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OBJECTIVE: To establish a new treatment option for cervico-isthmic pregnancy (CIP) other than termination by maintaining pregnancy from diagnosis to delivery. METHODS: This retrospective observational study included women diagnosed with CIP at Dongsan Medical Center, Daegu, Korea, from January 2014 to December 2019. Eight patients were diagnosed with CIP using transvaginal ultrasound and met the following inclusion criteria: (1) preserved and closed cervical canal; and (2) more than half of the uterine cavity above the sac was not involved in sac implantation. Five of the eight mothers decided to maintain their pregnancy after an adequate explanation of the possible risks. The same sonographer assessed fetal and maternal status every 1-2 weeks. Intra- and postoperative indicators, delivery information, and neonatal outcomes were also recorded. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 36 years. In all cases, placenta accreta spectrum and placenta previa were detected using preoperative ultrasonography. A hysterectomy was performed in three cases, and all patients required intensive care unit (ICU) care. The mean operative time was 156 minutes. The rate of postpartum hemorrhage was 40%. Four viable fetuses were delivered. Birth preceding 34 weeks occurred in one patient, who required neonatal ICU hospitalization for 19 days. CONCLUSION: Conservative treatment with careful diagnosis, management, and sufficient consultation could be an alternative treatment option in women with CIP, particularly older mothers, those with subfertility, and those who expect to have limited future opportunities for a successful pregnancy. Therefore, CIP should be treated as a separate disease entity.
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Epithelioid sarcomas (ESs) of the vulva are extremely rare soft tissue tumors characterized by an aggressive clinical course and a poor prognosis. The proximal type of ES occurs in the trunk and external genital area and has higher recurrence and distant metastasis rates than the distal type, which is found in the upper and lower extremities. We describe a case of a vulvar ES in a 24-year-old patient who was referred from the department of plastic surgery with protruding mushroom-like lesions in multiple areas, including the lower abdomen, whole vulva, anus, and both inguinal lesions. A biopsy of the lesions confirmed a proximal-type ES. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple metastatic lesions in several regions, including the perineum, vagina, and inguinal regions; nodal metastases in the left external iliac and right inguinal region; and distant metastases in the lungs, pleura of the left lung, bones, and soft tissue. The patient underwent active palliative radiotherapy, followed by chemotherapy, and showed a partial response to treatment. Nineteen months after the initial diagnosis, the patient expired due to cancer progression and pneumothorax.
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Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is affiliated with the ß-coronavirus subgroup, which includes SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), but is far more infectious than the 2. Because it is potentially life-threatening to infants and pregnant women with weak immune systems, clinical manifestations and vertical transmission of COVID-19 are matters of interest. Staff of the obstetrics department of university hospitals in Daegu and of the Daegu metropolitan government designated Daegu Fatima Hospital for the delivery of pregnant women with suspected and confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thirteen pregnant women with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were identified. Among them was a 28-year-old pregnant woman who had recovered from COVID-19 and had given birth to a healthy girl at 38 weeks of gestational age. We present our uncommon experience with a brief review of literatures.