[Fatal amniotic fluid embolism. Extraction by Caesarean section of a living child without neurological after-effects]. / Embolie de liquide amniotique rapidement fatale. Extraction par césarienne d'un enfant vivant sans séquelles neurologiques.

The authors report on the case of an amniotic fluid embolism, proven by post mortem, which was the result of an inaugural and irreversible cardiac arrest in a 37-year-old woman at 39 weeks of normal pregnancy. The Caesarean section was carried out as an extreme emergency in the labour room, while efforts were being made to resuscitate the mother, so as to deliver a living newborn without any neurological after-effects. The haemostatic consequences were showed up only on blood tests.

[What role should hysterectomy play in benign uterine lesions?]. / Quelle place pour l'hystérectomie dans les lésions bénignes de l'utérus non prolabé?

Since the beginning of the nineties, we have seen an increase in the use of operative hysteroscopy in the surgical treatment of women with dysfunctional uterine bleeding. The aim of this article is to show that these new techniques are surgical acts subject to complications, failures, morbidity and indeed mortality. It seems therefore reasonable to ask whether vaginal hysterectomy represents a good alternative to endometrial ablation. We think so both in terms of functional or clinical results, and cost or quality of life. The endometrial ablation should be reserved to women who have strictly dysfunctional pathologies. In all cases, the difficulty in the diagnosis of adenomyosis, the high rate of failure of endometrial ablation, the degradation of its results with time and finally the better quality of life after hysterectomy must be exposed clearly to all patients. It will be with full knowledge of the facts, that women will be able to choose between radical surgical treatment represented by hysterectomy and so-called conservative surgical treatments.

[Enterocele. Retrospective study of 134 cases: risk factors and comparison between abdominal and perineal routes]. / Elytrocèle. Etude rétrospective de 134 dossiers: facteurs favorisants et comparaison des voies d'abord abdominale et périnéale.

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to assess etiological factors in enterocele and to compare abdominal sacral colpopexy with mesh and resection of the cul-de-sac of Douglas to transvaginal sacrospinous colpopexy. METHODS: A retrospective study, for 20 years, concerned 134 patients clinically proved enterocele confirmed during the operation. RESULTS: Etiological factors were: multiparity, perineal tear, foetal macrosomia, instrumental extractions, antecedents of gynaecologic operations, tissular and constitutional factors. The analysis of the anatomical and functional results did not distinguish between the two surgical procedures, each with its proper indications. CONCLUSION: For patients 60 years old or older, we propose the transvaginal sacrospinous colpopexy. Before 50 years, we prefer abdominal sacral colpopexy with mesh. Between 50 and 60 years, each case must be examined with the health status of the patients.

[Steinert's disease and pregnancy. A case report and recent literature]. / Maladie de Steinert et grossesse. A propos d'un cas et des données récentes de la littérature.

Steinert's disease or myotonic dystrophy is a heredo-degenerative neuroendocrinal dystrophy. It is an autosomal dominant disorder. The arising of a congenital myotonic dystrophy of one of the new-born children of the maternity hospital enabled to diagnose the Steinert's disease of his mother. A review of the international literature enabled us to recall its interactions with pregnancy. There is an aggravation of myotonia and multiple obstetric complications such as miscarriage, premature onset of labor, polyhydramnios, stillbirth, difficulties during the evacuation, atonic postpartum hemorrhage, anesthetic-accidents. The congenital variant of myotonic dystrophy (6 to 30% of the cases) is a severe disease with a high mortality. It is only seen in the offspring of mothers who themselves have myotonic dystrophy. The myotonic dystrophy gene has been isolated and the mutation-causing myotonic dystrophy was found to result from a series of trinucleotide (CTG) repeats located in the 3' untranslated region of the gene. The direct diagnosis is henceforth possible both on the fetus and parents. Steinert's disease and its association with pregnancy are rare, especially when the affected parent has hypogonadism. The diagnosis of the congenital form is difficult because of the mother is unaware of the disorder. Family and personal history may give hints: hydramnios, appearance delay and reduced fetal movements, and the association at birth of generalized hypotonia with neonatal respiratory distress.

[Delay of the formation of retroperitoneal fibrosis after lymphadenectomy. An experimental study]. / Délai de formation de la fibrose rétropéritonéale après lymphadénectomie. Etude expérimentale.

The goal of our study was to evaluate peritoneal and retroperitoneal healing and therefore to assess the optimal date for surgery after laparoscopic lymphadenectomy. A para-aortic lymphadenectomy was carried out in 5 groups of 5 New Zealand female rabbits. The perivascular cicatricial tissue was dissected after specific delay for each group (48 hours, 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks). Peritoneal reconstruction was observed in 80% of the "48 h" group, and in 100% in the other groups (from 1 to 6 weeks). Vascular injury complicated dissection in 40% for the "1 week" group, in 80% for the "2 weeks" group, and in 20% for the "6 weeks" group. No vascular complication was observed in the "48 h" and "4 weeks" groups. The results of "1 week" and "2 weeks" were combined. The results of the "4 weeks" group were compared, with the Fisher test, to the results of a "1 week" and "2 weeks" combined group as well as to the results of the "six weeks" group. Four weeks seem to be the optimal date for a possible surgical excision after a laparoscopic lymphadenectomy.