The impact of fatigue on the development of postpartum depression.

BACKGROUND: Previous research suggests early postpartum fatigue (PPF) plays a significant role in the development of postpartum depression (PPD). Predicting risk for PPD via early identification of PPF may provide opportunity for intervention. OBJECTIVE: To replicate and extend previous studies concerning the impact of PPF on symptoms of PPD and to describe the relationships among PPF, PPD, and other variables using the theory of unpleasant symptoms. DESIGN: Correlational, longitudinal study. SETTING: Participants' homes. PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sample of 42 community-dwelling women recruited before 36 weeks of pregnancy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: PPF, depressive symptoms, and stress measured during prenatal weeks 36 to 38, and on Days 7, 14, and 28 after childbirth. Salivary cortisol was measured as a physiological marker of stress. RESULTS: Significant correlations were obtained between PPF and symptoms of PPD on Days 7, 14, and 28, with Day 14 PPF levels predicting future development of PPD symptoms in 10 of 11 women. Perceived stress, but not cortisol, was also correlated with symptoms of PPD on Days 7, 14, and 28. Women with a history of depression had elevated depression scores compared to women without, but no variable was as effective at predicting PPD as PPF. CONCLUSIONS: Fatigue by Day 14 postpartum was the most predictive variable for symptoms of PPD on Day 28 in this population.

[A rare association of postpartum thyroiditis and ulcerative colitis]. / Rzadki przypadek skojarzenia poporodowego zapalenia tarczycy i wrzodziejacego zapalenia jelita grubego.

It is well known that chronic thyroiditis is frequently associated with other autoimmune disorders, but its association with inflammatory bowel diseases has rarely been described. We report a case of a 26-year-old woman, seven months after delivery, who developed a moderate attack of ulcerative colitis. Laboratory analysis, ultrasonography, anti-thyroid antibodies and cytological examination of fine needle aspiration biopsy led us to diagnose postpartum thyroiditis. The patient also presented erythema nodosum, anti-parietal cell and anti-intrinsic factor antibodies and a family history of autoimmune disorders. This case illustrates the need for clinical awareness of concomitant postpartum thyroiditis and ulcerative colitis and suggests that in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases thyroid function test should be carried

Left ventricular apical infection and rupture complicating left ventricular assist device explantation in 2 women with postpartum cardiomyopathy.

Postpartum cardiomyopathy is rare form of cardiac failure, with the potential for cardiac function to recover to normal. When medical therapy fails to control symptoms or haemodynamic stability, circulatory support with a ventricular assist device may be considered as a bridge to cardiac transplantation. We describe 2 patients with severe postpartum cardiomyopathy, in whom cardiac function recovered sufficiently during mechanical circulatory assistance to enable device explantation. Bacteremia during device support was treated with chronic suppressive antibiotics, yet after cannula explantation and ventricular repair, residual infection led to destruction of the primary repair, with formation of a left ventricular pseudoaneurysm. This is a complication of device support not previously reported. Surgery was necessary to repair the infected ventricular cannula site. Both patients recovered; however one patient developed recurrent cardiomyopathy 4 months later.

Papel de la ventilación mecánica no invasiva en un caso de edema agudo pulmonar de una paciente puérpera obesa mórbida / Role of noninvasive ventilation in a case of acute pulmonary edema in a morbidly obese woman following childbirth

No disponible

Management of ovarian dysgerminoma during a pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia; a case report.

A case of a 25-year-old primigravid woman at 31 weeks' gestation with the diagnosis of preeclampsia, malignant pelvic mass, fetal growth restriction and postpartum pulmonary thromboembolism is reported. Fertility preserving surgery for ovarian carcinoma following cesarean delivery was carried out. Final histopathology revealed Stage IC dysgerminoma. After eight months of initial surgery she became pregnant spontaneously. After two years of initial surgery she is still alive without any evidence of disease.

Postpartum cerebral angiopathy: atypical features and treatment with intracranial balloon angioplasty.

Postpartum cerebral angiopathy (PCA) is an uncommon cause of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke in young women. It is usually clinically benign and not relapsing. We describe a patient with nonhemorrhagic PCA who had an atypical progressive neurological deficit from bilateral hemisphere watershed ischemia despite treatment with aggressive medical therapy and intracranial balloon angioplasty.

Diagnosis and management of women with stroke during pregnancy/postpartum.

Although the incidence of stroke is extremely low, the complications are serious. Maternal mortality has been reported to be as high as 26%. It is important for doctors to be aware of the causes, diagnostic techniques, and management strategies for stroke in order to achieve the best outcome for the mother and fetus. Recurrence risk appears extremely low, so women should feel confident in future positive pregnancy outcomes.

Intrauterine infection after delivery: a marker of HIV-1 seropositivity among puerperal women in Uganda?

A case controlled study about HIV seroprevalence among women with post-partum endometritis-myometritis (PPEM) matched with two controls. Each was performed in a non-governmental organization hospital in Kampala, Uganda. All participants were offered HIV pre- and post-test counselling. Personal and clinical information was obtained and HIV-1 ELISA tests performed on blood samples and discordant results resolved by Western blot test. HIV-1 seroprevalence was significantly higher among women with PPEM than controls, 26 (42.3%) and 26 (21.3%) respectively (P = 0.002). Women with PPEM were two-and-a-half times more likely to be HIV-positive than controls, odds ratio 2.74 (95% CI 1.34-5.65). Single or cohabiting women and low salaried women were also significantly more among PPEM cases than controls. In conclusion, PPEM cases had significantly higher seroprevalence of HIV-1 infection than controls and this needs further elucidation for purposes of management strategies.

Postpartum sexual functioning and method of delivery: summary of the evidence.

Short-term postpartum sexual problems are highly prevalent, ranging from 22% to 86%; however, there are few studies that address how mode of delivery affects sexual functioning after childbirth. The objective of this study was to perform a systematic review of the literature on selected postpartum sexual function outcomes as affected by cesarean, assisted vaginal, and spontaneous vaginal delivery. We searched PubMed, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases from January 1990 to September 2003 and focused on mode of delivery and the most commonly reported sexual health outcomes, which included perineal pain, dyspareunia, resumption of intercourse, and self-reported perception of sexual health/sexual problems. The studies all showed increased risks of delay in resumption of intercourse, dyspareunia, sexual problems, or perineal pain associated with assisted vaginal delivery. Some studies showed no differences in sexual functioning between women with cesarean delivery and those with spontaneous vaginal delivery, whereas others reported less dyspareunia for women with cesarean delivery. A systematic review of the literature suggests an association between assisted vaginal delivery and some degree of sexual dysfunction. Reported associations between cesarean delivery and sexual dysfunction were inconsistent. Continued research is necessary to identify modifiable risk factors for sexual problems related to method of delivery.

Delayed uterine re-inversion: a unique symptom complex.

A case of late recurrence of uterine inversion is presented. Symptoms included constipation and urinary retention without uterine bleeding. Symptoms resolved 3 months after the replacement of the uterus. It is hypothesized that the symptoms were related to stretch injury to the pelvic parasympathetic nerves. Timely intervention may prevent long-term sequelae.

Postpartum sacral fracture presenting as lumbar radiculopathy: a case report.

Although rare, sacral stress fractures may occur in pregnant women, and osteoporosis of pregnancy is a poorly understood entity. We present the case of a young, postpartum, recreational runner who developed low back pain (LBP) and radicular symptoms suggestive of L5 radiculopathy found to be secondary to sacral stress fracture. The patient had a good clinical outcome after several months and was able to resume her normal activities. This case illustrates that clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for sacral stress fracture in athletic pregnant or postpartum women presenting with LBP and/or lumbar radiculopathy. Also included are a brief review of osteoporosis in pregnancy and guidelines on the diagnosis and management of sacral stress fractures.

[Acquired uterine arteriovenous fistula: report of one case]. / Fistule artério-veineuse utérine acquise: à propos d'une observation.

A case of acquired uterine arteriovenous fistula in a 28 Year old patient is reported that probably is secondary to a "difficult" delivery. Sono-graphic, MRI and angiographic findings are reported, before and after endovascular management.

Prospective study of post-partum thyroid immune dysfunctions in type 1 diabetic women and in a healthy control group living in a mild iodine deficient area.

Second to diabetes mellitus, thyroid diseases are the most common endocrinopathies seen in pregnancy. The incidence of post-partum thyroid dysfunction (PPTD) in women with type 1 diabetes mellitus is three-fold increased. We determined the incidence of thyroid abnormalities in a well-defined group of young subjects with type 1 diabetes and in an age-matched healthy controls during and six months after pregnancy in an area of mild iodine deficiency. Twenty-five out of twenty-eight pregnant women completed the study. Fifteen were affected by type 1 diabetes and ten were controls. Our protocol of study consisted of four evaluations of each subject: in the first, in the second trimester, at delivery and six months after. At each control the patients were submitted to physical examination, thyroid ultrasonography, and determination of fT3, fT4, TSH, Antithyroglobulin antibodies (TgAbs), Antithyroperoxidase antibodies (TPOAbs). The variation of thyroid volume is statistically significant in both the diabetics and in the controls during the different times of observations. Four out of the fifteen diabetic pregnant patients (27%) developed a thyroid disease: two cases of post-partum thyroiditis (PPT) and two cases of euthyroid benign nodular goiter, as confirmed by cytological examination. Two out ten controls (20%) developed positive antibodies (TPO Abs and TgAbs) since the first observation and showed an autoimmune thyroiditis six months after delivery. Both of them showed a familial history of thyroid disease. Our study suggests that in an area of mild iodine deficiency the incidence of thyroid autoimmunity in pregnant women is similar, whether diabetic or not; moreover, thyroid volume is increasing in the diabetics as much as in the non diabetics during pregnancy.

Thyroid hemiagenesis with postpartum silent thyroiditis.

A 28-year-old woman with thyroid hemiagenesis, who had been diagnosed as having Graves' disease, became pregnant during the course of methimazole treatment. The treatment was terminated in the second trimester. She delivered a normal infant at full term. She became thyrotoxic 3 months after the delivery, hypothyroid 6 months after the delivery, and finally euthyroid 11 months after the delivery without undergoing any treatment. This clinical course indicates that she developed silent thyroiditis after the delivery. A diagnosis of thyroid hemiagenesis was made on the basis of ultrasonography of the thyroid and 99mTc-pertechnetate thyroid scintiscan.

Acute appendicitis-like symptoms as initial presentation of ovarian vein thrombosis.

Postpartum ovarian vein thrombosis is a rare condition, with an incidence rate being 1/600 deliveries. It most often arises in the right ovarian vein. A 33-year-old patient who had had normal vaginal delivery presented with fever, pain in the right iliac fossa, and leukocytosis on the sixth day after delivery. An antibiotic course was instituted but 3 days later symptoms reappeared. Diagnosis of acute appendicitis was made. At surgery through a McBurney incision, a woody tumoration consistent with ovarian vein thrombosis was found. Anticoagulation therapy with heparin and antibiotics were instituted. Phlebography and color Doppler sonography confirmed the presence of thrombosis of both the common femoral iliac and inferior vena cava. Fribrolysis with urokinase was performed. The patient has remained stable and symptom-free over a 4-year follow-up. Ovarian vein thrombosis typically presents with symptoms suggestive of acute appendicitis, as was the case in our patient. Color Doppler sonography is the favored diagnostic procedure, with CT being a supplementary tool. Surgery is not necessary and treatment consists of anticoagulants and antibiotics. Even though postpartum ovarian vein thrombosis is rare, early recognition of the condition is of paramount importance to institute the adequate treatment and avoid potential serious sequelae.