Uterine Rescue in High-Risk Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia Treated with EMA-CO by Uterine Arteries Embolization due to Arteriovenous Malformations

Complete hydatidiform mole (CHM) is a rare type of pregnancy, in which 15 to 20% of the cases may develop into gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN). The diagnostic of GTN must be done as early as possible through weekly surveillance of serum hCG after uterine evacuation. We report the case of 23-year-old primigravida, with CHM but without surveillance of hCG after uterine evacuation. Two months later, the patient presented to the emergency with vaginal bleeding and was referred to the Centro de Doenças Trofoblásticas do Hospital São Paulo. She was diagnosed with high risk GTN stage/score III:7 as per The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics/World Health Organization (FIGO/WHO). The sonographic examination revealed enlarged uterus with a heterogeneous mass constituted of multiple large vessels invading and causing disarrangement of the myometrium. The patient evolved with progressive worsening of vaginal bleeding after chemotherapy with etoposide, methotrexate, actinomycin D, cyclophosphamide and vincristine (EMA-CO) regimen. She underwent blood transfusion and embolization of uterine arteries due to severe vaginal hemorrhage episodes, with complete control of bleeding. The hCG reached a negative value after the third cycle, and there was a complete regression of the anomalous vascularization of the uterus as well as full recovery of the uterine anatomy. The treatment in a reference center was essential for the appropriate management, especially regarding the uterine arteries embolization trough percutaneous femoral artery puncture, which was crucial to avoid the hysterectomy and allow GTN cure and maintenance of reproductive life.

VEGF 936C/T Polymorphism and Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the relationship between the 936C/T polymorphism of VEGF and the occurrence of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN).

STUDY DESIGN

A retro- spective study that included 8 patients with complete hydatidiform -mole (CHM) that evolved into spontane- ous remission (SR), 12 pa- tients with CHM that prog- ressed to GTN, and 20 control (C) patients without obstetric complications. Polymorphisms were detected by polymerase chain reaction-amplified technique of patients' DNA, and genotype frequencies were compared between the groups.

RESULTS

. The genotype frequencies of the VEGF 936C/T polymorphism were as follows: SR group, 100% CC genotype; GTN group, 50.0% CC, 41.7% CT, and 8.3% TT; C group, 30.0% CC, 65.0% CT, and 5.0% TT. Genotype frequencies did not differ significantly be- tween the SR and GTN groups, although a trend was observed (p=0.06). Genotype frequencies did differ sig- nificantly between the combined group of all patients with CHM (SR+GTN) and the C group (p=0.03).

CONCLUSION

This study did not identify a different VEGF 936CT genotype profile for patients with CHM who undergo SR versus those who progress to GTN. However, the, results do suggest that this polymor- phism may affect susceptibil- ity to CHM. Larger groups may improve the results of assessments of the predictive parameters of GTN.