Isolated fallopian tube torsion: A systematic review of case reports

OBJECTIVE

To combine all literature describing cases of isolated fallopian tube torsion in adult non pregnant patients in a systematic manner, to optimize knowledge and practice both for diagnosis and management.

STUDY DESIGN

EMBASE and PubMed databases were searched for the terms 'tubal' OR 'fallopian tube' AND 'isolated' AND 'torsion' from the inception of these databases to July 5, 2023. All case reports or case series of adult patients (18 years or older) with isolated fallopian tube torsion were included. Exclusion criteria included: all other study types; cases involving children and adolescents (less than 18 years old); pregnant patients of all trimesters; tubo-ovarian torsion; studies not published in English; duplicates and those not available in text. Following the database search, two authors independently screened the studies and search results were subsequently reported in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Data was extracted independently by two authors and analysed using Excel. All cases were assessed for bias using a modified version of the tool proposed by Murad et al. RESULTS: 92 unique articles enrolling 131 individual cases were included in this systematic review. Isolated fallopian tube torsion most commonly occurs during reproductive ages between 18 and 45 years. It is uncommon in postmenopausal women. The most common presenting symptoms include unilateral lower abdominal or pelvic pain along the affected side with nausea and vomiting. Risk factors can be intrinsic or extrinsic and can include conditions such as hydrosalpinx, sterilization, pelvic inflammatory disease or cysts. Ultrasound is the optimal imaging modality however Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging can also be used. Imaging in general has low sensitivity, however isolated fallopian tube torsion can be identified with appropriate expertise. The gold standard for isolated fallopian tube torsion management is laparoscopy and detorsion however currently, the most common intervention performed is salpingectomy.

CONCLUSIONS

Isolated fallopian tube torsion is a rare but important gynaecological emergency with significant fertility implications. This study summarizes the most common presentations, investigation findings and surgical interventions in patients with isolated fallopian tube torsion. This study also emphasizes the importance of clinicians maintaining a high degree of suspicion and low threshold for early laparoscopic intervention to retain fertility.

Isolated tubal metastasis from an incidental HPV-associated endocervical adenocarcinoma presented as an adnexal mass: A case report

Tubal metastasis from endocervical adenocarcinoma is uncommon and is discovered as an incidental finding on routine sampling of fallopian tubes. In this paper, we present the case of an 81-year-old woman who presented with an adnexal mass during investigations of postmenopausal bleeding. Hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with excision of the left adnexal mass were performed, which led to the diagnosis of an incidental HPV-associated endocervical adenocarcinoma with secondary, macroscopic tubal involvement. The patient received adjuvant pelvic radiotherapy and remained well after three months of follow-up, with no evidence of recurrence. Only a few cases of endocervical adenocarcinoma with tubal metastasis have been reported in the literature, which are commonly associated with ovarian, uterine corpus, and/or parametrial tissue involvement. To date, there are only two reported cases of isolated tubal metastasis, and in both cases, tubal involvement was discovered microscopically. Data on the impact of secondary tubal involvement on patient outcomes are limited.

Bilateral tubal ectopic gestation: Complication in a patient with previous ectopic pregnancy, rare case report

INTRODUCTION

Ectopic pregnancy results of implantation of conceptus outside of endometrial cavity. It remains an important cause of maternal mortality. Spontaneous bilateral tubal pregnancies are the rare form of ectopic and are considered spontaneous when no fertility treatments are involved.

CASE FINDINGS

A 31-year-old nulliparous woman presented at the Family Medicine Clinic with complaints of non-specific mild lower abdominal pain for 3 days and amenorrhea for 5 weeks. Transvaginal Ultrasound showed bilateral unruptured adnexa pregnancies. The trial of medical therapy was done without success and later laparotomy salpingostomy was done. One year later patient was able to conceive and delivery well by cesareans section.

DISCUSSION

Bilateral ectopic pregnancy is a unique from of twin pregnancy frequently occurring with assisted reproductive technology rather than spontaneous pregnancy. Diagnosis of bilateral ectopic pregnancy is often challenging as the clinical symptoms and signs may not be indicative of bilateral involvement. Laboratory test with βhcg levels cannot suggestive if is unilateral or bilateral nature and sonographers may be falsely reassured if they are not careful and satisfied with visualization of ectopic gestation on one side. Laparoscopic salpingostomy or salpingectomy is the gold standard treatment modality for bilateral tubal ectopic pregnancy although laparotomy may be indicated in unstable patient.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Therefore, any women in childbearing age presenting with clinical features of acute lower abdominal pain should be considered to have potential ectopic gestation.

Factors affecting the use of long term and permanent contraceptive methods: a Facebook-focused cross-sectional study

Introduction

In the Muslim world, the use and acceptance of long-term and permanent contraceptives were limited. Our aim was to investigate those limiting factors so we can help making these methods widely available and acceptable to the society.

Methods and data analysis

There were 1365 women from Facebook groups in the period 08/10/2020–8/11/2020. Participants were married women, living in Jordan. This was a cross-sectional study. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 16, software was used for statistical analysis (Chicago, Illinois, USA).

Results

Among participants, 22.3% had never used any contraceptives. Non-hormonal IUCD was the most commonly used method. There was a statistically significant association between the use of hormonal IUCD and women's age, marriage duration, education and number of children (p < 0.0001). Tubal ligation was adopted by only 44 (3.22%) participants. 19.68% of participants declined tubal ligation merely due to religious issues. Women who completed only high school level of education underwent tubal ligation significantly more than those with university (Bachelor) and post-university (Master or PhD) degrees (p < 0.0001 and 0.026, respectively). Only 1.83% of women's partners underwent vasectomy, the majority of these vasectomies (72.0%) were done because of the need for lifelong contraception. Around 17% of women's partners had poor knowledge about vasectomy. Further, women's employment status (housewives or full-time employees) was found to be the only variable that affected acceptance of vasectomy (p = 0.0047).

Conclusions

Women endured a heavy burden of contraception. Cultural and religious taboos influenced tubal ligation. Vasectomy was still very rarely adopted by men due to the lack of knowledge about the procedure. Our results raised the need for further dissemination of contraception knowledge and counselling through the primary care and maternity centers, mosques and media in official, comprehensive and integrated programs. Future research is needed in the field of permanent contraceptive methods.

[Vaginal tubal sterilization: About a series of 158 patients from 2005 to 2021]

OBJECTIVES

The latest recommendations of 2006 on tubal sterilization reported an infectious risk of 1.5 to 2.5% for the vaginal approach. There is, however, limited literature on this approach. The primary objective of our study was to investigate the feasibility of tubal sterilization via posterior colpotomy. The secondary objectives were to study the reproducibility of this approach, the postoperative infection rate after tubal sterilization via posterior colpotomy, to evaluate its peroperative and postoperative morbidity.

METHODS

This retrospective study, conducted at the Antibes's Hospital, included patients over 18 years of age who underwent tubal ligation with clips or bilateral vaginal salpingectomy from 2005 to 2021.

RESULTS

We included a total of 158 patients: 88% by clips and 12% by bilateral salpingectomy. The average operative duration was of 27 minutes. There were no infectious or postoperative complications directly related to the sterilization. There were two failures of the technique, requiring conversion to laparoscopy (1.3%) and four subsequent pregnancies (2.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

We were able to show low morbidity and failure rates with this surgical technique. It, therefore, does not appear to be inferior to the laparoscopic approach. Moreover, it is reproducible technique.

Undisturbed tubal pregnancies with positive fetal heart treated medically: Case study

The incidence of ectopic pregnancy (EP) is 1.3-2.4%. Suspicion of EP starts after a positive serum pregnancy test and failure to visualize the intrauterine gestational sac (GS) by transvaginal sonography (TVS). About 88% of tubal EPs are diagnosed by absent intrauterine GS and the presence of an adnexal mass during TVS. Medical treatment of EP using methotrexate (MTX) is cost-effective with a similar success rate to surgical treatment. The presence of fetal heart beats, β-human chorionic gonadotropin >5000 mIU/mL, and EP size >4 cm are relative contraindications for using MTX in the treatment of EP.

Trends in Opioid Prescriptions after Laparoscopic Sterilization

Background and Objectives:

Examine trends in opioid prescriptions after laparoscopic sterilization over time, and identify any individual patient, provider, or procedural factors influencing prescribing.

Methods:

A retrospective observational cohort analysis of laparoscopic sterilizations between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2019 at Montefiore Medical Center. A review of the medical records was performed and information on patient demographics, comorbid conditions, and surgical characteristics were collected. The number of opioid pills prescribed postoperatively and any pain related patient calls, visits, or refills was recorded.

Results:

Between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2019, 615 laparoscopic sterilizations were performed. The median number of opioid pills prescribed was 10, ranging from 0 to 40. There was a significant decrease in the number of opioid pills prescribed (p < .0001) and refill incidence (p < .001) over time. Patients with a documented diagnosis of pelvic pain received significantly more opioid pills (p = .02), as did patients who underwent tubal occlusion versus salpingectomy (p = .01). There was no association between the number of opioid pills prescribed and other patient or procedural characteristics. Finally, the number of pills prescribed was not associated with urgent patient contact (p = .34).

Conclusions:

The overall number of opioid pills prescribed after laparoscopic sterilization decreased at our institution over time, which paralleled a decrease in refills and urgent postoperative patient contact. Further, few clinical characteristics influenced postoperative prescribing and there was no association between number of pills prescribed and urgent patient contact. These findings suggest excess prescribing and highlight the need to identify and adopt an evidenced-based approach to postsurgical opioid prescriptions.

Dysregulated erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular receptor A2 (EphA2) is involved in tubal pregnancy via regulating cell adhesion of the Fallopian tube epithelial cells

BACKGROUND

Tyrosine kinase receptor erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular receptor A2 (EphA2) is abundant in the endometrium and plays a role in the establishment of eutopic implantation. A similar molecular mechanism may exist between uterine implantation and tubal implantation, therefore EphA2 involvement in tubal pregnancy is suspected. Due to the limited availability of human Fallopian tube specimens, EphA2 expression in human Fallopian tube epithelium remains largely unknown.

METHODS

A total of 31 women with tubal pregnancy and 41 non-pregnant women with benign uterine diseases were enrolled in this study. Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate the expression pattern of EphA2 in the Fallopian tube epithelium of non-pregnant women (n = 29) and women with tubal pregnancy (n = 17). The changes of EphA2 and its activated form, phosphorylated-EphA2 (Pho-EphA2), in the Fallopian tube epithelium from non-pregnant women (n = 12) and women with tubal pregnancy (n = 14) were compared by quantitative RT-PCR and western blot assay.

RESULTS

EphA2 was expressed throughout the Fallopian tube epithelium, including the isthmus, the ampulla and the infundibulum. EphA2 concentration remained unchanged throughout the whole menstrual cycle, irrespective of menstrual phases and tubal regions. EphA2 mRNA in the Fallopian tube epithelium did not differ between normal women and women with tubal pregnancy (P > 0.05). With respect to the protein level, a significantly higher ratio of EphA2 over Pho-EphA2 was shown in women with tubal pregnancy (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

EphA2 is widely expressed in human Fallopian tube epithelium in a temporospatial-independent manner. Dysregulated EphA2 and its phosphorylation-dependent regulatory mechanism may unexpectedly enhance the cell adhesion activity of the Fallopian tube epithelial cells, leading to a mis-contact between the Fallopian tube epithelium and the embryo.

Postpartum tubal ligation: A retrospective review of anesthetic management at a single institution and a practice survey of academic institutions

STUDY OBJECTIVE

The primary aim was to evaluate institutional anesthetic techniques utilized for postpartum tubal ligation (PPTL). Secondarily, academic institutions were surveyed on their clinical practice for PPTL.

DESIGN

An institutional-specific retrospective review of patients with ICD-9 procedure codes for PPTL over a 2-year period was conducted. Obstetric anesthesia fellowship directors were surveyed on anesthetic management of PPTL.

SETTING

Labor and delivery unit. Internet survey.

PATIENTS

202 PPTL procedures were reviewed. 47 institutions were surveyed; 26 responses were received.

MEASUREMENTS

Timing of PPTL, anesthetic management, postoperative pain and length of stay.

MAIN RESULTS

There was an epidural catheter reactivation failure rate of 26% (18/69 epidural catheter reactivation attempts). Time from epidural catheter insertion to PPTL was a significant factor associated with failure: median [IQR; range] time for successful versus failed epidural catheter reactivation was 17h [10-25; 3-55] and 28h [14-33; 5-42], respectively (P=0.028). Epidural catheter reactivation failure led to significantly longer times to provide surgical anesthesia than successful epidural catheter reactivation or primary spinal technique: median [IQR] 41min [33-54] versus 15min [12-21] and 19min [15-24], respectively (P<0.0001). Fifty-eight percent (15/26) of respondents routinely leave the labor epidural catheter in-situ if PPTL is planned. Sixty-five percent (17/26) and 7% (2/26) would not attempt to reactivate the epidural catheter for PPTL if >8h and >24h post-delivery, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Epidural catheter reactivation failure increases with longer intervals between catheter placement and PPTL. Failed epidural catheter reactivation increases anesthetic and operating room times. Our results and the significant variability in practice from our survey suggest recommendations on the timing and anesthetic management are needed to reduce unfulfilled PPTL procedures.

Serous Tubal Carcinogenesis: The Recent Concept of Origin of Ovarian, Primary Peritoneal and Fallopian Tube High-Grade Serous Carcinoma

Background

Pelvic (non-uterine) high-grade serous carcinomas (PHGSC) including ovarian, tubal and primary peritoneal serous carcinomas have increased death: incidence ratio due to presentation at advanced stage, rapid progression, poor prognosis and high morbidity. Ambiguity regarding their pathogenesis and lack of a proper screening method is the cause of their late detection and high fatality rate. This study was undertaken to assess the fallopian tube for the presence of precursor lesions in pelvic serous carcinoma.

Methods

This was a prospective case-control study carried out in a tertiary care center. Consecutive specimens of 55 cases of pelvic high-grade serous carcinoma and 41 controls inclusive of 21 low-grade serous carcinoma, 10 benign adnexal masses and 10 normal adnexa were included in the study. Both side fallopian tubes in each case were subjected to histopathological examination and p53, Ki67 immunohistochemistry.

Results

There were 55 cases of PHGSC comprising of 50 cases of ovarian HGSC, two cases of primary peritoneal carcinoma (PPC) and three cases of tubal carcinoma. Serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC) was detected in 14 cases (28%), p53 signature in 13 cases (26%) and tubal intraepithelial lesion in transition in 10 cases (20%) of ovarian HGSC. One case (50%) of PPC and one (33%) case of tubal carcinoma revealed the presence of STIC. None of the controls exhibited any precursor lesion except ovarian low-grade serous carcinoma where p53 was detected in 20% of cases.

Conclusion

This revelation concludes that fallopian tubes are the sites of precursors of PHGSC to a large extent. In the absence of a proper screening method of HGSC, prophylactic bilateral salpingectomy at hysterectomy for benign diseases can achieve ultimate goal of reduction in incidence of PHGSC.

Spontaneous live recurrent ectopic pregnancy after ipsilateral partial salpingectomy leading to tubal rupture

•

This is the first reported case in the literature describing a recurrent ectopic pregnancy with a fetal heartbeat after ipsilateral salpingectomy that led to tubal rupture.

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Although exceptionally rare, recurrent ectopic pregnancy may occur after ipsilateral salpingectomy.

•

Physicians should be aware that ectopic pregnancies may not only occur repeatedly but may also present atypically.

•

We recommend when performing a salpingectomy that efforts be undertaken to minimize the length of the tubal remnant and to assure adequate coagulation of tissue so as to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Introduction

Ectopic pregnancy accounts for 1–2% of all pregnancies in the United States. The most common site of implantation for an ectopic pregnancy is the fallopian tube. We present the first case describing a recurrent ectopic pregnancy with a fetal heartbeat after ipsilateral salpingectomy that led to tubal rupture.

Presentation of case

The patient presented with abdominal pain approximately six weeks after her last menstrual period. Seven years prior to presentation, a laparoscopic partial right salpingectomy had been performed for a tubal ectopic pregnancy. Physical exam was significant for diffuse abdominal tenderness and guarding. Ultrasonography revealed a right tubal pregnancy with a fetal pole and a fetal heart rate that was calculated to be 108 beats per minute. Free fluid was also noted. 1.5 l of hemoperitoneum was subsequently evacuated and the right fallopian tube remnant with the ectopic pregnancy was removed. Pathology of the tubal remnant showed immature chorionic villi and fetal parts.

Discussion

The mechanism by which a recurrent ectopic pregnancy after ipsilateral salpingectomy occurs is unclear, but is theorized to be secondary to contralateral fertilization and/or tubal recanalization that may occur due to inadequate diathermy.

Conclusion

Physicians should be aware that ectopic pregnancies may not only occur repeatedly but may also present a typically. We recommend when performing a salpingectomy that efforts be undertaken to minimize the length of the tubal remnant and to assure adequate coagulation of tissue so as to reduce the risk of recurrence.

A case of heterotopic pregnancy with tubal rupture

Heterotopic Pregnancy (HP) is the simultaneous development of an intra-uterine pregnancy and ectopic pregnancy. In natural cycle, it is a very rare event. With the increasing popularity of ovulation induction performed during assisted reproductive techniques, its incidence has significantly increased. However, diagnosis is often delayed because of its rarity and difficulty. Heterotopic pregnancy is an important differential diagnosis to consider in patients with intra-uterine pregnancies presenting with acute abdominal pain and hemoperitoneum. Here we are reporting a case of heterotopic pregnancy in a 26-year-old woman presented with symptoms and signs of ruptured tubal pregnancy with live intra-uterine gestation at 8 weeks of amenorrhea.