RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Intrauterine device fracture, as we know it today, is an infrequent event, usually described as isolated cases. The purpose of this study was to look for factors influencing intrauterine fragment retention after device rupture. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. A total of 135 patients were recruited, and the cohort follow-up ran for three full years from 2018 to 2020. RESULTS: Thirty-three percent of patients had a retained intrauterine fragment compared to 82 of 123 (66.7%) who had expelled it spontaneously. In the group of patients who had at least one intercurrent period between device fracture and confirmatory fragment persistent test, we found persistence of intrauterine fragment in 18 of 71 (25.4%) patients compared to 53 of 71 (74.6%) who did not (p = 0.047). A total of 6 of 39 (15.4%) of the patients with spontaneous rupture of the device presented with persistence of the intrauterine fragment compared to 32 of 81 (39.2%) of the group with fracture after manipulation (p = 0.006). The mean time elapsed from the fracture to the confirmatory test in the patients who had persistence of the fragment was 26.97 days (range from 0 to 116), while in those who expelled it spontaneously, a mean of 45.59 days (range 7-267) had elapsed (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The main factors positively influencing complete expulsion of the fragmented IUD were elapsed time of 45 days or more, intercurrent menstruation or spontaneous fracture. Therefore, the proposed protocol calls for expectant management for at least 1.5 months after fracture, allowing at least one intercurrent period to elapse prior to any therapeutic manoeuvre.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Cor triatriatum sinistrum or cor triatriatum sinister is a rare congenital heart disease that accounts for approximately 0.1% of all cardiac abnormalities. It is defined as the presence of an anomalous septum that divides the left atrium into two cavities, and in most cases, it can be asymptomatic or less frequently very severe. CASE SUMMARY: A 37-year-old pregnant woman visited our hospital. In the first trimester scan, we detected signs of fluid in the pericardium (pericardial effusion) that reached the atriums. In the third trimester, an anomalous septum in the left atrium suspicious of cor triatriatum sinister was detected. Expectant management was decided, the pregnancy evolved normally and resulted in uncomplicated delivery of a healthy child. The findings in the prenatal scan were confirmed by echocardiography and the diagnosis of cor triatriatum sinister was confirmed. The newborn was asymptomatic at all times. CONCLUSION: We show expectant management of cor triatriatum sinister and suggest an association between this entity and early pericardial effusion.
