The endomyometrial thickness measurement for abnormal implantation evaluation by pelvic sonography

Emergency physicians, obstetrician-gynecologists, and other medical specialists use pelvic sonography when caring for patients presenting with early pregnancy-related symptoms. A thin endomyometrial mantle and eccentric placement of a gestational sac should raise the suspicion for an abnormally implanted pregnancy. In such cases, an interstitial ectopic pregnancy or a cornual pregnancy, two clinically distinct entities, must be considered. This article reviews the literature and guidelines on the sonographic measurement of the endomyometrial mantle as a criterion for determining a pregnancy at risk for an abnormal implantation location. We sought to clarify the history and evolution of this measurement to determine what should be considered an abnormal measurement and to understand its diagnostic utility and management implications for the clinician using sonography.

[Heterotopic pregnancy following in vitro fertilization with excision of ruptured cornual pregnancy and eventually caesarean section close to term]

We describe a rare case of heterotopic pregnancy following in vitro fertilization with transferring of two embryos in a 39-year-old woman with previous bilateral salpingectomy. An ultrasound examination was performed on the day before admission showing a vital intrauterine pregnancy and no ectopic pregnancy. The woman was admitted with a ruptured cornual pregnancy at ten weeks of gestation. Laparotomy was performed on vital indication with excision of the ruptured haemorrhagic cornual pregnancy. The intrauterine pregnancy continued uneventfully with obstetric and fetal medicine specialist monitoring. A healthy boy was delivered by elective caesarean section.

[Cornual pregnancy in 2 cases]

Cornual pregnancy is one of the diseases caused by embryo embedment at abnormal site. Since few women with cornual pregnancy continue to a middle or late gestation are at a relatively increased risk of uterus rupture,placenta accrete,postpartum hemorrhage and some other severe obstetric complications. We reported two cases of cornual pregnancy at the third trimester, including their clinical symptoms, diagnoses, treatments and obstetric outcomes. Patient 1 had regular prenatal examination. The ultrasound scan at the second trimester showed that the placenta was located at the right fundus of uterus and the myometrium was thin. She had sudden-onset abdominal pain and hypovolemic shock at the end of 33 weeks of gestation. Emergency laparotomy revealed right cornual pregnancy rupture and delivered a dead fetus. After removing the residual gestational tissue and repairing the uterine defect, a live infant was born by cesarean section three years later. Patient 2 was found an unusually located placenta accreta at the right cornu when cesarean section was performed for twin pregnancy and pre-eclampsia. Conservative treatments were tried to reduce bleeding, such as strong contractive drugs, B-Lynch suture,bilateral ascending branch of uterine artery ligation, but they all failed. The patient developed to disseminated intravascular coagulation and had to accept hysterectomy at last. Through analysis of the above two cases and review of related literature, we explored the diagnoses and management of the patients with cornual pregnancy at the late trimester. Ultrasonography is essential to diagnose cornual pregnancy, especially at the early stage, and the abnormal images need special attention during the whole term. Besides magnetic resonance imaging is an alternative method to evaluate the location and placenta accrete. Since cornual pregnancy is always accompanied with placenta accrete, which tends to result in uncontrollable postpartum hemorrhage and increase maternal mortality, cesarean section is suggested once diagnosed and individualized treatment strategy is made according to specific circumstances, including age, bearing requirement, severity of the disease, underlying disease and so on. Therefore, adequate preparation is very important and necessary before surgery. Drugs and conservative surgeries should be considered first when hemorrhage happens, however, hysterectomy is the last method to save patients' lives when other treatment doesn't work.

Analysis of the Clinical Efficacy of Conservative Treatment for an Unruptured Cornual Pregnancy

CONTEXT

Early diagnosis and early treatment of cornual pregnancy are very important. Conservative treatment before rupture can greatly reduce the patient's trauma. It's very important to choose a treatment method for cornual pregnancy with a high level of effectiveness, few adverse reactions, and no effects on fertility.

OBJECTIVE

The study intended to compare the clinical efficacy of different treatments for unruptured cornual pregnancy to find a safe, effective, minimally invasive treatment for unruptured cornual pregnancy that has few side effects and doesn't affect fertility.

DESIGN

The research team retrospectively collected the clinical data of patients to analyze the benefits of treatments for cornual pregnancy.

SETTING

The study took place in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Wuhan Third Hospital in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants were 61 patients with an unruptured cornual pregnancy who had been admitted to the hospital between September 2002 and May 2012.

INTERVENTION

Participants were divided into four groups according to the treatment they received: (1) 20 patients who had been orally administered mifepristone combined with misoprostol and received uterine curettage were included in the drug abortion + curettage group (D group); (2) 16 patients who had received ultrasound-guided uterine aspiration were included in the uterine aspiration group (U group); (3) 15 patients who had received methotrexate (MTX) chemotherapy were included in the chemotherapy group (C group); and (4) 10 patients who had received ultrasound-guided hysteroscope operation were included in the hysteroscope operation group (H group).

OUTCOME MEASURES

Adverse reactions and the decrease in participants' blood β-HCG were recorded in detail. The participants were followed up for two months.

RESULTS

Of the 61 participants, 12 underwent surgery after failed conservative treatment, one in the D group, four in the U group, three in the C group, and four in the H group. No significant difference existed in the baseline data among the four groups. The decline rates of β-HCG at seven days after treatment and the treatment success rates of participants in the D group were significantly higher than those in the U group, the C group, and the H group (all P < .05). The time at which the β-HCG turned negative and the average hospital stays weren't significantly different among the four groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study found that oral administration of mifepristone, combined with misoprostol, plus uterine curettage was superior to the other three methods in treatment of unruptured cornual pregnancy. The drug abortion + curettage treatment was found to be a safe, effective, minimally invasive treatment for unruptured cornual pregnancy, which has few side effects and doesn't affect fertility.

Cornual pregnancy rupture and massive hemorrhage: A case report

BACKGROUND

Corneal pregnancy is rare and difficult to detect in the early stages. Due to the abundant blood supply in this area, a rupture can result in massive internal bleeding, shock, and even death. Therefore, immediate surgery is necessary, and patients must replenish their blood volume as soon as possible to ensure blood supply to important organs. For those whose blood pressure cannot immediately rise, surgery should be performed while resisting shock to buy time.

CASE SUMMARY

We present the case of a 34-year-old Chinese woman at 19 weeks of gestation who had a corneal pregnancy. No abnormalities were detected in the examinations in the first trimester. This patient was 19 weeks pregnant and sought medical advice due to sudden lower abdominal pain, syncope, and hemorrhagic shock. After rescue and treatment, she recovered and was discharged from the hospital, afterwards, the patient gave birth to a child 7 years later.

CONCLUSION

The early diagnosis of cornual pregnancy is mainly based on ultrasound. However, there is a high incidence of missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis of this disease. Patients may face serious and life-threatening conditions in case of the rupture of cornual pregnancy. This disease can be mainly treated by surgery.

Cornual Pregnancy: Results of a Single-Center Retrospective Experience and Systematic Review on Reproductive Outcomes

Background and Objectives: Cornual pregnancies (CPs) are rare forms of ectopic pregnancy. When abortion does not occur, it can be a life-threatening condition for the mother and can also impair future fertility. We present our experience in the diagnosis and management of CPs. A systematic review was also conducted to investigate the reproductive outcomes after treatment. Materials and Methods: Between January 2010 and December 2022, we performed a retrospective, cross-sectional, single-center, and descriptive data collection and analysis (ClinicalTrial ID: NCT06165770). The search for suitable articles published in English was carried out using the following databases (PROSPERO ID: CRD42023484909): MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health, The Cochrane Library (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Cochrane Methodology Register), Health Technology Assessment Database, Web of Science, and search register such as ClinicalTrial. Only studies describing the impact of CP treatment on fertility were selected. Results: Two studies were included in the systematic review. Seventeen patients suffering from CPs were selected. In our series, a pelvic ultrasound allowed for the diagnosis of a cornual localization in 35.30% of cases. Thirteen women (76.47%) underwent immediate surgical management. The laparoscopic approach was the most used (76.92%), with a laparotomic conversion rate of 30%. Four patients (23.52%) received medical treatment with methotrexate. After treatment, two patients managed to achieve pregnancy. Conclusions: CP is a rare form of ectopic pregnancy that can quickly become life-threatening for the mother. Ultrasound does not lead to a precise diagnosis in all cases. In the absence of complications and emergencies, laparoscopy is an approach that could be considered valid. For selected asymptomatic patients, medical treatment may be a valid alternative. The data from the studies included in the systematic review, although demonstrating a superiority of medical treatment in terms of future pregnancies, are heterogeneous and do not allow us to reach a definitive conclusion.