Placental and cord insertion pathologies: screening, diagnosis, and management

Intrauterine fetal death due to rupture of umbilical vessels: a rare case of furcate cord insertion

Furcate cord insertion refers to the separation of umbilical vessels before reaching the placenta, where the branching vessels normally attach at the edge of the placental parenchyma or near the placental membranes. This is an extremely rare abnormal umbilical cord insertion. This paper reported a case of a furcate cord insertion, where the rupture of exposed umbilical vessels led to intrauterine fetal death at full term. Through literature review, we analyzed the prenatal ultrasound characteristics and pregnancy outcomes of furcate cord insertions, with the aim to improve detection rates and reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Antidepressant use during pregnancy and development of preeclampsia: A focus on classes of action and specific transporters/receptors targeted by antidepressants

OBJECTIVE

The association between antidepressants and preeclampsia has been inconsistently reported. Given the compound-specific variable affinity for different transporters/receptors, their effect on preeclampsia risk could differ. Our study examined the risk of preeclampsia (and its subtypes) following exposure to different classes of antidepressants, also accounting for specific transporters/receptors targeted by antidepressants.

METHODS

We conducted a cohort study, combining data from the Netherlands Perinatal Registry and the PHARMO Database Network. Exposure to antidepressants was examined from conception to week 20 of gestation; extended use thereafter was also studied. Antidepressants were categorized according to classes [selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and other antidepressants] and according to target transporters/receptors. Women not using any antidepressants during 15 months before delivery were included as reference.

RESULTS

We included 2,103 exposed and 95,376 reference women. Preeclampsia occurred in 70 exposed women (15 early-onset, 55 late-onset) and in 2,582 reference women (387 early-onset, 2,195 late-onset). TCA monotherapy (214 women) was associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia (n = 15, RR 2.46, 95% CI 1.51-4.02) and late-onset preeclampsia (n = 12, RR 2.41, 95% CI 1.39-4.17, early-onset could not be evaluated). No association was detected with SSRIs, SNRIs and MAOIs. We did observe an increased risk of early-onset preeclampsia following exposure to 5-HT2A antagonizing antidepressants (6/405 women, excluding TCA users, RR 3.56, 95% CI 1.60-7.94).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results support an increased risk of preeclampsia and the late-onset subtype among TCA users. The association between 5-HT2A antagonists and the early-onset subtype needs to be interpreted with caution based on the relatively small number of exposed cases.

Influence of the placental cord insertion site on the placental mass and the birth weight in dichorionic diamniotic twins

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of the displacement of the umbilical cord insertion site from the centre of the placenta on the placental mass and the birth weight of dichorionic diamniotic twins and to consider the importance of the direction of the displacement, as well as to assess the influence of the umbilical cord displacement on the placental mass and the birth weight of dichorionic diamniotic twins taking into account the direction of displacement. Material and methods. The study was performed on 135 dichorionic diamniotic pairs: 68 opposite-sex, 35 same-sex males, and 32 same-sex females. The impact of an absolute cord displacement from the centroid of the placental disc and the direction of its shifting were compared with the birth weight and the placental mass. Results. In the investigated group, a central insertion was revealed in 6 (2.2 %), eccentric – in 224 (83.0 %), marginal – in 31 (11.5 %), and velamentous – in 9 (3.3 %) cases. The first two types of cord insertion are considered to be normal, the third and the fourth are seen as abnormal. The placental mass was in a strong positive correlation with the birth weight (r=0.71, p<0.0001). The placentas with an eccentric cord insertion had a smaller surface area. A negative correlation was established between the displacement of the cord insertion site and the placental mass (r=-0.4284, p<0.0001) as well as the birth weight (r=-0.6115, p<0.0001). The shift along the long axis was of greater importance than in relation to the shorter one. The placental mass and the birth weight were higher in the new-borns with a normal cord insertion site. In the abnormal cord insertion group, 32.5 % of the infants were under the 10th birth weight percentile, in the normal cord insertion group – only 8.3 %. Conclusions. The birth weight of dichorionic diamniotic twins and their placental mass are negatively correlated with the distance of the umbilical cord insertion site from the placental centre. The insertion site displacement along the long axis has a stronger negative effect on the birth weight and the placental mass in comparison with the shifting along the short axis. The placentas with an eccentric cord insertion have a smaller surface area.

Velamentous cord insertion, ischemic-hypoxic encephalopathy, and neurological rehabilitation: A case report

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is a frequent and important cause of neurological problems in term and preterm newborns. A sentinel event of this entity is the vasa previa, specifically when there is an abnormality of the placenta such as a velamentous cord insertion. Some reports have shown the association between these two entities, but those regarding the recovery process and the neurological prognosis of children with both conditions are scarce. We present the case of a patient with a history of velamentous cord insertion and hypoxicischemic encephalopathy who received therapeutic hypothermia (cool cap). We describe his neurological rehabilitation process and we calculated the percentage of probability of presenting this condition compared to the population without these factors. The patient was a five-year-old boy with an Apgar index at birth equal to zero at one minute and equal to two at fifteen minutes who developed severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy secondary to a velamentous cord insertion without prenatal diagnosis and a marked initial neurological and multisystemic compromise. The recovery process included early multidisciplinary management in the neonatal intensive care unit and a focus on early neurological habilitation. The patient is currently in school and he undergoes comprehensive therapies; on physical examination, he presents no motor or sensory deficiencies. His neuropsychological test suggests the risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Children with severe hypoxicischemic encephalopathy usually have disabilities due to motor, cognitive, and/or behavioral deficiencies.

Neonatal hemorrhagic shock as a consequence of ruptured velamentous vessels – a report of two cases

Background

The objective of the study was to present the rupture of velamentous vessels as a rare but dangerous complication of pregnancy associated with high neonatal risk. Diagnosis of velamentous insertion of umbilical vessels is important to recognize because of the possibility of their rupture during labor. If the condition remains unrecognized, the most important step during labor is prompt and timely treatment of the multidisciplinary team in order to reduce fetal and neonatal mortality and morbidity.

Case presentation

We present two cases of ruptured velamentous vessels, both with good outcomes: in the first case the baby was delivered vaginally after a spontaneous rupture of the velamentous vessels, and in the second case an emergency cesarean section was performed.

Conclusions

Although bleeding caused by the rupture of velamentous vessels is not frequent, the consequences can be serious. The proper diagnosis of the umbilical cord insertion is mandatory during the mid-trimester anomaly scan, but in most cases the condition remains unrecognized until delivery. In the case of a rupture, a prompt reaction of the medical team is crucial in order to save the baby. Sometimes only an urgent 0 Rh negative blood transfusion can avoid a poor neonatal outcome.

Clinical Significance of Pregnancies Complicated by Velamentous Umbilical Cord Insertion Associated With Other Umbilical Cord/Placental Abnormalities

Background

We examined the clinical significance of pregnancies complicated by velamentous cord insertion (VCI) associated with other umbilical cord/placental abnormalities.

Methods

Data were collected from 168 deliveries complicated by VCI and from 16,797 unaffected controls. All placentae were screened identically by trained staff. In this study, we examined the presence of excessively long umbilical cord (longer than 70 cm), vasa previa, single umbilical artery, circumvallate placenta, succenturiate placenta, lobed placenta, placenta previa, low lying placenta and placenta accrete as the other umbilical cord/placental abnormalities.

Results

Using a multivariate analysis, the pregnancies complicated by VCI were independently associated with in vitro fertilization use (P < 0.01), maternal smoking (P = 0.03), preterm delivery (P = 0.03), fetal asphyxia (P = 0.01) and small-for-gestational-age infants (P = 0.02). It was also independently associated with vasa previa (P < 0.01), single umbilical artery (P = 0.04), lobed placenta (P = 0.01) and placenta previa (P = 0.03). However, these umbilical cord/placental abnormalities were not associated with the further adverse outcomes of the pregnancies complicated by VCI.

Conclusion

VCI is associated with an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes irrespective of the presence of other umbilical cord/placental abnormalities. Routine identification of the placental cord insertion site should be considered.