Acute urinary retention due to ectopic pregnancy

Two cases of ectopic pregnancy are presented in which acute urinary retention was a salient clinical feature. The emergency physician must consider ectopic pregnancy in the differential diagnosis in any woman of child-bearing age with abdominal, pelvic, or urinary complaints.

Laparoscopic hernias: two case reports and a review of the literature

Laparoscopic operations are becoming more common and replacing more traditional surgical procedures. As a result, radiologists should be aware of some of the unique complications that may occur from these types of procedures. We report two cases of incarcerated bowel hernias in lateral trocar sites.

Ectopic pregnancy in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana: a three-year review

A retrospective study of ectopic pregnancies seen in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital from January 1991 to December 1993 was conducted. The incidence was 39.5/1000 deliveries; patients with ectopic were not of lower parity than those with normal pregnancies. The incidence of historical predisposing factors was 11.08%, although findings at operation indicated a much higher incidence of previous pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Dizziness/fainting and abdominal distension were more frequent than has been reported elsewhere. This was due to a very high incidence of ruptured ectopic pregnancies (98.1%) with mean volume of haemoperitoneum of 1.37 l. 16.3% of patients were misdiagnosed initially. The second commonest site of tubal pregnancy, after the ampullary region, was cornual. The case fatality rate was 27.9/1000, with more than half of the deaths occurring before or soon after arrival in hospital. In order to reduce the incidence of ruptured ectopic pregnancies we suggest, among other measures, that appropriate diagnostic facilities be provided.

[Prolonged ovarian pregnancy: a case report]

OBJECTIVES

Case of advanced ovarian pregnancy are exceptional because ovarian pregnancy itself is very rare.

STUDY DESIGN

The authors describe a case of prolonged ovarian pregnancy with retention of the dead fetus for more than a year. Usually ovarian pregnancy finishes in rupture which occurs before the end of the first trimester. It is then difficult to make out the integrity of the organs and in particular of the tube and indeed to recognize them. On the other hand when the mass persists intact with the development of pregnancy in a retort shape, it is easy to see how confusion is possible and arises between it and an intra-uterine pregnancy. In this case, however, the different anatomical forms are clear and an almost definite diagnosis can be made at the time of operation (the three first criteria of Spiegelberg). The diagnosis of ovarian pregnancy is never made before operation. At the very best one can say, when things happen early, that an extra-uterine pregnancy has ruptured, or in certain particular circumstances like in the case we are reporting lithopedian. The presence of ovarian tissue in the wall of the sac, which is the fourth criterion of Siegelberg, is easier to recognize in early accidents than in advanced cases of ovarian pregnancy in which the parenchyma of the ovary is compressed, distended and laminated by the increasing development of the fetus and the adnexae. The absence of the placenta being adherent to other organs than the ovary can then be kept as a worthwhile criterion of ovarian pregnancy.

How long does laparoscopic surgery really take? Lessons learned from 1000 operative laparoscopies

The purpose of this study was to assess the operating time of the most common gynaecological laparoscopic procedures. We analysed retrospectively 1000 consecutive operative laparoscopies on a procedure-by-procedure basis. Diagnostic laparoscopy and laparoscopic sterilization were specifically excluded from the analysis. The various laparoscopic procedures were grouped and analysed under six major categories. The average operating time for all cases was 76.9 min (range 10-400). In 38 cases (3.8%) the laparoscopic procedure was converted to laparotomy. The average operating time for treating ectopic pregnancy and tubal disease was approximately 60 min (range 13-240). Surgery for endometriosis and ovarian cysts averaged 72 min (range 10-240). Laparoscopic myomectomy and hysterectomy averaged 113 and 131 min respectively (range 25-400). Our results show that while the operating time for most operative laparoscopies is less than 75 min, the range of operating times is great. The relative lack of predictability in procedure times means that the efficient utilization of fixed theatre sessions is difficult.

Conservative management of an 11-week cervical pregnancy. A case report

BACKGROUND

Cervical pregnancy is a rare form of ectopic pregnancy. This condition is usually treated with hysterectomy.

CASE

A woman with an 11.3-week cervical pregnancy was treated with methotrexate, angiographic embolization of the anterior division of the hypogastric artery, dilatation and curettage, and minimal rollerball ablation of bleeding cervical vessels only. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 1. Complications included a malodorous discharge, which was treated with oral antibiotics, and claudication of the thighs for two weeks.

CONCLUSION

Advanced cervical pregnancies can be treated conservatively.

Intrauterine ectopic pregnancy. A case report

A case of vaginal bleeding occurring in a patient with a cervico-isthmic pregnancy located in a previous caesarean section scar was treated with curettage and systemic methotrexate. Metrorrhagia and uterine rupture are severe complications of this kind of ectopic pregnancy and sometimes require demolitive surgery, still today. Early ultrasonographic diagnosis is necessary to allow conservative treatment.

Incidence of perihepatic adhesions in ectopic gestation

OBJECTIVE

To compare the incidence of perihepatic adhesions in patients undergoing surgery for ectopic pregnancy with the incidence in patients undergoing elective laparoscopic sterilization. Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome is a perihepatitis that usually occurs as a complication of pelvic inflammatory disease. Perihepatic adhesions may be an aftereffect of the acute hepatic episode, and because the cause of ectopic gestation is thought to be salpingitis, women with an ectopic gestation may also have a higher prevalence of coexisting perihepatic adhesions.

METHODS

We reviewed charts of 97 women who had undergone laparoscopy or laparotomy for ectopic pregnancy (study group) and 116 women who had laparoscopic sterilization (control group). We recorded all perihepatic, pelvic, or abdominal adhesions that were documented at the time of surgery. Medical histories and sites of adhesions in the two groups were compared.

RESULTS

The incidence of perihepatic adhesions was 14% in the study group compared with 3% in the control group (P < .01). For the total patient population, a history of pelvic infection correlated positively with the presence of perihepatic adhesions (P < .01), and the study (ectopic) group had a higher incidence of previous pelvic infection.

CONCLUSION

Compared with control subjects, significantly more women with ectopic pregnancies had perihepatic adhesions. In women who have history of pelvic infection or ectopic pregnancy, physicians should inquire about long-term right upper quadrant pain. The inclusion of lysis of perihepatic adhesions in the preoperative consent form may be useful.

[A clinical case. Diagnosis and laparoscopic treatment of ovarian pregnancy]

Ovarian pregnancy is an uncommon presentation of ectopic pregnancy. It's frequency is 0.3-3.0 of all ectopic gestations. Is reported the case of a 33-year old female patient without previous pathology, was admitted because of lower abdominal pain, bloody vaginal discharge, a right adnexal mass, and positive serum pregnancy test. The preoperative diagnosis was tubal ectopic pregnancy. The following case report illustrates the successful application of operative laparoscopy for to treat primary ovarian pregnancy.

Unexpected death due to gestational choriocarcinoma: a report of two cases

We report two cases of unexpected death due to metastatic gestational choriocarcinoma and provide a review of the literature regarding these neoplasms. Our cases illustrate the extreme importance of medical follow-up of patients after an ectopic pregnancy or therapeutic abortion.

[Epidemiological and anatomo-clinical features of extra-uterine pregnancies at the Dakar University Hospital Center]

It is the prospective study of 226 cases of operated ectopic pregnancies, in order to draw the epidemiological outline of such an affliction adn find out the possible etiologies. During this study, 107 swabs were anatomically exploited. An analysis of the results reveals the high frequency of disrupted ectopic pregnancies (over 90%). The ampullary localization exists in 73.45% of the cases. In the histological level, in 82.70 of the cases, the tubal pregnancy has been associated with a salpingitis or malformed lesions. The death rate is about 2.65%. In other respects, it appears that the limits of echography are actual, hence the importance of basic clinic, that mutilating surgery remains prevalent; histology also plays an unavoidable part in the diagnosis.

Chromosomal abnormalities in ectopic pregnancy chorionic villi

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in ectopic pregnancy chorionic villi.

METHODS

A prospective study of patients with the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy was conducted, with chorionic villi obtained at the time of surgical therapy cultured and analyzed for karyotype. Review of the patient's medical record and ultrasound evaluation was then completed and findings correlated with karyotype results.

RESULTS

Twenty-two patients undergoing surgery for the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy yielded chorionic villi for culture. Successful culture was performed in 21 patients, with 3 (14%) revealing abnormal karyotypes. Review of the medical record showed ultrasound results consistent with fetal development or a gestational sac in 15 of 18 patients with normal chromosomal analysis. Three of 6 patients without fetal development yielded abnormal chromosomal findings.

CONCLUSION

Our results confirm that a high degree of success can be achieved in the karyotype analysis of ectopic pregnancy chorionic villi and that these conceptuses have a rate of abnormality similar to that reported for intrauterine gestations. Our data further suggest that when a gestational sac or fetal pole is identified by ultrasound, there is usually a normal karyotype.

Randomized trial of conservative laparoscopic treatment and methotrexate administration in ectopic pregnancy and subsequent fertility

Methotrexate treatment was compared to laparoscopic salpingotomy for conservative management of ectopic pregnancy in a prospective randomized study. One hundred patients were randomized into two groups using random numbers. Inclusion criteria were an ectopic pregnancy visualized by ultrasound with a pre-therapeutic score <13 as assessed by the following six criteria, graded from 1 to 3: gestational age, human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) concentration, progesterone concentration, abdominal pain, haemoperitoneal volume and diameter of the haematosalpinx. The treatments were either 1 mg/kg of methotrexate injected transvaginally into the ectopic pregnancy without anaesthesia or administered i.m. when the pregnancy could not safely or easily be punctured (group 1), or laparoscopic salpingotomy (group 2). Success was defined as the return to normal (<10 mIU/ml) of HCG concentrations. Treatment was successful for 45 of 51 patients in group 1 (88.2%) and 47 of 49 in group 2 (95.9%). Medical treatment was significantly (P < 0.05) associated with shorter postoperative stay (24 compared with 46 h), but HCG returned to normal more quickly after laparoscopic treatment (13 compared with 29 days). Spontaneous reproductive performance was similar in both groups, but overall intrauterine pregnancy was higher, and repeat ectopic pregnancy lower, after methotrexate treatment. In selected cases of ectopic pregnancy, with a pre-therapeutic score <13, methotrexate treatment appeared as safe and efficient as conservative treatment by laparoscopy and was associated with improved subsequent fertility.

Recurrent interstitial pregnancy

As a rare form of ectopic pregnancy, interstitial pregnancy threatens the future fertility of the patient. Methods of management include observation only, medical treatment with methotrexate either systemically or locally, or surgery either with laparotomy or laparoscopy. We present the case of a woman with recurrent interstitial pregnancy. Treatment with methotrexate was successful in her first interstitial pregnancy, however the second necessitated laparotomy. Selection of patients for treatment with methotrexate and the importance of subsequent tubal investigation are emphasized.

Laparoscopic surgery for heterotopic pregnancies: a case report and a brief review

A heterotopic pregnancy is in effect a multiple pregnancy with one or more intrauterine pregnancies coexisting with an ectopic pregnancy and is rarely spontaneous. With the increasing popularity of ovulation induction performed during assisted reproductive techniques, it will not be surprising to observe that this phenomenon has increased significantly. However, diagnosis is often delayed because of its rarity and difficulty. We report a case of a woman with a viable intrauterine pregnancy who had a complication of ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome secondary to ovulation induction following in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, but who, during hospitalization, presented with clinically progressive abdominal pain. An unruptured ectopic pregnancy of the right fallopian tube was diagnosed accidentally by laparoscopy and laparoscopic salpingectomy was immediately performed. Post-operative follow-up revealed that the intrauterine pregnancy continued normally. She delivered a normal female baby at 38 weeks of gestation. The promising neonatal outcome might suggest that laparoscopy might be safely performed to aid differential diagnosis in an uncertain condition during pregnancy: therefore, laparoscopic surgery might be an appropriate method to manage some carefully selected patients with HP. A brief review of the published literature on the role of laparoscopy in the diagnosis and management of heterotopic pregnancy is given.

Surgical and medical management of tubal and non-tubal ectopic pregnancies

This article highlights recent findings in the diagnosis and management of ectopic pregnancy. While the search for the ideal biochemical marker for ectopic pregnancy continues, new protocols have been described for the management of persistent ectopic pregnancy. The role of nuclear marker Ki-67 in trophoblastic proliferation and the only randomized trial to date involving systemic methotrexate and laparoscopic surgery are discussed. The management of cervical, interstitial and heterotopic pregnancies are reviewed.

Operative laparoscopy

Operative laparoscopy has replaced the conventional approach by laparotomy to the treatment of most benign gynecological diseases (benign adnexal cysts, ectopic pregnancy, tubal infertility, polycystic ovarian disease, endometriosis, myomas), with advantages in terms of shorter hospital stay, less discomfort and complications for the patient, minor social costs due to the early resumption of normal working activities, and comparable results in terms of reproductive outcome.

Laparoscopic treatment of interstitial pregnancy using the harmonic scalpel

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate a laparoscopic technique of cornual resection using the harmonic scalpel.

METHODS

Four patients with unruptured interstitial pregnancies were treated laparoscopically using the harmonic scalpel at Ioannina University Hospital.

RESULTS

There were no failures in the technique in any of our patients.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that interstitial pregnancies of a maximum gestational age of 7-8 weeks and sac diameter less than 4-5 cm may be treated laparoscopically.

Preoperative serum hCG level and intraoperative failure of laparoscopic linear salpingostomy for ectopic pregnancy

OBJECTIVE

To identify factors that predict failure of linear salpingostomy requiring salpingectomy for ectopic pregnancy.

METHODS

Using a retrospective cohort, we examined the various risk factors of women with ectopic pregnancies presenting for conservative laparoscopic management. Success or failure of laparoscopic linear salpingostomy was the primary end point.

RESULTS

One hundred fifty-seven women underwent laparoscopic linear salpingostomy for ectopic pregnancy, of whom 120 had successful procedures and 36 had unsuccessful operations because of bleeding and needed subsequent salpingectomy either by laparoscopy or laparotomy. The likelihood of success of laparoscopic linear salpingostomy was unrelated to gestational age, size of the ectopic pregnancy, surgical technique, or experience of the surgeon or resident. However, median (quartiles) serum beta hCG levels were significantly higher in patients who underwent failed salpingostomy (10,103 [3549-19,962] IU/L) compared with those who underwent successful salpingostomy (1692 [565-3971] IU/L, P < .01). Median blood loss (225 [181-562] mL versus 100 [50-200] mL, respectively, P < .01) and mean (+/- standard error of the mean [SEM]) operating times (111.1+/-6.1 minutes versus 76.8+/-2.3 minutes, P < .01) were significantly greater with failed salpingostomy followed by salpingectomy, compared with successful salpingostomy.

CONCLUSION

Preoperative serum beta hCG level was the only significant determinant of failure of laparoscopic linear salpingostomy for ectopic pregnancy. Morbidity due to intraoperative blood loss and operating time was significantly increased as a result of attempting and failing to complete laparoscopic linear salpingostomy.

Laparoscopic management of rudimentary horn pregnancy

A unicornuate uterus with rudimentary horn is a rare Müllerian abnormality. This uterine anomaly may cause many gynaecological and obstetric complications, including infertility, recurrent abortions, preterm deliveries and rupture of the uterus, especially when the pregnancy implants in the rudimentary horn. To date, laparotomy has been the treatment of choice when resection of a rudimentary horn was indicated. We report on the case of a woman who benefited from laparoscopic surgery of a rudimentary horn pregnancy. Laparoscopy, in these exceptional cases, is the most accurate diagnostic tool that carries significant advantages in effective surgical management, thereby avoiding laparotomy.

A casemix cost comparison of 2 treatments for ectopic pregnancy

In this paper a retrospective cost comparison between laparoscopic treatment of ectopic pregnancy and conventional laparotomy under casemix funding has been performed. The total mean cost of laparoscopic treatment was $2,930 while the total mean cost of laparotomy was $4,259 per patient.

Severe bleeding from peritoneal implants of trophoblastic tissue after laparoscopic salpingostomy for ectopic pregnancy

OBJECTIVE

To describe a case of persistent trophoblastic tissue after conservative laparoscopic treatment of an ectopic pregnancy (EP).

DESIGN

Case report.

SETTING

University hospital.

PATIENT

A 19-year-old nulliparous woman, presenting 30 days after conservative laparoscopic treatment of an EP.

INTERVENTION(S)

Emergency laparotomy, histologic examination of excised trophoblastic tissue, serial beta-hCG levels.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Serum beta-hCG clearance curves after surgical treatment of an EP.

RESULT(S)

Histology confirmed multiple peritoneal implants of trophoblastic tissue, mainly situated on the sigmoid colon and the omentum majus. Serial beta-hCG levels decreased rapidly from 1,394 to 0 mU/L within 17 days.

CONCLUSION(S)

After conservative treatment of EP, patients should be followed up clinically and serial beta-hCG measurements should be obtained to ensure the absence of persistent trophoblastic tissue.