Spontaneous first-trimester perforation of the uterus following Cesarean scar pregnancy choriocarcinoma

Case report: Two rare uterine cesarean scar mass cases

RATIONALE

Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) located in the cesarean scar is a rare disease that has imaging appearances similar to those of an exogenous scar incision pregnancy and is often misdiagnosed due to insufficient clinical experience.

PATIENT CONCERNS

We report 2 cases of uterine cesarean scar mass. Two patients with different diagnoses had similar clinical complaints as abnormal vaginal bleeding, enlargement of uterus isthmus by physical examination, and mixed echo mass in uterine low segment by ultrasound examination; however, their magnetic resonance imaging images showed very different features.

DIAGNOSES

One patient was diagnosed with cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) and one patient was diagnosed with cesarean scar GTN.

INTERVENTIONS

The CSP patient underwent surgery by laparoscopy combined with hysteroscopy after uterine artery embolism and obtained pathological confirmation. The GTN patient received chemotherapy.

OUTCOMES

For the CSP patient, her serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) concentration returned to normal 2 weeks later, and B-ultrasound showed that the niche was completely repaired 3 months after the operation. The intrauterine lesions of the GTN patient disappeared completely 3 months after serum β-hCG normalization. And her β-hCG was normal at all follow-up visits until now.

LESSONS

Clinicians should consider GTN when identifying masses at scar incision sites. Magnetic resonance imaging images improve the understanding of the imaging features in patients suspected of having CSP/GTN.

Long-term outcome of ultrasound-guided focused ultrasound ablation for gestational trophoblastic neoplasia in the cesarean scar: a case report

BACKGROUND

The treatment of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) is one of the success stories in medical oncology. GTN in the cesarean scar is a rare entity, but most cases need to be treated with hysterectomy or localized uterine lesion resection because of chemoresistant lesions and/or massive bleeding. We present a patient with post-molar GTN in the cesarean scar who was non-invasively treated with ultrasound-guided high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to preserve the uterus and fertility.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 32-year-old woman was diagnosed with low-risk GTN (FIGO Stage I: 2 prognostic score) after partial hydatidiform mole. The 5th cycle of chemotherapy was interrupted because of persistent hepatic toxicity and impaired ovarian reserve function. However, the uterine lesion persisted (diameter of residual uterine lesion in the cesarean scar: 2.0 cm). Therefore, ultrasound-guided HIFU treatment was performed. A significant gray-scale change was observed during the HIFU treatment. Color Doppler ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) was performed to evaluate the ablation effectiveness. Color Doppler ultrasonography showed disappearance of the signal of vascularity and CEUS showed no perfusion in the lesion located in the cesarean scar. The uterine lesion was obviously shrunken one month after HIFU treatment. Menstrual cycle resumed 48 days after HIFU. HIFU treatment decreased the number of chemotherapy cycles and there was complete disappearance of the GTN lesion at 4-month follow-up. The patient has shown no signs of recurrence as of 58-month follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Ultrasound-guided HIFU may be a useful alternative to lesion resection for GTN in the cesarean scar in patients who show chemoresistance or are not suitable for chemotherapy. It has the potential to ablate the residual uterine lesion noninvasively to preserve the uterus and fertility, avoiding perioperative risks of lesion resection, especially acute bleeding.

A novel approach with concomitant laparoscopic uterine artery ligation and D&C as initial treatment for complicated gestational trophoblast disease in cesarean scar and cervical ectopic pregnancies

OBJECTIVE

Gestational trophoblast disease (GTD) in low-lying implantation ectopic pregnancy (LLIEP) is extremely rare. Surgical removal of GTD lesions which is the initial treatment of choice carries a high risk of intraoperative massive bleeding. Adequate management is challenging and inconclusive.

CASE REPORT

We present two unusual cases with a diagnosis of GTD in advanced LLIEP. The first case had choriocarcinoma in cesarean scar and the second case had mole pregnancy in cervix. Both cases were managed with laparoscopy uterine artery ligations followed by transvaginal intrauterine curettage and vacuum aspiration with a small amount of surgical blood loss and then resumed regular menstruation. To understand the different surgical approaches and their potential advantages in managing such rare diseases, relevant cases in the literature were reviewed.

CONCLUSION

Much attention should be paid to avoid massive bleeding at initial surgical intervention in patients with GTD in advanced LLIEP. This novel approach with combination of laparoscopic uterine artery ligations and evacuating curettage in selected patients is highly recommended to minimize surgical blood loss. The obvious advantages include technical feasibility, less surgery-related bleeding and potential fertility preservation.

Laparoscopic treatment of recurrent and chemoresistant cesarean scar choriocarcinoma

Depending on the developing laparoscopic technique and experience, the treatment of cesarean scar choriocarcinoma can be safely performed laparoscopically by experts.

First Trimester Uterine Rupture: A Case Report and Literature Review

The aim is to report a case of spontaneous uterine rupture in the first trimester of pregnancy and to review the literature on the topic.

METHODS

A literature search was performed using PubMed and Scopus. Relevant English articles were identified without any time or study limitations. The data were aggregated, and a summary statistic was calculated.

RESULTS

A 35-year-old gravida 5, para 2 was admitted at our department because of fainting and abdominal pain. The woman had a first-trimester twin pregnancy and a history of two previous cesarean sections (CSs). Suspecting a uterine rupture, an emergency laparotomy was performed. The two sacs were completely removed, and the uterine rupture site was closed with a double-layer suture. The patient was discharged from hospital four days later in good condition. On the basis of this experience, a total of 76 case reports were extracted from PubMed and included in the review. Fifty-three patients out of 76 (69.74%) underwent previous surgery on the uterus. Most women (67.92%) had a CS, and in this group a cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) or a placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorder was found to be the etiology in 77.78% of cases. Furthermore, 35.85% of the women had hysterectomy after uterine rupture. Twenty-three patients out of 76 (30.26%) had an unscarred uterus. Of this group, most women presented a uterine anomaly (43.48%). Moreover, 17.39% of these women had a hysterectomy.

CONCLUSION

According to the literature, the current pandemic use of CS explains most cases of first-trimester uterine rupture.

Identification and treatment of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia located in the cesarean scar

OBJECTIVE

To identify the clinical characteristics of, and the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for, gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) located in the cesarean scar.

METHODS

The present retrospective analysis was conducted among patients diagnosed with GTN located in the cesarean scar at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China, between June 1, 2006, and May 31, 2016. Clinical features, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, and outcomes were reviewed.

RESULTS

Of 938 women diagnosed with GTN, 31 (3.3%) patients had GTN located in the cesarean scar. Irregular vaginal bleeding was the main clinical manifestation. Twenty (65%) patients received an accurate diagnosis based on a history of molar pregnancy/a high β-human chorionic gonadotropin level/typical imaging presentations. The remaining 11 patients were initially misdiagnosed; the definitive diagnosis was made by pathology. All patients received chemotherapy; 22 (71%) women also underwent hysterectomy or localized uterine lesion resection because of chemoresistant lesions. All patients had a complete remission; at a median follow-up of 35 months, only 1 (3%) woman had a relapse.

CONCLUSION

Owing to its rarity and nonspecific symptoms, GTN located in the cesarean scar is prone to misdiagnosis. In patients without typical manifestations, the definitive diagnosis often relies on pathology. For treatment, uterine lesion resection is a useful adjunct to chemotherapy.