Successful laparoscopic management of primary omental pregnancy

Primary omental pregnancy after in vitro fertilization complicated by hemoperitoneum-how to manage it laparoscopically

OBJECTIVE

To report an uncommon case of primary OP treated laparoscopically. Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is the leading cause of maternal mortality during the first trimester and the incidence increases with assisted reproductive techniques, occurring in approximately 1.5%-2.1% of patients undergoing in vitro fertilization.1 Omental pregnancy (OP) is an extremely rare form of EP accounting for less than 1% of all EPs. OP can be classified as primary or secondary on the basis of Studdiford's criteria2. The preoperative diagnosis of OP is complex and usually occur in acute circumstances during a throughout intraoperative evaluation of the abdomen.3-5 A delayed diagnosis poses a serious threat to the survival of the patient; therefore, it is important to remark that EP can exist in unusual locations and prompt surgical intervention may be necessary.

DESIGN

A step-by-step narrated video of a rare clinical case and description of the surgical procedure.

SETTING

Tertiary Level Academic Hospital "IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero - Universitaria di Bologna" Bologna, Italy.

PATIENT

A 36-year-old woman was referred to our emergency room because of acute abdominal pain and nausea for 2 hours with no signs of hemodynamic instability. The patient also complained that poor vaginal bleeding appeared during the last 24 hours. The patient has undergone a cycle of in vitro fertilization with an elective single frozen embryo transfer of a blastocyst on day 5, 2 months before. She had no relevant clinical or surgical history. Diffuse abdominal tenderness and a painful uterus at mobilization were appreciated at clinical examination. A massive hemoperitoneum was diagnosed using transvaginal-transabdominal ultrasound, and no uterine or adnexal lesions were identified. The β-human chronic gonadotropin level was 43.861 mIU/mL, and the hemoglobin value was 10.5 g/dL.

INTERVENTIONS

On suspicion of a ruptured EP, after detailed counseling and the acquisition of informed consent, a laparoscopic exploration was planned. First, the hemoperitoneum was evacuated to allow visualization of the abdominal cavity. At pelvic inspection, no EP was found. Throughout the exploration of the abdominal cavity, a 4-cm bluish cystic mass of friable consistency was detected infiltrating the omentum and the mesentery. According to Studdiford's criteria, the diagnosis of a primary OP was established. A careful and complete excision of the ectopic implant was performed with an ultrasonic system and required a considerable hemostatic effort using bipolar energy, endoscopic clips, and mechanical compression. The postoperative course was uneventful. The β-human chronic gonadotropin levels gradually decreased to negative values within 29 days after surgery.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Omental ectopic pregnancy can be successfully managed with a laparoscopic approach even in an emergency setting.

CONCLUSION

Omental pregnancy can easily be overlooked, even by skilled surgeons, during laparoscopic exploration. It is mandatory that all peritoneal surfaces and the omentum be carefully inspected during surgery in patients without other signs of pelvic EP.We confirm that the patient included in this video gave consent for publication of the video and posting of the video online, including on social media, the journal website, scientific literature websites, and other applicable sites.

Rare Ectopic Pregnancies - A Literature Review for the Period 2007 - 2019 on Locations Outside the Uterus and Fallopian Tubes

The majority of ectopic pregnancies (EP) are tubal pregnancies, but other implantation sites outside the uterus and tubes are also found. These rare EP locations present a particular diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. We present an overview of potential very rare locations of ectopic pregnancies, their symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, based on a systematic analysis of case reports. A literature review of the databases PubMed, Livivo and Google Scholar for the period 2007 to 2019 was carried out. A total of 113 publications were included in our review. These studies describe EP implantations in the posterior cul-de-sac, on the uterine serosa and uterine ligaments, in the vicinity of almost all intraperitoneal organs, on the abdominal wall as well as in retroperitoneal sites. The most common presenting symptom was abdominal pain occurring in different locations. The diagnostic procedures included various imaging procedures and/or explorative surgery at different advanced stages of pregnancy. The most common and preferred option was laparotomy for surgical treatment. The placenta was successfully resected in the majority of cases. A rare EP location should be considered when making a differential diagnosis in patients of child-bearing age with abdominal pain.

Successful laparoscopic management of a primary omental pregnancy: case report and review of literature

A 32-year-old gravid 1, parity 0 woman was referred to our hospital with suspicion of ectopic pregnancy 31 days after her previous menstrual period. She had a 5-month history of secondary infertility reported increasing lower abdominal pain. Her serum human chronic gonadotropin level was 8160 mIU/mL. Her medical history was significant for a myomectomy and an enucleation of left ovarian cyst. On suspicion of an ectopic pregnancy, laparoscopic exploration was performed. Dense pelvic adhesion was seen. After dissection of the adhesion, we could not find the blastocyst in her pelvis. Early pregnancy tissue implanted in the omentum was identified and was excised laparoscopically. The postoperative course was uneventful. When no ectopia is found in the fallopian tubes during laparoscopy or laparotomy for ectopic pregnancy, all peritoneal surfaces and the omentum must be carefully inspected during surgery.

Neglected primary omental pregnancy after laparoscopic and medical treatment: a difficult diagnosis?

The following case report describes a rare case of omental pregnancy in a fertile 34-year-old woman at 5 + 3 weeks of gestation who presented with abdominal pain. Clinical examination, vital signs, and laboratory values were within normal limits, so the woman was hospitalized and monitored. Laparoscopic exploration was performed according to the preoperative diagnosis of tubal pregnancy, but it showed normal pelvic organs. In view of the growth of the β-HCG value, a medical approach was attempted, without success. Due to hemodynamic instability, an emergency laparotomy was performed, and it showed an omental pregnancy, confirmed at the pathological examination.

Ectopic pregnancy not within the (distal) fallopian tube: etiology, diagnosis, and treatment

Ectopic pregnancy is a very common diagnosis (2% of pregnancies), and implantation location varies. Although 97% of ectopics are implanted within the fallopian tube, associated with commonly recognized risk factors, ectopic implantation can occur in other pelvic and abdominal locations that may not have such predisposing risk factors. After an extensive review of the literature, along with the author's personal experience, implantation frequency, etiologic possibilities, and treatment options for each ectopic pregnancy location are presented. When ectopic pregnancy is diagnosed early, before rupture, regardless of location, conservative, fertility-sparing treatment options can be successful in terminating the pregnancy. Predisposing risk factors and treatment options can vary and can be ectopic-location specific.