Spontaneous rupture of an unscarred uterus in early pregnancy: a rare but life-threatening emergency

A cesarean section scar dehiscence during the first trimester of an intrauterine pregnancy: a rare case report and literature review

Uterine rupture is specified as a complete laceration of the uterine wall, including its serosa, leading to a connection between the endometrial and peritoneal chambers. It can occur in any stage of pregnancy and is considered a severe and perhaps fatal complication. A 35-year-old woman at 9 weeks of gestation with a medical history of five prior cesarean sections presented with lower abdominal pain that had lasted for 5 hr. We detected small amounts of free fluid in the Douglas pouch using ultrasound. Subsequently, a laparotomy revealed a cesarean scar dehiscence from a non-cesarean scar pregnancy. Patients who experience a uterine rupture may have vague symptoms, severe abdominal discomfort, abnormal uterine bleeding, and severe hemorrhagic shock, depending on their gestational age. Ultrasound imaging can be used to diagnose this fatal condition in addition to laparoscopy to immediately identify and treat the issue in urgent cases.

Spontaneous Rupture of the Unscarred Uterus: A Review of the Literature

Importance

Uterine rupture is defined as a nonsurgical disruption of all layers of the uterus. Most ruptures occur in the presence of a scar, usually secondary to a previous cesarean delivery. Rupture of an unscarred uterus is rare and is associated with severe maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Objective

To outline the literature on potential predisposing factors, clinical findings, and maternal and fetal outcomes of a rupture of an unscarred uterus.

Evidence Acquisition

PubMed was searched for the phrases "uterine rupture," "unscarred," and "spontaneous." Individual case reports, retrospective case series, and review articles in English between 1983 and 2020 were included.

Results

We found 84 case reports in 79 articles. The mean maternal age was 29.3 (SD, 5.7) years; 38 women (45.2%) were nulliparous. Uterine rupture occurred in 37% of the women at term; in 9.9%, the gestational age was ≤12 weeks. The most common clinical presentations were abdominal pain (77.4%), signs of hypovolemic shock (36.9%), fetal distress (31%), and vaginal bleeding (22.6%). The most common risk factors were the use of uterotonic drugs for induction or augmentation of labor and a prior curettage procedure. The most frequently ruptured site was the body of the uterus. Hysterectomy managed 36.9% of the ruptures. Four women died (4.8%). Perinatal mortality was 50.6%. Perinatal death was higher in developing than developed countries.

Conclusions and relevance

Although rare, spontaneous rupture of the unscarred uterus has serious consequences to the mother and the fetus and should be included in the differential diagnosis of acute abdomen in pregnancy.

Surgical uterus-preserving therapy after uterine rupture and haemorrhage due to placenta percreta in the first trimester following embolisation of the uterine arteries and B-Lynch suture in a previous pregnancy

A woman in her early 30s in the 11 2/7 week of pregnancy was admitted with severe abdominal pain and emesis. One year prior, the patient had undergone hysteroscopic adhesiolysis to treat Asherman syndrome resulting from a prior pregnancy. Examination of the patient revealed a haemoperitoneum and an intact intrauterine pregnancy. Laparoscopic adhesiolysis and haemostasis was performed and the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit. Subsequent examination due to persistent abdominal pain revealed an occult iatrogenic perforation of the uterus and placenta percreta with spontaneous uterine rupture. Although treatment for placenta percreta has generally been hysterectomy, in this case, the rupture and perforation sites were resected, representing successful fertility preserving management for this oft-overlooked pregnancy complication.

First-trimester uterine rupture: a case report and systematic review of the literature

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to present a case of first-trimester uterine rupture and perform a systematic review to identify common presentations, risk factors, and management strategies.

DATA SOURCES

Searches were performed in PubMed, Ovid, and Scopus using a combination of key words related to "uterine rupture," "first trimester," and "early pregnancy" from database inception to September 30, 2020.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

English language descriptions of uterine rupture at ≤14 weeks of gestation were included, and cases involving pregnancy termination and ectopic pregnancy were excluded.

METHODS

Outcomes for the systematic review included maternal demographics, description of uterine rupture, and specifics of uterine rupture diagnosis and management. Data were extracted to custom-made reporting forms. Median values were calculated for continuous variables, and percentages were calculated for categorical variables. The risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist for case reports and case series.

RESULTS

Overall, 61 cases of first-trimester uterine rupture were identified, including our novel case. First-trimester uterine ruptures occurred at a median gestation of 11 weeks. Most patients (59/61 [97%]) had abdominal pain as a presenting symptom, and previous uterine surgery was prevalent (44/61 [62%]), usually low transverse cesarean delivery (32/61 [52%]). The diagnosis of uterine rupture was generally made after surgical exploration (37/61 [61%]), with rupture noted in the fundus in 26 of 61 cases (43%) and in the lower segment in 27 of 61 cases (44%). Primary repair of the defect was possible in 40 of 61 cases (66%), whereas hysterectomy was performed in 18 of 61 cases (30%). Continuing pregnancy was possible in 4 of 61 cases (7%).

CONCLUSION

Uterine rupture is an uncommon occurrence but should be considered in patients with an acute abdomen in early pregnancy, especially in women with previous uterine surgery. Surgical exploration is typically needed to confirm the diagnosis and for management. Hysterectomy is not always necessary; primary uterine repair is sufficient in more than two-thirds of the cases to achieve hemostasis. Continuing pregnancy, although uncommon, is also possible.

Spontaneous unscarred uterine rupture and surgical repair at 11 weeks of gestation in a twin pregnancy

A uterine rupture may result in a massive hemoperitoneum, which can be fatal to both the fetus and mother. Most uterine ruptures during pregnancy occur within a scarred uterus, rarely occurring in an unscarred uterus. Here, we report a very rare case of spontaneous rupture in an unscarred uterus at 11 weeks of gestation of a twin pregnancy and its surgical repair. A 37-year-old nulliparous infertile woman became pregnant with twins after artificial insemination and gonadotropin therapy. She underwent emergency surgery at 11 weeks of gestation due to an acute abdomen caused by massive hemoperitoneum. Upon laparotomy, one fetus with placenta was extruded into the abdominal cavity through a 3-cm myometrium rupture on the left posterior wall of the uterus. After surgical repair of the rupture site, the remaining fetus was alive and was successfully delivered by cesarean section at 34 weeks of gestation.

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.