Pregnancies complicated by retained placenta: sex ratio and relation to pre-eclampsia.

Pre-eclampsia and placenta accreta have opposite histological features of placentation. This study set out to test the hypotheses that the sex ratios in these two pregnancy complications are opposite and that these conditions are mutually exclusive. A population-based database covering all deliveries in South Australia between 1986 and 1995 and the hospital-based obstetric database of the Adelaide Women's and Children's Hospital, covering 8549 births between 1993 and 1995, were used to ascertain the sex ratios in singleton pregnancies and the sex ratios in those pregnancies in which there was retained placenta, hypertension in pregnancy, or pre-eclampsia. The likelihood of independence of occurrence or mutual exclusivity of retained placenta and hypertension in pregnancy or pre-eclampsia were also examined. The male:female sex ratio in the South Australian population was 1.077. In pregnancies with hypertension in pregnancy it was 1.165 (P<0.001) and in pregnancies with retained placenta it was 0.883 (P<0.0001). There was a trend to an increased sex ratio in pre-eclamptic pregnancy (1.248 in primigravid and 1.092 in multigravid women) but there was insufficient power to detect significance (P=0.207 and 0.470, respectively). Neither hypertension in pregnancy nor pre-eclampsia were mutually exclusive of placenta accreta: hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and placenta accreta occurred independently of each other. Our findings suggest that sex-linked antigens are unlikely to influence maternofetal interactions consistently to give rise to one but not the other pregnancy complication.

Placenta accreta: a problem of increasing clinical significance.

Placenta accreta in association with placenta previa and previous cesarean delivery is a condition of increasing clinical significance. A case report of a woman with placenta percreta is presented. Risk factors, incidence, and management are discussed. Recommendations for preoperative and intraoperative management are presented.

Placenta accreta, increta, and percreta. A survey of 40 cases.

Forty patients with placenta accreta, increta, or percreta are presented. Clinical features revealed an average age of 29.5 years and an average parity of 3-2-1. Twenty-five had no antepartum complications. Nine were admitted with silent hemorrhage, of which 6 had a total placenta previa and 1 a low-lying previa. Postpartum hemorrhage occurred in 39% with an associated perinatal mortality of 25% and 1 maternal death. Histopathologic evaluations revealed the predominant factor to be an absent decidua. Etiologic in decidual deficiency was a previous cesarean section (12 patients). Therapy consisted of total abdominal hysterectomy in 38 patients.

Inadvertent administration of prostaglandin E1 instead of prostaglandin F2 alpha in a patient with uterine atony and hemorrhage.

A woman underwent cesarean delivery for premature labor, breech presentation, and ruptured membranes. Placenta accreta associated with uterine atony and severe hemorrhage was diagnosed. Prostaglandin E1 instead of prostaglandin F2 alpha was inadvertently administered in an effort to control the hemorrhage. The resulting complications included profound hypotension, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and ventricular tachycardia.

Placenta previa percreta with bladder invasion.

BACKGROUND: Although the clinical presentation and imaging techniques can raise suspicion for placenta previa percreta, this potentially catastrophic condition may remain undiagnosed or its extent underappreciated until delivery. The decision to proceed with definitive surgery in cases of placenta previa percreta should be carefully considered. CASE: A case of placenta previa percreta with bladder invasion was diagnosed prenatally. This case illustrates the magnitude of complications that can arise despite aggressive multidisciplinary perioperative management. CONCLUSION: When possible, hysterectomy performed for placenta previa percreta is best avoided under anything other than ideal conditions. A multidisciplinary approach for preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative management of placenta previa percreta optimizes maternal outcome.

Postabortal hemorrhage due to placenta increta: a case report.

Placenta accreta is defined as a condition involving an abnormal adherence of the placenta to the myometrium. It is rare for placenta accreta to present before 20 weeks' gestation; only eight cases have been previously reported. This case report describes a first-trimester placenta accreta which presented during suction curettage for missed abortion. The major risk factors for placenta accreta are related to previous uterine trauma. Considering the rising rate of operative births in the United States, it is possible that the incidence of placenta accreta in early gestation will increase.

Argon beam coagulation facilitates management of placenta percreta with bladder invasion.

BACKGROUND: Placenta percreta with bladder invasion is a rare but potentially lethal complication of pregnancy. CASE: A multigravida, with a history of two prior cesarean deliveries, presented with complaints of heavy vaginal bleeding near term. She had been previously diagnosed with an anterior placenta previa. A placenta percreta with bladder invasion was confirmed on cystoscopy. The patient underwent a successful cesarean hysterectomy using the argon beam coagulator. CONCLUSION: Argon beam coagulation may successfully help manage placenta percreta with bladder invasion while minimizing blood loss.

Postpartum myocardial infarction rescued with an intraaortic balloon pump and extracorporeal membrane oxygenator.

A 37-year-old woman had postpartum myocardial infarction complicated with cardiogenic shock. The infarction was attributed to diffuse coronary artery spasm caused by methylergonovine, which had been used to treat the postpartum haemorrhage due to placenta increta. The haemodynamics could not be maintained with catecholamine infusion and intraaortic balloon counterpulsation. At last, an extracorporeal membrane oxygenator was used to save her life, and the patient was successfully weaned from the machine 100 h later; she made an uneventful recovery thereafter.

Arterial embolization for haemorrhage in the obstetric patient.

Arterial embolization is a safe and effective treatment for persistent post-partum haemorrhage that is unresponsive to conservative management. Embolization should be the treatment of choice in these patients provided that suitable radiological skills and equipment are available. Embolization is potentially useful in patients with antepartum haemorrhage in the last trimester or in patients at high risk for antepartum haemorrhage.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Healthy pregnancy is accompanied by changes in the haemostatic system which convert it into a hypercoagulable state vulnerable to a spectrum of disorders ranging from venous thromboembolism to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). This latter is always a secondary phenomenon triggered by specific disorders such as abruptio placentae and amniotic fluid embolism due to release of thromboplastin intravascularly or endothelial damage resulting from pre-eclampsia and sepsis. In modern obstetric practice the most common cause is haemorrhagic shock with delay in resuscitation leading to endothelial damage. The initial management of massive obstetric haemorrhage is the same whether associated with coagulopathy initially or not. Low-grade DIC, associated with pre-eclampsia, is monitored haematologically by serial platelet counts and serum fibrin degradation products (FDPs). Supportive measures and removal of the triggering mechanism are the key to successful management. Outcome depends primarily on our ability to deal with the trigger and not on direct attempts to correct the coagulation deficit.

MRI appearance of placenta percreta and placenta accreta.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MR) features of placenta accreta and percreta. We retrospectively reviewed MRI findings in four cases of placenta accreta/percreta to determine features which assist in identifying the presence and extent of placental implantation abnormality. All patients had ultrasound (US) examinations. Pathologic correlation was available in all cases. There were two cases of placenta percreta and two cases of placenta accreta. All cases were treated by hysterectomy. In the two cases of placenta percreta, the placenta demonstrated transmural extension through the uterus (percreta) on MRI. In the two cases of placenta accreta, the location of thinning in the uterine wall correlated with the location of placental invagination into the myometrium at pathology. US correlation was available in all four cases. Gray scale US did not demonstrate placental invasion in any of the four cases of placenta accreta/percreta, however, in two of three cases in which color Doppler was performed, there was flow at the uterine margin suspicious for implantation abnormality. In conclusion, MRI is useful for identifying the presence and extent of placenta accreta/percreta.

Placenta accreta and methotrexate therapy: three case reports.

Placenta accreta is a complication that is rising in incidence. The reported experience of methotrexate treatment in the conservative management of placenta accreta is scant. Three cases of placenta accreta managed with methotrexate are presented. Case 1: A woman had an antenatal diagnosis of placenta percreta. A successful manual placental removal occurred on post-cesarean day 16. Case 2: A woman had retention of a placenta accreta after a term vaginal delivery. Successful dilation and curettage were performed on postpartum day 37. Case 3: A woman had an antenatal diagnosis of placenta previa-percreta with bladder invasion. A simple hysterectomy was performed on post-cesarean day 46. Conservative management and methotrexate treatment resulted in uterine preservation in two of our three patients; however, this treatment did not prevent significant delayed hemorrhage. In view of the rapid resolution of vascular invasion of the bladder, methotrexate may have an important role in the management of placenta percreta with bladder invasion. The utility of methotrexate treatment with the conservative management of placenta accreta requires further evaluation.

Acute abdomen due to placenta percreta.

Placenta percreta is a rare but serious complication of pregnancy, usually presenting itself in the third trimester. The incidence of fetal death and maternal mortality is high. We report a case presenting as an acute abdomen, due to haemoperitoneum at 33 weeks of pregnancy. Incidence, etiology, diagnosis and treatment are discussed, and the literature is reviewed.

Post partum intra-abdominal hemorrhage due to placenta percreta.

Placenta percreta is a serious complication of pregnancy. A 38-year-old nullipara presented at 25 weeks gestation with preterm labour. Spontaneous delivery was followed by retained placenta. During an attempt to remove the placenta manually placental tissue could not be distinguished. Initially, placenta increta was considered as the most likely diagnosis and conservative management was planned, but progressive shock emerged due to intra-abdominal hemorrhage and laparotomy was performed. Placenta percreta was diagnosed, followed by a supracervical hysterectomy. A review of risk factors, diagnostic tools and treatment possibilities is given.

Abnormally adherent placentation: a life-threatening complication.

Two cases are presented illustrating the potential danger of abnormal placentation. Placenta accreta is frequently associated with placenta praevia and/or a history of previous caesarean section. As there are no obvious specific symptoms before or during delivery, one should consider the possibility of this anomaly in the third stage of labour when manual removal of the placenta is very arduous. The treatment of choice is immediate abdominal hysterectomy, for this is followed by the lowest maternal mortality. If abnormal placentation is suspected, one should be prepared to deal with it as necessitated, including the possible performance of an emergency caesarean hysterectomy.

Transient myocardial ischemia may occur following subendometrial vasopressin infiltration.

A case of transient myocardial ischemia following subendometrial vasopressin infiltration in intractable intra-operative postpartum bleeding due to placenta accreta is described. In our experience, the rate of this side effect is one in 14 patients (rate of 7.1%). We believe that the benefits of the treatment outweigh the risks, since the uterus was saved in all 14 patients. Nevertheless, this case emphasises that extreme precaution is needed with subendometrial vasopressin infiltration. It should be emphasised that the needle must not be within a blood vessel because intravascular injection of vasopressin solution can precipitate acute arterial hypertension, bradycardia and even death. We suggest that local vasopressin infiltration into the placental site is indicated in cases of intractable bleeding at cesarean section after other conventional obstetric and pharmacological maneuvers have failed.

Occult infiltrating placenta previa percreta: an unusual case highlighting the management problems in a young patient.

Placenta previa in association with placenta accreta has been recorded on average in 1 in 500 pregnancies; its association with placenta percreta is a much rarer condition. We report an unusual case of placenta previa which presented as a severe form of occult parasitic infiltration, invading the internal iliac vessels. This was followed by life-threatening complications, despite preventative measures. Use of a prediction index to suspect placenta previa is mentioned.

Massive obstetric hemorrhage due to placenta previa/accreta with prior cesarean section.

There is a high association between anterior placenta previa, placenta accreta and previous cesarean section. We report three cases which illustrate the particular danger of massive hemorrhage posed by placenta previa/accreta in a scarred uterus. As the incidence of cesarean section continues to rise worldwide, the problem of placenta previa/accreta is likely to become more common. We emphasize the need for each obstetric unit to have a protocol for dealing with massive hemorrhage.

Spontaneous uterine rupture with placenta percreta: a case report.

A case of spontaneous uterine rupture resulting from placenta percreta is described. The patient was treated by cesarean section and abdominal hysterectomy. The etiology, clinical features and management of this rare complication of pregnancy are briefly discussed.

Placenta accreta and percreta: a review of 5 cases.

Five cases of placenta accreta and percreta are reviewed. Three cases, one a recurrence in the same patient, presented with acute abdominal pain; in one case perforation resulting from placenta percreta was discovered at laparotomy. In another case, placenta accreta was recognized during cesarean delivery. Total or subtotal hysterectomy was performed in three cases; piecemeal removal of placental tissue and closure of the tear was performed in two of the patients. There were no maternal deaths, but the infants were stillborn in three cases of perforation or uterine rupture.