[Doppler waveforms patterns of vascular anastomoses in monochorionic twin pregnancies. A report of three cases and review of the literature]. / Mise en évidence des anastomoses vasculaires par la vélocimétrie doppler dans les grossesses gémellaires monochoriales. Revue de la littérature à propos de trois cas.

Three cases of intermittent absent end-diastolic and reversed end-diastolic flow velocity (A/REDV) are reported in the proximal umbilical artery of the growth-retarded twin in monochorionic twin pregnancies. This typical doppler velocimetric pattern has been related to arterio-arterial anastomoses in two cases of intra-uterine growth retardation and in one case of twin-twin transfusion syndrome. According to the literature, superficial arterio-arterial anastomoses may be detected by doppler colour velocimetry in 75 to 85% of cases, while identification of arteriovenous connections is more difficult to be documented in vivo (50% of cases in experienced hands). The role of superficial vascular anastomoses, either arterio-arterial or venovenous, and that of deep arteriovenous communications is now well documented in the main complications of monochorionic pregnancies, particularly for twin-twin transfusion syndrome, intrauterine growth retardation, intrauterine fetal death and acardiac twins.

[Spontaneous hematoma of the rectus sheath during pregnancy: a case report]. / Hématome spontané du muscle grand droit de l'abdomen au cours de la grossesse: à propos d'un cas.

A case of spontaneous rectus sheath hematoma is reported in a 32-year-old multigravida transferred to our antepartum unit for premature labor and persistent cough related to Candida dubliniensis upper airway infection. In pregnant patients presenting sudden-onset severe abdominal pain and parietal tenderness, there are two main differential diagnoses: abruptio placentae and aseptic necrobiosis of a uterine leiomyoma. The correct diagnosis may be obtained by ultrasonography and sometimes by computed tomography. In the present case an emergency cesarean section was performed at 35 weeks gestation after a 40% decrease in maternal hemoglobin and onset of fetal heart rate anomalies.