Post partum intra-abdominal hemorrhage due to placenta percreta

Antepartum unscarred uterine rupture caused by placenta percreta: a case report and literature review

The main risk for uterine rupture is the presence of a uterine scar due to prior cesarean delivery or other uterine surgery. However, rupture in an unscarred uterus is extremely rare, and risk factors include multiple gestations, trauma, congenital anomalies, use of uterotonics and placenta accreta spectrum.

Placenta accreta spectrum, also known as morbidly adherent placenta, is becoming increasingly common and is associated with significant maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.

We report a case of unscarred uterine rupture due to placenta percreta in a multiparous woman that required emergency peripartum hysterectomy.

Postpartum unscarred uterine rupture caused by placenta accreta: A case report and literature review

Our case and the literature review suggest that placenta accreta spectrum, with use of uterotonics and manual removal of placenta, could be risk factors for postpartum unscarred uterine rupture.

Uterine body placenta accreta spectrum: A detailed literature review

Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is a major obstetrical problem whose incidence is rising. Current guidelines recommend screening of all women with placenta previa and risk factors for PAS between 20 and 24 weeks. Risk factors, diagnosis, and management of previa PAS are well established, but an apparently normal location of the placenta does not exclude PAS. Literature data are scarce on uterine body PAS, which carries a high risk of maternal and neonatal adverse outcome, but is still easily missed on prenatal ultrasound. We conducted a comprehensive review to identify possible risk factors, clinical presentations, and diagnostic modalities of uterine PAS. A total of 133 cases were found during a 70-year period (1949-2019). The vast majority of them presented with signs of uterine rupture, even prior to the viability threshold of 24 weeks (up to 45%). Major risk factors included previous cesarean delivery, uterine curettage, uterine surgery, Asherman's syndrome, manual removal of the placenta, endometritis, high parity, young maternal age, in vitro fertilization, radiotherapy, uterine artery embolization, and uterine leiomyoma. Diagnosis was pre-symptomatic in only 3% of cases. Future studies should differentiate between previa PAS and uterine body PAS.

Invasive placentation and uterus preserving treatment modalities: a systematic review

Purpose

We present a systematic review to evaluate failure rates (secondary hysterectomy or maternal mortality) and success rates (subsequent menstruation or pregnancy) after different uterus preserving treatment modalities in women with invasive placentation.

Methods

A review of English, German or Dutch language-published research, using Medline and Embase databases, was performed. Studies of any design were included.

Results

Ten cohort studies and 50 case series or case reports were included. Expectant management reported a secondary hysterectomy in 55/287 (19%), maternal mortality in 1/295 (0.3%), a subsequent menstruation in 44/49 (90%) and a subsequent pregnancy in 24/36 (67%). Embolization of the uterine arteries described a secondary hysterectomy in 8/45 (18%), a subsequent menstruation in 8/13 (62%) and a subsequent pregnancy in 5/33 (15%). Methotrexate therapy presented a secondary hysterectomy in 1/16 (6%), a subsequent menstruation in 4/5 (80%) and a subsequent pregnancy in 1/2 (50%). Uterus preserving surgery showed a secondary hysterectomy in 24/77 (31%), maternal mortality in 2/55 (4%), a subsequent menstruation in 28/34 (82%) and a subsequent pregnancy in 19/26 (73%).

Conclusions

This review indicates that different uterus preserving treatment modalities may be effective in managing invasive placentation. Despite the extensive review of the literature, no conclusions about the superiority of any modality can be drawn.

Conservative Management of Abnormally Invasive Placentation

Due to the growing number of cesarean deliveries, the frequency of abnormally invasive placentation is increasing. The optimal management of this condition remains unclear. This article reviews the efficacy and safety of conservative management of abnormally invasive placentation. We performed a MEDLINE and Embase search and reviewed all articles on conservative management of abnormally invasive placentation published from 1985 through 2006. Over the past 20 years, 48 reports have described outcomes of 60 women who were treated conservatively for abnormally invasive placentation. Twenty-six women were managed without any additional interventions. In most of these patients (19/26), the placenta had been partially removed. In 4 of these 26, conservative therapy failed. Twenty-two women received adjuvant methotrexate. In most of these women (19/22), the entire placenta was left in situ. In 5, therapy failed. Twelve women were managed with arterial embolization. In most of these (9/12), the diagnosis was made antepartum and the placenta was completely left in situ. In 3, therapy failed. Overall, 11 women experienced infection (11/60), 21 women experienced vaginal bleeding (21/60), and 4 suffered disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (4/60). Spontaneous loss of placental tissue was noted in 16 women. Subsequent pregnancies were reported in 8 women. Conservative management of abnormally invasive placentation can be effective and fertility can be preserved. It should only be considered in highly selected cases when blood loss is minimal and there is desire for fertility preservation. Whether adjuvant methotrexate or selective arterial embolization is beneficial is uncertain. Undetectable hCG values do not seem to guarantee complete resorption of retained placental tissue.

Placenta previa percreta with urinary bladder and ureter invasion

A 26-year-old woman, with one previous cesarean delivery and two uterine curettage due to incomplete abortion, was admitted to the labor ward with the diagnosis of partial placenta previa at 35 weeks of gestation. Repeat cesarean section was performed due to profuse vaginal bleeding. Placenta previa percreta invading the bladder trigone was confirmed with cystotomy. As bilateral hypogastric artery ligation and supracervical hysterectomy performed were not successful in stopping the profuse bleeding, the abdomen was packed with laparotomy pads. Dilatation of the left ureter was noticed on the second postoperative day. Relaparotomy was performed to remove the pads, and placental invasion of the distal left ureter was noticed. Ureteroneocystostomy was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the double-J-catheter was removed two months later.

Placenta percreta--two cases and review of the literature

Two cases of placenta pecreta confirmed histologically were treated conservatively with retention of the uterus. Both later went on to have successful pregnancies.

The management of placenta percreta: conservative and operative strategies

OBJECTIVE

Our purpose was to assess preferences for the management of placenta percreta and identify aspects of care related to an improved outcome.

STUDY DESIGN

Both an analysis of a questionnaire issued to members of the Society of Perinatal Obstetricians and a retrospective study at our institution were used to obtain case histories of women with placenta percreta during a recent 3-year period.

RESULTS

Fifty-five of the 109 cases (50%) reported by members of the Society of Perinatal Obstetricians were suspected ante partum. Complications associated with this disorder included uterine rupture (3 cases), transfusion of > 10 units (44 cases, 40%), ureteral ligation or fistula formation (5 cases each, 5%), infection (31 cases, 28%), perinatal death (10 cases, 9%), and maternal death (8 cases, 7%). Management options included surgical removal of the uterus and involved tissues (101 cases, 93%) and conservative treatment with the placenta left in situ after delivery (8 cases, 7%). More members of the Society of Perinatal Obstetricians responding to our survey opted for conservative management if adjacent tissues were involved (69% with extension into the bladder or gastrointestinal tract) compared with 31% when the percreta was confined to the uterus, p < 0.001. Conservative therapy was also associated with less blood loss in reported cases (median units red blood cells transfused, 0 vs 7, p = 0.003). Two of the three cases of placenta percreta at our institution were identified ante partum. The third case represents the first reported with antepartum identification of percreta followed by deliberate conservative treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

With greater involvement of surrounding tissues, conservative treatment was preferred in hemodynamically stable patients. If surgical excision of the placenta is attempted or necessary, physicians experienced in pelvic dissection must be involved because of the frequency of maternal morbidity and mortality.