Postoperative outcomes of twin-twin transfusion syndrome complicated with selective intrauterine growth restriction / 中华围产医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of fetoscopic laser occlusion of chorioangiopagous vessels (FLOC) in treatment of twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) and to investigate the incidence of TTTS complicated with selective intrauterine growth restriction (sIUGR) for better understanding the effects of sIUGR as a complication of TTTS on pregnancy outcomes. Methods A retrospective study was performed on 116 gravidas who were diagnosed with TTTS of Quintero stage Ⅰ - Ⅳ in Peking University Third Hospital from September 2008 to September 2014. Among them, 44 cases received FLOC therapy. The incidences of sIUGR in each Quintero stage of TTTS were analyzed. Pregnancy outcomes of those 44 cases treated with FLOC were observed and the differences among four stage groups were analyzed. Chi-square or Fisher exact test was performed for statistical analysis. Results (1) The survival rates of both twins from stage Ⅰ to Ⅳ groups were 4/7, 10/14, 5/19 and 3/4, respectively, with statistically significant difference (χ2=7.840, P=0.038), but that in stage Ⅲ group was lower than in stage Ⅱ group without significant difference (P'=0.008). Differences in the total fetal survival rate among the four groups were statistically significant [8/14, 75% (21/28), 32% (12/38) and 6/8, χ2=14.016, P=0.002]. The total fetal survival rate in stage Ⅲ group was significantly lower than that in stageⅡ group (P'<0.008). In patients with stage Ⅲ TTTS, those complicated with sIUGR, after receiving FLOC therapy, showed a lower total fetal survival rate than those without sIUGR [21% (6/28) vs 6/10, P<0.05]. (2) Among the 116 TTTS patients, there were 63 cases (54%) with sIUGR complication. Patients with sIUGR complication in TTTS stages Ⅰ to Ⅳ groups accounted for 40% (14/35), 48% (11/23), 78% (28/36) and 46% (10/22), respectively, and the differences were significant (χ2=11.963,P=0.007). The incidence of sIUGR in stage Ⅲ group was greater than that in stage Ⅰ group (χ2=10.482, P'=0.002), and those in both stage Ⅲ and Ⅱ groups were higher than in stage Ⅰgroup without significant difference. Conclusions TTTS patients in stage Ⅲ have lower survival rate of both twins and total fetal survival rates after FLOC therapy, which may be related to a higher incidence of concurrent sIUGR.