Ascitis fetal: a propósito de un caso y revisión de la literatura / Fetal ascites: Apropos of a case and literature review

Fetal ascites is defined as the presence of intraperitoneal fluid that may be part of a generalized or isolated hydrops. The mortality of non-immune ascites, both fetal and neonatal, is approximately 60%. We present a case of fetal ascites not associated with hydrops and we review the pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnostic approach and treatment of this fetal and neonatal condition.

La ascitis fetal se define como la presencia de líquido intraperitoneal que puede ser parte de un hidrops generalizado o aislado. La mortalidad de la ascitis no inmune, tanto fetal como neonatal, es aproximadamente 60%. Se presenta un caso de ascitis fetal no asociada a hidrops y se revisa la patogenia, clínica y el enfoque diagnóstico y tratamiento de esta condición fetal y neonatal.

Manejo prenatal del teratoma sacroccocígeo, a propósito del primer caso sometido a transfusión sanguínea intrauterina en el Perú / Prenatal management of sacroccocygeal teratoma, a propos of the first case subjected to intrauterine blood transfusion in Peru

El teratoma sacrococcígeo es una enfermedad rara en el feto, pero con alta mortalidad perinatal debido al secuestro de flujo sanguíneo y consiguiente desarrollo de anemia fetal severa. Presentamos el caso de una gestante de 27 semanas referida a nuestro servicio para manejo prenatal de un feto con teratoma sacrococcígeo gigante, que desarrolló anemia fetal severa y fue sometido a una transfusión intrauterina intravascular, la cual pudo prolongar el embarazo y mejorar los resultados perinatales.

Sacrococcygeal teratoma is a rare fetal disease but with high perinatal mortality due to sequestration of blood flow and consequent development of severe fetal anemia. We present the case of a 27 weeks pregnant woman referred to our service for prenatal management of a fetus with giant sacrococcygeal teratoma and severe anemia and who was subjected to intrauterine intravascular transfusion that could permit prolongation of the pregnancy and improve perinatal results.

Valor predictivo del índice de pulsatilidad promedio de las arterias uterinas en la predicción de preeclampsia en las gestantes entre 11 y 14 semanas, Instituto Nacional Materno Perinatal / Predictive value of mean pulsatility index of uterine arteries in the prediction of preeclampsia in pregnant women between 11 and 14 weeks, National Maternal Perinatal Institute

Los trastornos hipertensivos son una de las complicaciones más frecuentes del embarazo, constituyendo un problema de salud pública mundial. En el Perú se registra entre un 10% y 14%, y constituye una de las tres primeras causas de mortalidad materna y de retardo del crecimiento intrauterino. En los últimos años se ha demostrado que un patrón anormal en las ondas velocidad de flujo de las arterias uterinas durante el primer trimestre del embarazo está relacionado con un mayor riesgo de desarrollar preeclampsia. Objetivo: Determinar el índice de pulsatilidad (IP) promedio de las arterias uterinas y calcular el valor predictivo del percentil mayor o igual que 95 (p95) en la predicción de preeclampsia en las gestantes entre 11 y 14 semanas de gestación. Métodos: Estudio longitudinal llevado a cabo en la Unidad de Medicina Fetal del Instituto Nacional Materno Perinatal, hospital docente de la ciudad de Lima, en el periodo mayo de 2009 a marzo de 2010. Las participantes fueron gestantes entre 11 y 14 semanas. Se realizó una evaluación Doppler de las arterias uterinas en las gestantes que acudían a su control prenatal. Mediante Doppler color se identificaron las arterias uterinas derecha e izquierda y luego con el Doppler pulsado se obtuvieron las ondas de velocidad de flujo. Se realizó la determinación del índice de pulsatilidad (IP) promedio de las arterias uterinas, identificación del p95, determinación de la sensibilidad, especificidad, valor predictivo positivo (VPP) y negativo (VPN). Resultados: De las 120 pacientes estudiadas, 24 presentaron hipertensión gestacional (20%), seis preeclampsia leve (5%) y cuatro preeclampsia severa (3.3%). El valor del IP promedio para el p95 fue 2.66. La capacidad predictiva del IP anormal (IP 2.66) se estableció estimando una sensibilidad de 20% (IC95%: 0.0% a 49.8%), especificidad de 96.4% (IC95%: 92.4% a 100%), VPP de 33.3% (IC95%: 0.0% a 79.4%), VPN de 93.0% (IC95%: 87.9% a 98.1%)...

Hypertensive disorders are one of the most common complications during pregnancy, constituting a public health problem worldwide. It has been reported between 10% and 14% of pregnancy, in Peru, and it is one of the three leading causes of maternal mortality and intrauterine growth retardation. In recent years it has been shown that an abnormal pattern on the flow rate of the uterine arteries during the first trimester of pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of developing preeclampsia. Objective: To determine the pulsatility index (PI) average of the uterine arteries and calculate the predictive value of percentile more or equal than 95 (p95) in the prediction of preeclampsia in pregnant women between 11 and 14 weeks of gestation. Methods: A longitudinal study conducted in the Fetal Medicine Unit of the National Maternal Perinatal Institute, a teaching hospital in the city of Lima, in the period May 2009 to March 2010. Participants were pregnant women between 11 and 14 weeks. An assessment of uterine artery Doppler in pregnant women attending prenatal care was performed. Color Doppler identified the right and left uterine arteries and then obtained Doppler waves velocity. We performed the determination of the pulsatility index average of the uterine arteries, identification of p95, determination of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value (PPV and NPV). Results: Of the 120 patients studied, 24 had gestational hypertension (20%), six mild pre-eclampsia (5%) and four severe pre-eclampsia (3.3%). The average value of IP for p95 was 2.66. The predictive ability of abnormal IP (IP 2.66) was established by estimating a sensitivity of 20% (95%CI 0.0% to 49.8%), specificity of 96.4% (95%CI 92.4% to 100%), PPV of 33.3% (95%CI 0.0% to 79.4%), NPV of 93.0% (95%CI 87.9% to 98.1%) and validity index of 90.0% (95%CI 84.2% to 95.8%). The estimated relative risk was 4.75 (95%CI: 1.28 to 17.68)...

Perinatal outcomes after sonographic detection of isolated short femur in the second trimester.

PURPOSE: To determine the association of fetal isolated short femur in the second-trimester ultrasound (US) examination with perinatal outcomes such as small-for-gestational age (SGA) and low-birth weight (LBW) neonates. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study in fetuses routinely assessed by US examination at 18 to 24 weeks during 2006-2009. A fetal isolated short femur was defined as femur length below the 5th percentile and with no chromosomal or structural abnormalities. Fetuses with abdominal circumference below the 5th percentile at the time of US examination were excluded. Each case of short femur was matched with three controls according to gestational age at the time of the US examination. RESULTS: Sixty-one fetuses met the inclusion criteria. Both the group of women carrying a fetus with isolated short femur and that of women carrying a fetus with normal femur length had similar general and obstetric characteristics. Women carrying a fetus with isolated short femur were significantly more likely to deliver a SGA neonate (19.7% versus 8.7%, p < 0.05) and a LBW neonate (19.7% versus 7.1%, p < 0.05) than women carrying a fetus with normal femur length. Logistic regression analysis found odds ratios for SGA and LBW of 2.6 (95% confidence interval, 1.1-5.9) and 2.9 (95% confidence interval, 1.2-7.1), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Isolated short femur in the second-trimester US examination is associated with a subsequent delivery of SGA and LBW neonates.

Risk of impending preterm delivery associated with the presence of amniotic fluid sludge in women in preterm labor with intact membranes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of amniotic fluid sludge with impending preterm delivery in women in preterm labor with intact membranes. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study in women at 22-34 weeks' gestation in preterm labor with intact fetal membranes between February 2008 and May 2009. 16 women with amniotic sludge were identified. Each case of amniotic sludge was matched with 3 randomly selected controls. The primary outcome was delivery within 48 h of examination. RESULTS: Mean cervical length was shorter in women with sludge than women without sludge (20.5 ± 9.0 vs. 27.9 ± 6.9 mm, p = 0.0016). There was a significant difference in the mean ultrasound-to-delivery interval in women with and without sludge (21.7 vs. 49.4 days, p = 0.006). Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that amniotic fluid sludge is a strong independent predictor of impending preterm delivery within 48 h (OR 11.2, 95% CI 1.2-125.9), 7 days (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.2-17.3) and 14 days (OR 7.5, 95% CI 1.8-30.4). CONCLUSIONS: Amniotic fluid sludge on ultrasound scan is associated with impending preterm delivery in women in preterm labor with intact membranes.

Prenatal sonographic diagnosis of duplicated middle cerebral artery.

We report a fetus scanned by color Doppler ultrasound at 37 weeks for suspicion of growth restriction with an extremely rare variation of duplicated middle cerebral artery. Three-dimensional color power Doppler and tomographic ultrasound imaging enhanced our incidental finding.

Síndrome de costillas cortas y polidactilia: displasia esquelética fetal incompatible con la vida / Short rib polydactyly syndrome: lethal skeletal dysplasia

El síndrome costillas cortas polidactilia es una categoría descriptiva para un grupo de displasias esqueléticas incompatibles con la vida, caracterizadas por tórax estrecho, costillas extremadamente pequeñas, micromelia, polidactilia y anomalías viscerales. Las 4 variantes establecidas son SRPS I (tipo Saldino-Noonan), SRPS II (tipo Majewski), SRPS III (tipo Verma-Naumoff) y SRPS IV (tipo Beemer-Langer). Se piensa que todas las variantes son heredadas en forma autosómica recesiva. Debido a la frecuente superposición fenotípica, existe controversia si las variantes son debidas a expresión variable o a heterogeneidad genética. Presentamos un caso de un feto masculino, con signos ecográficos característicos de displasia esquelética, tales como micromelia, tórax estrecho en forma de campana, hipertelorismo, implantación baja de las orejas y polidactilia, que nació de parto vaginal y falleció a los 2 días de vida, producto de insuficiencia respiratoria, la cual presentó desde el nacimiento.

Short rib-polydactyly syndrome is a descriptive category for a group of lethal skeletal dysplasias characterized by hypoplastic thorax, short ribs, short limbs, polydactyly, and visceral abnormalities. The 4 established variants are SRPS I (Saldino-Noonan type), SRPS II (Majewski type; 263520), SRPS III (Verma-Naumoff type; 263510), and SRPS IV (Beemer-Langer type; 269860). All variants are thought to be inherited in autosomal recessive pattern. Because of the frequent phenotype overlap there is controversy as to whether the variants are due to variable expression or to genetic heterogeneity. We present a case of a male fetus, with typical ultrasound markers of skeletal dysplasia such as micromelia, bell shaped narrow thorax, hypertelorism, low implantation ears and polidactily who was born by vaginal delivery and died two days later due to respiratory insufficiency present since birth.