Effect of Teriparatide on Subsequent Fracture and Bone Mineral Density in 47 Women with Pregnancy- and Lactation-associated Osteoporosis and Vertebral Fractures.

Introduction Pregnancy- and lactation-associated osteoporosis (PLO) with predominantly vertebral fractures is a rare but severe disease which can occur in the last trimester of pregnancy or postpartum. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of teriparatide on subsequent fractures and bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with PLO. Materials and Methods A total of 47 patients with PLO and postpartum spinal fractures (mean: 4 fractures) undergoing treatment with teriparatide were investigated. The data collection period was set between 2006 and 2018. All patients received a subcutaneous injection of 20 µg teriparatide once a day for 24 months as well as individually adapted vitamin D supplementation. After 24 months of treatment, all women received no further treatment and either had regular menstrual cycles or took oral contraceptives. Fractures were confirmed by X-ray or MRI. Changes in BMD from baseline were examined using serial DXA measurements. Results After 24 months of teriparatide treatment, we could demonstrate an increase in BMD at the lumbar spine, femoral neck and total hip of + 30.1%, + 11.7% and + 12.2% respectively (p < 0.001 for all). At 12 months after cessation of treatment, BMD remained stable compared to the 24-month measurements at the lumbar spine, femoral neck and total hip which showed non-significant changes of + 1.4%, + 2.6% and + 4.1% respectively. Out of the 47 patients with PLO with a mean of 4 existing fractures, 4 patients (7.8%) sustained a subsequent fracture, two after 3 - 5 months of treatment and two at > 6 months of treatment. Conclusion 24 months of treatment with teriparatide in women with PLO and multiple vertebral fractures significantly increased BMD, predominantly BMD of the spine. As patients were premenopausal, there was no significant decrease in BMD in the following 12 months after cessation of treatment.

The impact of funneling shape on the secondary prevention of spontaneous preterm birth in patients treated with either an Arabin pessary, McDonald cerclage or early total cervical occlusion (ETCO).

OBJECTIVE: Cervical funneling is associated with spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB). The aim of this analysis was to assess the relationship between funneling shape and the response to the McDonald cerclage, the Arabin pessary and the early total cervical occlusion (ETCO). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data of 312 randomly selected singleton pregnancies with cervical shortening <25 mm or normal cervical length and evaluated them according to the progression of funneling: control group (n = 46), cervical shortening without funneling (n = 107), V-shaped funneling (n = 68), U-shaped funneling (n = 47), and prolapse of the amniotic sac (n = 44). We evaluated sPTB rates <34, <28, <32, and <37 weeks as well as prolongation of gestation and birthweight. RESULTS: Regarding the rate of sPTB <34 weeks there was no statistical significance in either of the comparisons between control group and each of the four risk groups. Regarding prolongation of gestation we demonstrated a statistical significance for all risk groups compared to the control group (all p < .05) with the lowest prolongation rate noted in the group with amnion prolapse and the highest in the group with isolated cervical shortening without funneling. Similarly, progression of funnel shape resulted in an absolute decrease of birthweight for all risk groups compared to the control group, albeit not significant for the group with U-shaped funneling (p = .1058). CONCLUSION: Independent of the treatment, there was a significant impact of funneling shape on pregnancy duration and birthweight.

The effect of the onset of labor on the characteristics of the cesarean scar.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of cesarean section (CS) timing, elective versus unplanned, on the residual myometrial thickness (RMT) and CS scars. METHODS: This is a prospective single-blinded observational cohort study with 186 observations. Patients indicated to undergo first singleton CS were preoperatively recruited. Exclusion criteria were history of repeated CS, vertical hysterotomy, diabetes, and additional uterine surgeries. Sonographic examination was performed for assessing the RMT ratio, the presence of a niche, fibrosis, and the distance from the scar to the internal os (SO) 1 year after CS. Power analysis was performed with 0.05 α, 0.1 ß, and all statistical analyses were conducted with Stata® . RESULTS: Wilcoxon rank-sum test for the association between CS timing, RMT ratio and SO showed Z values of -0.59 and -4.94 (P = 0.553 and P < 0.001), respectively. There was no association between CS timing and niches and fibrosis (P > 0.99 and P = 0.268, respectively). Linear regression between SO and the extent of cervical dilatation showed a -0.45 ß (95% confidence interval -0.68 to -0.21) and a 10.22-mm intercept (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: RMT is independent of the timing of CS, but the SO distance shows a negative linear relationship with the cervical dilatation.

Anatomy of the sonographic post-cesarean uterus.

PURPOSE: We aim to describe the sonographic uterine anatomy after a cesarean section (CS), test the reproducibility of predefined measurements from the BSUM study, and report the distribution of these measurements. METHODS: This is a descriptive observational study where 200 women with a history of only one CS were recruited 12-24 months postoperatively. A 5-13 MHz micro-convex transvaginal transducer was used for the acquisition of volumetric datasets for evaluating the CS scars. We defined 15 distinct measurements including the residual myometrial thickness (RMT). RMT ratio was calculated as a percentage of RMT to the assumed pre-cesarean anterior uterine wall thickness. A P value below 0.05 is utilized for significant statistical analysis. RESULTS: Patients were included on average 18.5 months post-cesarean. The uterus was anteflexed in 82.5% and retroflexed in 17.5%. Myometrial defects at the site of CS manifest in two forms, either as a niche or as fibrosis. Patients are classified into four groups: those with isolated niches (45%), combined niches and fibrosis (38.5%), isolated fibrosis (11%), and lacking both (5%). The median RMT ratio for these groups was 63.09, 40.93, 59.84, and 100% with a standard deviation of 16.73, 12.95, 16.59, and 0, respectively. The interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) remained above 0.9 for all distinct measurements among these groups except for those of RMT, where ICC varied between 0.47 and 0.96. The RMT ratio shows a constant ICC at 0.94 regardless of the group. CONCLUSION: The post-cesarean uterus is often anteflexed, and a myometrial loss of about 50% is normally expected. The pattern of this loss is in the form of a predominantly sharp-edged and echogenic niche, fibrosis, or a combination of both. The proposed RMT ratio takes these changes into consideration and results in a reproducible quantification. We hypothesize that different adverse outcomes could be attributed to the different scar patterns.

Assessing lateral uterine wall defects and residual myometrial thickness after cesarean section.

OBJECTIVE: Lateral wall ruptures in women with a history of cesarean section are less common but more complicated than anterior wall ruptures. Residual myometrial thickness (RMT) is believed to be valuable for assessing the probability of ruptures. This study aimed to assess the utility of OmniView (a sonographic reslicing technique) in evaluating the lateral uterine wall after cesarean section and evaluate the relationship between lateral and anterior wall RMT using OmniView and sagittal two-dimensional ultrasound. STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study examined changes in both the anterior and lateral uterine wall in women with a history of cesarean section in the past 12-18 months. OmniView with volume contrast imaging with a 2-mm slice thickness was used to generate coronal planes, and the OmniView RMT (OV-RMT) was calculated as a percentage. Blinded to the OV-RMT results, sonographic multiplanar views were used to acquire the optimum sagittal plane for evaluating the RMT, and the sagittal RMT (S-RMT) was calculated as a percentage. The reproducibility of OV-RMT and S-RMT between two observers was tested using interclass correlation (ICC). The relationship between two variables was tested using Spearman's rank correlation. RESULTS: In 208 recruited patients, the prevalence of lateral uterine wall defects was 79 %. The interobserver and intraobserver reproducibility of S-RMT and OV-RMT had ICC coefficients over 0.9 with a p-value <0.001. S-RMT and OV-RMT did not follow a normal distribution, and the medians were significantly different (55.5 and 85.7, respectively). Spearman's rank correlation between OV-RMT and S-RMT had a rho (ρ) value of 0.24 (p < 0.05). Passing-Bablok regression had an intercept of 47.95 and a slope of 0.65. CONCLUSION: OmniView can be used to assess lateral uterine wall defects, and OV-RMT is a reproducible and reliable method for quantifying this assessment. The RMT on the coronal plane was independently more intact than that on the sagittal plane, which might account for the lower incidence of lateral ruptures. Further studies could reveal a critical OV-RMT value that is safe for a trial of labor.

Does the appearance of the cutaneous scar after cesarean section reflect the residual myometrial thickness?

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to utilize the Manchester scar scale (MSS) and ultrasound in investigating the association between uterine wall defects and cutaneous scar characteristics after cesarean section (CS). METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study. The degree of myometrial loss was quantified by calculating a residual myometrial thickness (RMT) ratio as a percentage of RMT to the pre-cesarean anterior uterine wall thickness. Cutaneous scar assessment was performed according to the MSS. Spearman's correlation and the Kruskal-Wallis test with a cut-off value of p < 0.05 were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Two hundred forty seven women, of which 2.4% had an Asian, 3.6% an Afro-American, 82% a Caucasian and 12% a Mediterranean background, were recruited. The RMT ratio ranged between 11.9 and 100% with a median of 55.8% and an average of 56%. MSS scores ranged from 4 to 13 with a median of 5 and an average of 6. Spearman's correlation between MSS and RMT ratio show a rho of - 0.01 with a p value of 0.8. The correlation between MSS and RMT ratio within the four ethnical groups showed a p value between 0.3 and 0.8 and a rho between 0.8 and - 0.8. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed an eta2 of 0.13 and a p value of 0.0002 for the effect of ethnicity on MSS and an eta2 of 0.009 and a p value of 0.68 for the effect of ethnicity on the RMT ratio. CONCLUSION: CS laparotomy scars heal differently between ethnical groups, but generally with satisfying results. Ethnicity does not affect myometrial healing and scar appearance does not reflect myometrial healing after CS. Thus, separate uterine sonographic assessment is recommended.

The impact of a short cervix and funneling on the outcome in singleton pregnancies treated with an Arabin-pessary or a McDonald cerclage.

OBJECTIVE: The presence of sonographic funneling is a co-predictor of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB). The aim of this study was to assess the outcome in patients with a short cervix and funneling after a McDonald cerclage or an Arabin pessary. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data of 238 singleton pregnancies with cervical shortening <25 mm subclassified by either isolated cervical shortening (n = 105) or cervical shortening and additional funneling (n = 133). In the group of isolated cervical shortening, a total of 93 patients had received a cervical pessary and 12 had McDonald cerclage. In the group of patients with additional funneling, 98 had received a cervical pessary and 35 had a cerclage. We evaluated PTB rates <28, <32, <34, and <37 weeks as well as prolongation of gestation, birth weight, and admission to NICU. RESULTS: In the pessary groups (n = 191), funneling resulted in a significantly higher rate of PTB before 34 weeks as compared to patients with isolated cervical shortening (26.5 versus 8.6%, p=.0066). Similarly, in the cerclage groups (n = 47), funneling resulted in an absolute increase of PTB, albeit not significant (37.1 versus 0%, p=.1435) due to the smaller number. There were no significant differences in terms of prevention of PTB before 34 weeks in patients treated with pessary or cerclage, neither in the group of patients with isolated shortening nor in the group of patients with additional funneling (p=.9771 and p=.3916, respectively). However, in patients with funneling, we demonstrated a significantly lower neonatal admission rate in the pessary arm (n = 27, 27.6%) as compared to the cerclage arm (n = 31, 88.6%) (p = .0002). Similarly, the NICU admission time was shorter in both pessary groups -with and without funneling - as compared to patients treated with cerclage (p = .0000). CONCLUSION: Pessary placement and cerclage should optimally be considered before the presence of funneling. Furthermore, there were lower rates of neonatal admission during pregnancy and a shorter admission time of babies after birth when mothers received a cervical pessary as compared to the group with cervical cerclage.

The B-mode sonographic evaluation of the post-caesarean uterine wall and its methodology: A study protocol.

AIM: The aim of this study is to utilize the niche measurement guidelines outlined by Jordans et al. in order to establish normal values and accurate description of caesarean section scars in a normal population. After defining the normal distribution, abnormal pregestational scar characteristics will be identified for predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: This is a prospective observational multicenter clinical study where women with a history of only one caesarean section and yet open family planning are enrolled. The uterine length, cervical length, niche length, niche depth, niche width, residual myometrial thickness, endometrial thickness, scar to internal os distance, anterior myometrial thickness superior and inferior to the scar and the posterior myometrial thickness opposite the scar, superior and inferior to it are measured in a pregestational uterus. The lower uterine segment is measured over a length of 3 cm during subsequent pregnancy and followed up until delivery. RESULTS: Data from 500 patients will yield normal distribution curves for all predefined measurements. Establishing a correlation between deviations from the normal measures and adverse events would be instrumental for counseling women regarding subsequent pregnancy and mode of delivery. CONCLUSION: This study will demonstrate the changes of the post-caesarean scar from a non-pregnant uterus until delivery and can confirm the importance of the scar characteristics in predicting pregnancy outcome.

Combined treatment of McDonald cerclage and Arabin-pessary: a chance in the prevention of spontaneous preterm birth?

Background: Patients with cervical shortening obtained by transvaginal ultrasound and/or previous preterm delivery are at increased risk for preterm birth in the current pregnancy. The aim of the present cohort study was to compare the rate of preterm birth and early neonatal parameters in patients at risk and screening patients who received either a cerclage or a combined treatment of cerclage and cervical pessary.Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted from March 2005 to March 2017 including all patients in our department which received a McDonald cerclage or a combined treatment of McDonald cerclage and an Arabin pessary. A total of 81 women with singleton pregnancies were considered the final sample of this cohort study, of whom 34 patients received a cerclage and 47 patients received a cerclage combined with a pessary. Patients "at risk" with a history of preterm birth at <37 weeks of gestation, late-term abortion, conization, or cervical cerclage in a previous pregnancy because of a cervical shortening <10th percentile and women with no inherent historic risk factors but a current cervical length <3rd percentile (screening group) were analyzed separately. We defined delivery <34 weeks of gestation as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes were preterm birth (PTB) <28, <32, and <37 weeks of gestation, admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), neonatal admission time, birthweight, and prolongation of the gestation.Results: There were no differences between the two study groups with regard to baseline characteristics. Delivery <34 weeks of gestation occurred in 32.4 and 27.7% of patients treated with cerclage versus combined treatment respectively (p = .48). Similarly, there was no difference in the rate of preterm birth at <28, <32, or <37 weeks of gestation. The mean neonatal admission time at the neonatal intensive care unit was shorter in the combined treatment group versus in the cerclage group (p = .02). There was a trend for higher birthweight (2368 g ± 962 vs. 2650 g ± 1063) in favor of the combined treatment arm (p = .077).Conclusion: The combined treatment of cerclage with an Arabin pessary seems to be a considerable alternative in the prevention of spontaneous PTB (sPTB), especially for patients with cervical length <3rd percentile, and in particular for patients with amnion prolapse in terms of birthweight and neonatal admission time.

Primary cervical and uterine corpus lymphoma; a case report and literature review.

Primary lymphoma of the uterine corpus and cervix is rare. We present a case of primary non-Hodgkin follicular lymphoma isolated to uterine corpus and parametria with focal spread to ovaries and fallopian tubes, incidentally found on the background of endometrial malignancy. A summary of the published cases focusing on the presentation and prognosis as well as a review of current management are discussed. The rising incidence of extra-nodal lymphoma and recent changes in classification and therapeutic approach, require clinical vigilance. In the absence of prospective studies assessing the value of the available therapeutic options, data from retrospective series and scattered case reports are presented in this review.