Diagnosis, Management, and Therapy of Fetal Ovarian Cysts Detected by Prenatal Ultrasonography: A Report of 36 Cases and Literature Review

Background: Fetal ovarian cysts are the most frequently diagnosed intra-abdominal cysts; however, the evidence for perinatal management remains controversial. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed cases of fetal ovarian cysts diagnosed by prenatal ultrasonography at our institution between January 2010 and January 2020. The following were investigated: gestational age at diagnosis, cyst size, appearance, prenatal ultrasound findings, and postnatal outcomes. Prior to 2018, expectant management was applied in all cases; after 2018, in utero aspiration (IUA) of simple cysts ≥ 40 mm was performed. Results: We diagnosed 29 and seven simple and complex cysts, respectively. Fourteen patients had simple cysts with a maximum diameter < 40 mm, and two of them progressed to complex cysts during follow-up; however, when the diameter was limited to < 35 mm, no cases showed progression to complex cyst. Fifteen of the simple cysts were ≥ 40 mm; three progressed to complex cysts, and two of them were confirmed to be ovarian necrosis. In four patients who underwent IUA, the ovaries could be preserved. Conclusions: IUA is a promising therapy for preserving ovaries with simple cysts ≥ 40 mm in diameter; however, the indications for fetal surgery and the appropriate timing of intervention require further study.

Modern approaches for perinatal management in thrombocytopenia during pregnancy

The most common diseases of the blood system in pregnant women are anemia and thrombocytopenia (TP). There is a general tendency to significantly reducing of the number of platelets during pregnancy, starting from the first trimester with a minimum number of them during childbirth. Purpose — to learn the features of motion of pregnancy, diagnostic and curative tactician at the thrombocytopenia during pregnancy. The causes of TP during pregnancy are three groups of conditions — conditions for which TP is characteristic outside of pregnancy and conditions associated with pregnancy: gestational thrombocytopenia (GTP), pregnancy-specific complications, manifestations of diseases characterized by TP, with the chief reason among them — immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). The most common cause of TP during pregnancy is GTP, which, like ITP, is diagnose of exclusion that require differential diagnosis. The goal of treating TP during pregnancy is to achieve a safe platelet count that is different for each trimester, not target values. If the treatment of ITP is need lines of therapy with control of efficiency are consistently applied. Pregnant women with moderate and severe TP are a group of high perinatal risk, requiring careful differential diagnosis of the causes of TP, calculation of maternal and fetal risks, choice of tactics of such pregnancy, method and time of delivery, formation of postnatal care plan. No conflict of interest was declared by the authors. Key words: pregnancy, thrombocytopenia, immune thrombocytopenia, gestational thromocytopenia.

The current obstetrical and perinatal management of congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia is a severe condition with an etiology and pathogenesis still been developed; also, the involvement of genetic and environmental factors in the occurrence of this malformation is under study. Morbi-mortality in these patients is high, and quality of life is diminished. Under these circumstances, careful follow-up of the pregnancy and multidisciplinary management after birth is needed to diagnose the malformation as early as possible and adapt the therapeutic plan to the particularities of each case. In conclusion, despite several research data in the literature concerning this topic, the management of newborn babies with congenital diaphragmatic hernia remains a severe challenge. The treatment of congenital diaphragmatic hernia remains the prerogative of overqualified teams.

Placental Types and Effective Perinatal Management of Vasa Previa: Lessons from 55 Cases in a Single Institution

Background: We aimed to identify clinical characteristics and outcomes for each placental type of vasa previa (VP). Methods: Placental types of vasa previa were defined as follows: Type 1, vasa previa with velamentous cord insertion and non-type 1, vasa previa with a multilobed or succenturiate placenta and vasa previa with vessels branching out from the placental surface and returning to the placental cotyledons. Results: A total of 55 cases of vasa previa were included in this study, with 35 cases of type 1 and 20 cases of non-type 1. Vasa previa with type 1 showed a significantly higher association with assisted reproductive technology, compared with non-type 1 (p = 0.024, 60.0% and 25.0%, respectively). The diagnosis was significantly earlier in the type 1 group than in the non-Type 1 group (p = 0.027, 21.4 weeks and 28.6 weeks, respectively). Moreover, the Ward technique for anterior placentation to avoid injury of the placenta and/or fetal vessels was more frequently required in non-type 1 cases (p < 0.001, 60.0%, compared with 14.3% for type 1). Conclusion: The concept of defining placental types of vasa previa will provide useful information for the screening of this serious complication, improve its clinical management and operative strategy, and achieve more preferable perinatal outcomes.

When diamniotic twins suddenly become monoamniotic twins: spontaneous septostomy of the dividing membrane

In twin pregnancies, amnionicity and chorionicity are crucial as they strongly determine prenatal and perinatal management. First trimester ultrasound allows a highly reliable diagnosis of amnionicity and chorionicity, making it an internationally accepted standard in antenatal care. However, in rare cases, amnionicity can change from diamniotic to monoamniotic throughout pregnancy, substantially impacting perinatal management. We report the case of a confirmed monochorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy with a diagnosis of spontaneous septostomy of the dividing membrane (SSDM) at 28 weeks of gestation, resulting in a pseudomonoamniotic pregnancy. Even though SSDM is a rare condition and its sonographic diagnosis might be challenging, it should be considered if, in a known diamniotic pregnancy, there is a sudden failure to visualise the intertwin membrane truly separating both twins.