Advanced abdominal pregnancy: a search for consensus. Review of literature along with case report.

BACKGROUND: Advanced abdominal pregnancy is a highly morbid form of extrauterine gestation that demands skilled management. Despite advancement in antenatal care and imaging modalities, undiagnosed cases of advanced abdominal pregnancies are still reported. We report a case of asymptomatic abdominal pregnancy with healthy fetus advanced till 40 + 4 weeks period of gestation. Her diagnosis was not established even after obstetrical evaluation and cesarean section at primary care hospital. To the best of our knowledge, less than 10 postdated cases of abdominal pregnancy have been reported so far in the literature. This case emphasizes the need to re-awaken awareness and high index of suspicion to diagnose such cases. Details of all the cases pertaining to advanced abdominal pregnancies reported after 2013 were reviewed and summarized. METHODOLOGY: We searched electronic medical database in English using keywords related to abdominal pregnancy. Bibliographies of the relevant articles of advanced abdominal pregnancy published from 2013 onwards were reviewed and then cross searched to identify further relevant studies. RESULTS: A total of 26 cases of advanced abdominal pregnancy including index one were reviewed. All preoperatively diagnosed cases of abdominal pregnancy at earlier gestation were given conservative management and resulted in live births. The incidence of malformations in live births was 24%. CONCLUSION: We are of considered opinion that conservative strategy is a feasible option in selected cases of advanced abdominal pregnancy yet there is a need of standardization of treatment principles for such cases to optimize fetomaternal outcome.

Advanced abdominal pregnancy, with live fetus and severe preeclampsia, case report.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal pregnancy may account for up to 1.4% of all ectopic pregnancies. The incidence of abdominal pregnancy differs in various literatures and ranges between 1:10,000 pregnancies to 1:30, 000 pregnancies. The clinical symptoms of an uncomplicated abdominal pregnancy are unspecific. There are reports of maternal and fetal survival from advanced abdominal pregnancies. CASE PRESENTATION: Our case was a 26 years old gravida 4, para 3 (2 alive, one early neonatal death) woman. She presented to Felegehiwot Referal Hospital with a principal complaint of vomiting, epigastric pain, headache, and blurring of vision. Emergency cesarean delivery was decided with the impression of bicornuate uterus with intrauterine pregnancy, intrauterine growth restriction and sever preeclampsia.it was found to be advanced abdominal pregnancy. Placenta was removed and pack was used to control bleeding. Both the mother and neonate were discharged in a good condition. CONCLUSION: Abdominal pregnancy with live fetus is an extremely rare condition and requires a high index of suspicion. Endometrial cavity may not be required for development of severe preeclampsia and packing is effective in controlling bleeding in selected cases.

Alterações hepáticas da gravidez / Liver disorders in pregnancy

A gestação é um período de significativas modificações no organismo materno, que objetivam promover a homeostase do binômio materno-fetal. Sob o ponto de vista hepático, demais das alterações conspícuas à gravidez, deve o obstetra detectar precocemente anomalias envolvendo o fígado, que complicam até 3% das gestações e são responsáveis por elevada mortalidade materna e perinatal. Por outro lado, certas doenças hepáticas têm sua história natural modificada quando ocorrem durante a gestação, demandando cuidados especiais de uma equipe multidisciplinar que envolva o obstetra e o hepatologista. Este artigo revisa as modificações fisiológicas do sistema hepático na gravidez, assim como suas alterações hepáticas mais prevalentes no Brasil. O objetivo é auxiliar e fornecer orientações ao obstetra e guiar o melhor cuidado das pacientes a fim de prevenir e reduzir as complicações hepáticas na gravidez.(AU)

Pregnancy is a period of significant changes in the mother's organism aimed at promoting the mother-fetus homeostasis. From the hepatic standpoint, the obstetrician should detect early the abnormalities attacking the liver, which complicates up to 3% of pregnancies and are responsible for high rates of maternal and perinatal mortality. On the other hand, some liver diseases have their natural evolution changed when they occur during the pregnancy, requiring special care of a multidisciplinary team involving obstetrician and hepatologist specialists. This study presents the physiological changes of the hepatic system during pregnancy, as well as the most prevalent pregnancy hepatic disorders occurring in Brazil. It aims to help the obstetrician and guide the best patient care to prevent and reduce hepatic complications in pregnancy.(AU)

Advanced extrauterine pregnancy at 33 weeks with a healthy newborn.

Abdominal pregnancy is a very rare form of ectopic pregnancy, associated with high morbidity and mortality for both fetus and mother. It is, and often, seen in poor resource nations, where early diagnosis is often a major challenge due to poor prenatal care and lack of medical resources. An advanced abdominal pregnancy with a good fetal and maternal outcome is therefore a more extraordinary occurrence in the modern developed world. We present a case of an abdominal pregnancy at 33.4 weeks in an individual with no documented prenatal care, who arrived in a hospital in the Bronx, in June 25th 2014, with symptoms of generalized, severe lower abdominal pain. Upon examination it was found that due to category III fetal tracing an emergent cesarean section was performed. At the time of laparotomy the fetus was located in the pelvis covered by the uterine serosa, with distortion of the entire right adnexa and invasion to the right parametrium. The placenta invaded the pouch of Douglas and the lower part of the sigmoid colon. A massive hemorrhage followed, followed by a supracervical hysterectomy. A viable infant was delivered and mother discharged on postoperative day 4.

Viable abdominal pregnancy: a case report in Yaoundé (Cameroon).

We herein report a case of abdominal pregnancy managed in Yaounde (Cameroon). The 33 year old G5P2022 woman was referred to our setting for management of an abdominal pregnancy of 34 weeks diagnosed during the first routine obstetrical ultrasonography done two days earlier. This ultrasonography revealed a live foetus within intestinal loops with a severe oligoamnios. After two days of lung maturation, laparotomy was carried out and the live male baby weighed 2 600 grammes. The placenta was left on its implantation sites: omentun, uterine fundus and intestinal loops. The mother did well post-operatively and the resorption of the placenta took 11 months. The newborn presented compression deformities and died three days later of respiratory distress. This case illustrates that intra-abdominal fetuses can reach viability. Though rare, abdominal pregnancy remains a threat to mothers. Practitioners should therefore know the traps in its management.

Rare case of primary peritoneal pregnancy infiltrated into the Gerota's fascia of the right kidney.

A 33-year-old, gravida 3, para 2, woman was transferred to our hospital, with acute abdominal pain. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed a cystic lesion accompanied by ring-enhancement between the liver and right kidney with fluid collection in the pelvic cavity. Serum hCG value was 3100 mIU/mL. Transvaginal sonography revealed a pseudo-gestational sac in a thickened endometrium. With a preoperative diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy at 7 weeks of gestation, laparotomy was performed. Following careful removal of clots between the liver and right kidney that contained a gestational sac, continuous bleeding from a defect in the Gerota's fascia of the right kidney was noted. The postoperative course was uneventful and the serum hCG concentration decreased markedly. This case demonstrates that the Gerota's fascia is a possible site of ectopic pregnancy, and that CT can identify a pregnancy in the Gerota's fascia as well as in the liver and spleen.

Rare case of live birth in a ruptured rudimentary horn pregnancy.

Pregnancy in the rudimentary horn is a very rare condition. In these cases, rupture of the rudimentary horn in the second trimester with fetal death and catastrophic intraperitoneal hemorrhage is the commonly reported outcome. Silent rupture of the rudimentary horn and continuation of pregnancy as a secondary abdominal pregnancy is the most unusual outcome of this rare condition. We report such a case with a good maternal and neonatal outcome. The case is being reported for its rarity.

Uterine artery Doppler patterns in abdominal pregnancy.

Changes in the uterine artery blood flow waveform during pregnancy have been the subject of several studies and are frequently attributed to trophoblastic invasion of the myometrium. We report on a case of a third-trimester abdominal pregnancy in which we performed Doppler velocimetry of the uterine arteries and observed low-resistance flow and absence of notching bilaterally. During the 29th week of gestation, there was an increase in umbilical artery resistance and a decrease in the middle cerebral artery resistance, so we chose to deliver the baby at that stage. The patient was discharged from hospital 7 days following delivery and the child was discharged having gained the necessary weight. Our findings suggest that modification of the uterine artery waveform may occur independently of trophoblast invasion of the spiral arteries. Other theories that may explain the changes in the uterine artery waveform during pregnancy are discussed.

Embarazo abdominal: caso clínico y revisión / Abdominal pregnancy: Case report and review

El embarazo abdominal es una forma rara de embarazo ectópico con alta morbi-mortalidad materno fetal. Un manejo quirúrgico apropiado e individualizado de pacientes embarazadas con este problema, puede ayudar a prevenir complicaciones y mortalidad. Reportamos un caso con revisión de la literatura

Sonographic follow-up of a placenta left in situ after delivery of the fetus in an abdominal pregnancy.

A case of abdominal pregnancy was followed until 34 weeks' gestation, when rupture of the amniotic sac was noted. A live and anatomically normal female weighing 1400 g was delivered by laparotomy and the placenta was left in place. Color Doppler imaging and measurement of serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) were successfully used to follow the placental involution after delivery. A progressive increase in the resistance index in the utero-ovarian and subplacental vessels was observed while beta-hCG disappeared 45 days after laparotomy. The mother and baby left hospital 20 days after delivery and are both doing well.

Does primary omental pregnancy exist?

Omental pregnancy is a rare form of abdominal pregnancy. In the 5 previously reported cases, primary implantation of the embryo to the omentum has been proposed as its etiology. We present a new case of omental pregnancy in a 31-year-old woman presenting with symptoms of ectopic pregnancy. After careful review of our case and the published literature in view of the accepted definition of primary abdominal pregnancy, we conclude that all reported instances of omental pregnancy are secondary and probably follow tubal or ovarian pregnancy abortion.

Embarazo ectópico en cavidad abdominal: presentación de un caso y revisión de la literatura / Ectopic pregnancy in abbdominal cavity: a case presentation and literature review

Se presenta un caso de embarazo ectópico en cavidad abdominal, su evolución clínica y la resolución del mismo, así como una revisión de la literatura mundial, haciendo énfasis en los aspectos históricos más relevantes, incidencia, clasificación, cuadro clínico y manejo. Finalmente se realiza un comentario en cuanto al abordaje quirúrgico y el manejo de la placenta

Normal placental function and fetoplacental blood circulation in advanced abdominal pregnancy.

Normal levels of unconjugated estriol and human placental lactogen hormone in the maternal serum and a normal, reactive pattern of non-stress test cardiotocography were recorded in a case of advanced abdominal pregnancy with surviving newborn. The placenta was inserted at the base and side walls of fossa Douglas. Fetal, umbilical and retroplacental arterial Doppler ultrasound examinations revealed normal velocity waveforms. These findings indicated that the trophoblast invasion to the retroplacental arteries also occurs when the placenta has an extra-uterine insertion, and this can result in a normal placental blood supply and function.

Rupture of cornual ectopic pregnancy after dilatation and curretage.

A case of a cornual ectopic pregnancy missed at attempted pregnancy termination and with subsequent rupture is presented. The positive pregnancy test at the time of presentation to the emergency department was mistakenly thought to be due to continued detectable blood levels of human chorionic gonadotrophin from the aborted pregnancy. This caused a delay in surgical intervention and subsequent rupture of the ectopic pregnancy with hypovolemic shock.