Correction to: Predictors of cerclage failure in patients with singleton pregnancy undergoing prophylactic cervical cerclage.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The presentation of Table 3 was incorrect. The corrected Table 3 is given below.

Predictors of cerclage failure in patients with singleton pregnancy undergoing prophylactic cervical cerclage.

PURPOSE: The role of cervical cerclage to prevent preterm birth (PTB) remains controversial. The aim of this study was to identify prognostic factors for cerclage failure among singleton pregnant women following prophylactic cerclage (PC). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of PC was performed in a single center. The main outcome measure was cerclage failure, defined by spontaneous early PTB prior to 32 weeks' gestation. Age, BMI, history of instrumentation of the uterus, history of second trimester miscarriage, previous conization, positive vaginal swab prior cerclage, gestational age at time of cerclage, CRP 1 week after cerclage and post-cerclage US changes of cervical length were tested as predictive factors. Descriptive statistical and binary logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: 141 women underwent cerclage procedures between 2007 and 2016. 39 patients had PC with McDonald suture, singleton pregnancy and complete clinical follow-up information, thus fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Multivariate analysis showed that history of instrumentation of the uterus was the only independent prognostic factor [OR = 0.14 (0.03, 0.72) p = 0.019] for cerclage failure. CONCLUSION: This is the first study showing that a history of previous uterine instrumentation is an independent predictor of cerclage failure. This finding has significant clinical implications for women of childbearing age, particularly when management of miscarriage/abortion is being considered. Women should be informed about the potential risks when counseled prior to surgical evacuation and medical management or cervical ripening should be considered. These results are also helpful in counseling patients undergoing cerclage, when a prior uterine instrumentation has been performed.

Fetal Cerebellar Vermis Circumference Measured by 2-Dimensional Ultrasound Scan: Reference Range, Feasibility and Reproducibility.

Purpose: To provide 2-dimensional ultrasonographic (2D-US) normograms of cerebellar vermis biometry, as well as to evaluate the feasibility and the reproducibility of these measurements in clinical practice. Materials and Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study of 328 normal singleton pregnancies between 18 and 33 weeks of gestation. Measurements of the fetal cerebellar vermis circumference (VC) in the mid-sagittal plane were performed by both a senior and a junior operator using 2D-US. VC as a function of gestational age (GA) was expressed by regression equations. In 24 fetuses 3-dimensional (3D) reconstructed planes were obtained in order to allow comparisons with 2D-US measurements. The agreement between 2D and 3D measurements and the interobserver variability were assessed by interclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Results: Satisfactory vermis measurements could be obtained in 89.9% of cases. The VC (constant= - 12.21; slope=2.447; r=0.887, p<0.0001) correlated linearly with GA. A high degree of consistency was observed between 2D and 3D ultrasound measurements (ICC=0.846 95% CI 679-0.930) as well as between measurements obtained by different examiners (ICC=0.890 95% CI 989-0.945). Conclusion: 2-dimensional ultrasonographic measurements of cerebellar vermis throughout gestation in the mid-sagittal view seem to be feasible and reproducible enough to be potentially used in clinical practice. Such measurements may supply a tool for accurate identification of posterior fossa anomalies, providing the basis for proper counseling and management and of these conditions.

Laparoscopic Cerclage as a Treatment Option for Cervical Insufficiency.

Background: The traditional surgical treatment for cervical insufficiency is vaginal placement of a cervical cerclage. However, in a small number of cases a vaginal approach is not possible. A transabdominal approach can become an option for these patients. Laparoscopic cervical cerclage is associated with good pregnancy outcomes but comes at the cost of a higher risk of serious surgical complications. The aim of the present study was to evaluate intraoperative and long-term pregnancy outcomes after laparoscopic cervical cerclage, performed either as an interval procedure or during early pregnancy, using a new device with a blunt grasper and a flexible tip. Methods: All women who underwent laparoscopic cervical cerclage for cervical insufficiency in our institution using the Goldfinger® device (Ethicon Endo Surgery, Somerville, NJ, USA) between January 2008 and March 2014 were included in the study. Data were collected from the patients' medical records and included complications during and after the above-described procedure. Results: Eighteen women were included in the study. Of these, six were pregnant at the time of laparoscopic cervical cerclage. Mean duration of surgery was 55 ± 10 minutes. No serious intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred. All patients were discharged at 2.6 ± 0.9 days after surgery. One pregnancy ended in a miscarriage at 12 weeks of gestation. All other pregnancies ended at term (> 37 weeks of gestation) with good perinatal and maternal outcomes. Summary: Performing a laparoscopic cervical cerclage using a blunt grasper device with a flexible tip does not increase intraoperative complications, particularly in early pregnancy. We believe that use of this device, which is characterized by increased maneuverability, could be an important option to avoid intraoperative complications if surgical access is limited due to the anatomical situation. However, because of the small sample size, further studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Pregnancy After a Laparoscopic Sacrohysteropexy: a Case Report.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) is a rare condition during pregnancy. If all conservative treatments fail, the surgical approach has proven to be in non-pregnant women a very good option due to high efficacy and a very low morbidity and mortality rate. We are reporting on the clinical results of a 33-year-old pregnant woman with a past history of laparoscopic sacrohysteropexy who delivered by caesarean section due to a foetal breech presentation. There are only a handful of cases reporting the outcome "pregnancy" after a laparoscopic sacrohysteropexy. Nevertheless, this appears to be a useful intervention for women with a POP unresponsive to conservative treatment and open family planning. Further studies with long-term follow-ups are required to confirm this.

Minilaparotomy a good option in specific cases: a case report of bilateral ovarian germ cell tumor.

Mature cystic teratomas (MCTs) of the ovary represent 44% of ovarian neoplasmas. The surgical approach is important in young women especially for the cosmetic results. Nowadays most of the ovarian surgeries can be performed laparoscopically. An alternative between laparoscopy and laparotomy is the minilaparotomy (ML) which can be an interesting option, thanks to the small incision. We report a 39-year-old woman who was referred to our hospital with acute abdominal pain. In her past history the patient had an uncomplicated delivery. During pregnancy a 6 cm bilateral MCT was diagnosed and expectant management was followed. A left-sided ovarial torsion was postulated, and laparoscopic detorsion was performed. To avoid a rupture of the left MCT, the operation was interrupted. To remove the cyst, a ML was done two weeks later. A left-sided salpingo-oophorectomy was performed due to a large cyst including the entire ovary. On the other side, the right dermoid cyst was entirely removed. The advantage of a ML is not only shorter operating time with less learning curve compared to laparoscopy but also the possibility to extract the adnexal mass from the abdominal cavity with lower risk of rupture and in addition the possibility to preserve more ovarian tissue.

Spontaneous rupture of an adrenal artery in pregnancy: a case report.

A spontaneous rupture of an adrenal artery is a rare cause of abdominal pain in pregnancy. We present a case of a pregnant woman who needed to be operated on because of a rupture of the right adrenal artery associated with a fetal bradycardia. An immediate caesarean section was performed. The intra-abdominal palpation identified an extensive retroperitoneal mass near the right kidney and a postoperative computer tomography confirmed an active bleeding near the kidney. For this reason our interventional radiology team, using a right femoral artery approach, performed a flush aortogram and identified the source of bleeding in the right adrenal artery. After two attempts, a coiling of the artery stopped the haemorrhage. The pathogenesis of arterial haemorrhage is still poorly understood although a possible cause could be the excess of hormones during pregnancy, which can lead to a significant arterial wall degeneration. In case of a retroperitoneal bleeding and if the patient is still haemodynamically stable, a transcatheter embolization using microcoils must be considered. This technique is nowadays safe and effective and can be performed within a short time with a lower risk of complications.

Chylomicronemia Syndrome in Pregnancy: a Case Report of an Acute Necrotizing Pancreatitis.

Introduction: Chylomicronemia syndrome (CS) is a rare disorder characterized by a high level of triglycerides in plasma. We present a case of a pregnant woman with a severe acute pancreatitis (AP) affected by a CS. Case: A 38-year-old gravida 2, para 0 with an uneventful course of pregnancy was referred with an AP at 37 0/7 weeks of gestation. This diagnosis was made from a nearby hospital where the chemical analysis showed elevated pancreatic enzymes with significant hypertriglyceridemia. Because of a pathological fetal heart tracing a caesarean delivery was performed. The APGAR score of the female newborn was 5/8/8 at 1, 5 and 10 minutes, respectively. The pH from the umbilical cord were 7.26 (artery) and 7.59 (vein). Once transferred to our intensive care unit a computer tomography scan confirmed an onset of a necrotizing AP. A conservative treatment was tried without success. For this reason a surgical debridement of the infected and necrosic parts was performed. After a long hospitalisation the patient could be dismissed after 2.5 months in good general condition. Discussion: Lipid profile changes in normal pregnancy are characterized by an elevation of total plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels. This is normally caused by an increased liver synthesis of triglycerides in response to elevated estrogen levels. When a CS is diagnosed the main goal is to maintain fasting triglyceride levels at less than 500 mg/dL to reduce the risk for AP. Conclusion: Practitioners have an important role in evaluating chylomicronemic patients and implementing therapeutic lifestyle and pharmaceutic interventions aimed to reduce the risk for AP.

Heterotopic Pregnancy after Natural Conception: A Case Report.

Heterotopic pregnancy (HP), i.e. the simultaneous development of an intrauterine and an ectopic pregnancy, is rare with a reported incidence of between 1 : 2600 and 1 : 30 000. Only a few cases have been described in the literature. We report here on an extremely rare case of HP after natural conception with cardiac activity noted on sonography in both the intrauterine and the ectopic foetus. Examination excluded appendicitis. Vaginal sonography (VS) was performed and revealed a second, extrauterine foetus with cardiac activity. The differential diagnosis included twin pregnancy in a bicornuate uterus, but HP could not be excluded. Diagnostic laparoscopy was scheduled due to progressive abdominal pain. Shortly before surgery the patient became acutely hypotensive. Laparoscopy confirmed a heterotopic pregnancy in the right tube. Due to acute rupture of the extrauterine pregnancy with intraabdominal bleeding, the procedure was converted to a laparotomy with right-sided salpingectomy. Subsequently, the intrauterine pregnancy continued without complications. The intrauterine pregnancy was uneventful with spontaneous delivery at term.

Separation and identification of photodegradation products of benzoic acid by capillary zone electrophoresis.

A capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method was developed for separation and identification of photodegradation products of benzoic acid under irradiation at a wavelength of 300 nm. Parameters such as run buffer, applied voltage and injection time were optimized for the separation of benzoic acid and its photodegradation products. Linearity, limit of detection, and repeatability of migration time as well as peak area of the method were examined. Four reaction products, including salicylic acid, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid have been separated and identified by spiking the known compounds into the irradiated samples using the CZE method developed. The confirmation of the reaction products is one of the key steps for proposing the possible reaction mechanisms involved in the photodegradation of benzoic acid.