MOLECULAR PATHWAYS IN THE ENDOCRINOLOGY OF PARTURITION.

The entire complex process of labor is the central concern of obstetrics and premature labor poses a threat to the mother and fetus and represents a core medical and social issue. In this respect, understanding the mechanism of uterine contractions at a molecular level helps shed some light on possible future prevention and treatment. New research has emphasized the role of endocannabinoids by two metabolic pathways with final products that act as antagonists: prostaglandins and prostamides (prostaglandin-ethanolamides), but with competition on substrates and enzymes. Thus, the dominant pathway will be selected on account of cellular and tissue environment.

Special forms in twin pregnancy - ACARDIAC TWIN/ Twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence.

UNLABELLED: Twin pregnancy generally represents a high-risk pregnancy, but monozygous twin pregnancy is a real challenge for the obstetrician due to the serious complications that may occur during its evolution. A very rare, severe complication of monozygous twin pregnancy, which we recently dealt with in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of the University Emergency Hospital Bucharest, was a monochorionic monoamniotic twin pregnancy with acardiac twin (TRAP). One of the fetuses (acardiac twin) presented a rudimentary unfunctional heart or even no heart at all, underdeveloped inferior part of the body and head, being transfused by the other fetus with a normal heart (pumping twin) by one superficial arterio-arterial anastomosis through which blood pumped backwards. The understanding of these cases is mandatory in order to offer maximum survival and heath chances to the viable fetus. ABBREVIATIONS: RFA = radiofrequency ablation, TRAP = reversed arterial perfusion.

Special forms in twin pregnancy - asymmetric conjoined twins.

Twin pregnancies generally represent a high-risk pregnancy. However, monozygous twins are real challenges for obstetricians due to the complications that may occur. Among the particular cases of monozygous twins in the University Emergency Hospital of Bucharest, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a monochorial monoamniotic pregnancy with conjoined twins has been described. These particular medical circumstances require a deeper understanding of the vascular anatomical particularities. An accurate diagnosis implies a most detailed description of the morphological dynamics of the fetuses with the study of the impact of the vascular anomaly on their development so that the maximum chances of survival and the best outcome for the viable fetus can be obtained. The diagnosis of the most frequently associated anomalies is also extremely important.