Everolimus in pregnancy: Case report and literature review.

There have been few reports on the effects of everolimus on the fetus, but none of six infants with documented everolimus exposure in utero had congenital malformations. A 32-year-old nulliparous woman on everolimus (5.0 mg/day) for renal angiomyolipoma (AML) due to tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) was found to be pregnant at gestational week (GW) 7-5/7, at which time everolimus was withheld. To control AML in this patient, transarterial embolization was performed in the right and left kidneys at GW 21 and 24, respectively, and everolimus was reinitiated at GW 25. The patient gave birth at GW 37 to a normally formed infant weighing 3057 g, but who had cardiac tumors thought to be rhabdomyomas due to inherited TSC. Thus, although data are still limited, everolimus may be promising with respect to teratogenicity. Everolimus concentration in the maternal and umbilical cord blood at birth was 1.1 ng/mL and 1.0 ng/mL, respectively.

Echocardiography findings in a case with Ballantyne syndrome.

Marked fluid retention occurs in Ballantyne syndrome, but few reports are available on changes in cardiac morphology in this syndrome. A woman with generalized edema, dyspnea, fetal hydrops (skin edema and ascites), thickened placenta, and elevated plasma B-type natriuretic peptide level (344 pg/mL) was admitted to our hospital at gestational week (GW) 20+3 . Blood pressure remained within the normal range. However, acute increases in left atrial volume index, pulmonary artery systolic pressure, and hyperdynamic left ventricular function (as evidenced by increased left ventricular ejection fraction to 74% with cardiac index of 5.1 L/min/m2 ) occurred preceding fetal death at GW 21+4 in the presence of increased inferior vena cava diameter (23 mm) and relatively low systemic vascular resistance of 752 dyn·s/cm5 . These findings suggested life-threatening heart failure and required cesarean delivery at GW 21+5 resulting in complete recovery. The placenta suggested cytomegalovirus infection.

Large presacral Tarlov cysts in pregnancy.

This is the first report of large presacral Tarlov cysts (cerebrospinal fluid-filled perineural cysts) diagnosed during pregnancy in which a cesarean delivery mode was selected to avoid the risk associated with vaginal delivery.

Marked gestational edema as a clinical sign of life-threatening condition.

A 35-year-old Japanese nulliparous woman exhibited rapid weight gain (6 kg/7 days), reduced antithrombin activity and platelet count at 37 weeks of gestation without hypertension or proteinuria, and underwent cesarean section. Postnatally, pulmonary edema developed for 7 days, with transient hypertension and proteinuria, and bodyweight loss (14.6 kg) by 14 days postpartum. Platelet count and antithrombin activity normalized promptly postpartum. Despite a life-threatening clinical condition due to enhanced vascular permeability, neither hypertension nor proteinuria appeared antenatally. Determining antithrombin activity and platelet count may be useful for distinguishing between women with pathological edema and physiological edema.

Invasive group A streptococcal infection in pregnancy.

We conducted a literature review of 55 pregnancies with symptomatic Group A streptococcus (Streptococcus pyogenes) infection reported in English (20 cases), French (2 cases) and Japanese (33 cases) to seek ways of improving prognosis. Multiparous women (83% [39/47]) in the third trimester (90% [47/52]) were prone to infection from winter to spring (75% [21/28]). Onset was heralded by flu-like symptoms, such as high fever (94% [46/49]), with upper respiratory (40% [22/55]) and/or gastrointestinal symptoms (49% [27/55]). Characteristic findings were early onset of shock (91% [50/55]) and infection-induced strong uterine contraction (73% [40/55]) suggestive of placental abruption. The clinical course was too acute and severe to rescue the mother (58% [32/55] died) and/or infant (66% [39/59] died). However, outcome has improved over the last decade, with rescue of 68% (15/22) of the mothers since 2000, and early use of antibiotics (71% [22/31] survived) and use of intravenous immunoglobulin (91% [10/11] survived) were associated with favourable outcome. Early use of antibiotics and intravenous immunoglobulin may improve outcome of pregnant women suffering from flu-like symptoms, shock and strong uterine contractions suggestive of placental abruption.