.