Correlation of Serum Cancer Antigen-125 (CA-125) Levels with Severity of Pre-eclampsia.

Background: Pre-eclampsia is often associated with unfavourable feto-maternal outcomes. There is a lacuna in its pathophysiology, which emphasizes the need to research for tests, which can predict or correlate with the severity of pre-eclampsia. Cancer antigen-125 (CA-125) is a simple, readily available biomarker with evidence of its secretion at the choriodecidual unit and may have a possible role. This study compared serum CA-125 levels between normal pregnant and pre-eclamptic women and determined its clinical usefulness in correlating with the severity of pre-eclampsia. Methods: A case-control study was conducted enrolling 58 women with pre-eclampsia further divided into severe and non-severe groups and 62 gestational age-matched healthy, pregnant controls. Serum CA-125 levels were compared between the two groups. Results: The mean serum CA-125 in the controls was 16.44 ± 8.28 IU/ml, 13.82 ± 9.18 IU/ml in the non-severe and 23.55 ± 30.55 IU/ml in the severe pre-eclampsia group (p = 0.134). Serum CA-125 had a significant association with systolic blood pressure (SBP) p = 0.002), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (p = 0.026), foetal growth restriction (p = 0.025), pre-term birth (p = 0.039) and a highly significant association with 24-h urinary protein, liver enzymes, placental abruption, need of maternal intensive care as well as with poor neonatal outcome including stillbirth and neonatal mortality (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Serum CA-125 levels were found to be higher in the severe pre-eclampsia group as compared to non-severe pre-eclampsia and normotensive group, but the difference was not statistically significant. More studies on a larger scale are required to prove the usefulness of this marker with respect to maternal and perinatal outcome as well as its association with pre-eclampsia and its severity.

Looking Beyond VIA to Improve Cervical Cancer Screening in Low Resource Settings.

Background: The two prongs for cervical cancer prevention are vaccination for primary prevention and effective screening for preinvasive and early invasive disease. Until human papilloma virus DNA testing can be provided in low resource settings, screening with VIA is the most feasible option. Various innovative methods have been used to improve the diagnostic accuracy of visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA). This study explores one such option. Method: We modified VIA (VIA-Md) by using a magnifying lens mounted with battery operated light emitting devices (LEDs) to study the acetowhite areas on the cervix. The peak wavelength of the light from the LEDs was in the bluish white range. The results of VIA and VIA-Md were compared using colposcopy directed biopsy as the reference standard. Result: The study was conducted in 273 eligible women. The sensitivity of VIA and VIA-Md for detecting CIN2 + lesions were 57.1% and 100% respectively. The specificity of VIA and VIA-Md were 99.2% and 89.5%; and p values using the colposcopy directed biopsy as the reference standard were 0.000 and 0.018 respectively. However, VIA-Md was also effective in identifying 21 out of the total 32 cases of chronic cervicitis identified by colposcopy directed biopsy. Conclusion: VIA-Md appears to be a highly sensitive test for detection of CIN2 + lesions. However, because of concerns regarding lower specificity, VIA-Md can be used simultaneously with VIA as an effective tool for triaging women who need to be kept under close surveillance or who might benefit from local ablative therapy.

"Hepatic rupture in preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome: A catastrophic presentation".

The objective of index study is to review the available literature on hepatic rupture or hematoma in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy to find the incidence, associated risk factors, clinical presentation, mode of management and feto-maternal outcome. Electronic database was searched using hepatic rupture or hematoma in pregnancy, preeclampsia, eclampsia, and HELLP syndrome (Hemolysis, EL: elevated liver enzymes, LP: low platelet count) as key words and literature published since January, 2000 to December, 2018 which met the inclusion criteria was reviewed. A total of 56 articles were reviewed describing 93 cases of hepatic hemorrhage in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Treatment varied from conservative management to abdominal packing, hepatic artery embolization, and partial hepatectomy to liver transplantation. Seven out of 93 patients with liver rupture met mortality and in one of them diagnosis was established on autopsy. Unawareness of the hepatic rupture in pregnancy by an obstetrician demands high index of suspicion for diagnosis and requires specialized, focused and exhaustive management for optimal feto-maternal outcome. Laparotomy and perihepatic packing is a viable option in patients with unstable vitals and is feasible even in limited resource settings.Short interval between diagnosis and management may enhance the feto-maternal survival rate and prevent further morbidity or mortality.

Correction to: Imaging of Adnexal Mass During Pregnancy.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s13224-018-1164-y.].

Twin Reversed Arterial Perfusion: To Treat or Not?

Acardiac twinning or Twin Reverse Arterial Perfusion (TRAP)-sequence is a rare complication of monochorionic twin pregnancy. Whether to start elective or therapeutic treatment in TRAP-sequence is still controversial. In the present case, acardiac twin was not diagnosed till her delivery at 39 weeks. A healthy baby weighing 2.45 kg was delivered along with another amorphous mass (acardiac twin) of about 150 g which was attached to the placenta with a short and separate cord. As outcome of normal twin vary according to the growth of acardiac twin, frequent follow-up of the normal twin is required to look for the features of heart failure. Hence, the diagnosis of acardiac twin is essential in early pregnancy.

Primary Abdominal Pregnancy: A Case Report.

Abdominal pregnancy is a potentially life threatening form of ectopic gestation with an incidence of 1% of all the ectopic pregnancies. Rarely, it may reach at advanced gestation and a viable fetal outcome is indeed a rare event. Most of them are terminated earlier due to poor fetal prognosis and higher chances of maternal mortality secondary to haemorrhagic shock following spontanous placental separation. A high index of suspicion is important for making a diagnosis of abdominal pregnancy and its timely management after correct diagnosis. We report a case of primary abdominal pregnancy in a 30-year-old gravida 3, para 2 at 7+2 weeks of gestation. She presented with haemorrhagic shock due to spontanous separation of gestational sac from the site of implantaion. She had persisitent nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and always had an urge to defecate which never goes off even after she defecates. She underwent termination of pregnancy by dilatation and curattage without having any antenatal ultrasound. After 72 hours of the procedure, her symptoms were aggravated and she went into haemorrhagic shock. During laparotomy haemoperitoneum of 3litres, 1kg of clots were evident and size of the uterus was about 10-12 week, bilateral tubes and ovary were healthy. A ensac fetus of 10+2 weeks along with the separated placenta was lying in the abdominal cavity. Site of implantation was identified over sigmoid colon which was not bleeding. Patient was transfused with blood and blood products. She was discharged satisfactorily on 5th postoperative day. Hence, an Ultrasound should be done to rule out abdominal pregnancy before medical termination of pregnancy, especially in those with persistent Gastrointestinal Tract (GIT) symptoms as clinically uterus may correspond to the period of gestation in abdominal pregnancy.

Rare Site of Parasitic Dermoid Cyst at Uterovesical Fold of Peritoneum with Absent One-Sided Adnexa.

Teratomas are the most common type of germ cell tumour. It can be congenital or acquired and are usually found in gonads (testes and ovaries). Parasitic dermoid cysts are rare and their actual incidence is unknown. We are reporting a case of 25-year-old gravida two, para one and one living child, who underwent emergency cesarean section in view of symptomatic placenta previa. A parasitic dermoid cyst was found incidently in front of uterus which was attached to uterovasical fold of bladder. This cyst did not show any connection to uterus or adnexa. Uterus, uterine cavity, right side tube and ovary were normal. Her left sided fallopian tube and ovary was completely absent. She did not have any symptoms related to the dermoid cyst. Histopathology confirmed parasitic mature dermoid cyst.