F. Prefumo

ISUOG Practice Guidelines : use of Doppler ultrasonography in obstetrics

The International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG) is a scientific organization that encourages sound clinical practice, teaching and research related to diagnostic imaging in women’s healthcare. The ISUOG Clinical Standards Committee (CSC) has a remit to develop Practice Guidelines and Consensus Statements as educational recommendations that provide healthcare practitioners with a consensus-based approach for diagnostic imaging. They are intended to reflect what is considered by ISUOG to be the best practice at the time at which they are issued. Although ISUOG has made every effort to ensure that Guidelines are accurate when issued, neither the Society nor any of its employees or members accepts any liability for the consequences of any inaccurate or misleading data, opinions or statements issued by the CSC. They are not intended to establish a legal standard of care because interpretation of the evidence that underpins the Guidelines may be influenced by individual circumstances and available resources. Approved Guidelines can be distributed freely with the permission of ISUOG (info@isuog.org).

Additional value of fetal magnetic resonance imaging in the prenatal diagnosis of central nervous system anomalies: a systematic review of the literature

To analyze literature on the additional value of fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in assessing central nervous system (CNS) anomalies suspected by ultrasound.

Neurodevelopmental outcome in isolated mild fetal ventriculomegaly: systematic review and meta-analysis.

The finding of fetal ventriculomegaly is variably associated with other fetal abnormalities and, even when isolated, is thought to be linked to abnormal neurodevelopmental outcome. The aim of this study was to undertake a systematic review and meta‐analysis of the current literature to assess the prevalence of neurodevelopmental delay in cases of isolated mild fetal ventriculomegaly, as well as the false‐negative rate of prenatal imaging for the diagnosis of associated abnormalities in patients referred for isolated mild ventriculomegaly.

Fetal abdominal wall defects

The most common fetal abdominal wall defects are gastroschisis and omphalocele, both with a prevalence of about three in 10,000 births. Prenatal ultrasound has a high sensitivity for these abnormalities already at the time of the first-trimester nuchal scan. Major unrelated defects are associated with gastroschisis in about 10% of cases, whereas omphalocele is associated with chromosomal or genetic abnormalities in a much higher proportion of cases. Challenges in management of gastroschisis are related to the prevention of late intrauterine death, and the prediction and treatment of complex forms. With omphalocele, the main difficulty is the exclusion of associated conditions, not all diagnosed prenatally. An outline of the postnatal treatment of abdominal wall defects is given. Other rarer forms of abdominal wall defects are pentalogy of Cantrell, omphalocele, bladder exstrophy, imperforate anus, spina bifida complex, prune-belly syndrome, body stalk anomaly, and bladder and cloacal exstrophy; they deserve multidisciplinary counselling and management.

The use of radiofrequency in the treatment of twin reversed arterial perfusion sequence: a case series and review of the literature

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the initial experience at our centre in the treatment of monochorionic twin pregnancies complicated by twin reversed arterial perfusion sequence (TRAP), using radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with expandable needles, and to review the existing literature on the subject. STUDY DESIGN Between July 2007 and October 2010, 11 monochorionic twin pregnancies complicated by TRAP were referred to our centre. Seven patients underwent intrafetal ablation of the acardiac twin with RFA using LeVeen™ expandable needle electrodes. Data on the procedures and the obstetric outcome were reviewed, and subsequently we performed a review of the literature on the use of RFA in TRAP. RESULTS Median gestational age at the intervention was 17(+3) weeks (range 14(+1)-23(+1) weeks). Technical success was obtained in all cases. Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROMs) occurred in 4/7 (57%) patients. Intrauterine death of the pump twin occurred in one patient at 21(+5) weeks, and one patient opted for termination of pregnancy because of PPROM at 21(+4) weeks. Five fetuses were delivered alive at a median gestational age of 33(+0) weeks (range 31(+0)-39(+5) weeks). All five infants (71%) were alive and had a normal examination at 6 months of age. The review identified 6 studies, for a total of 78 pregnancies (either monochorionc twins or triplets with a monochorionic component). Including our data, overall neonatal survival was 75/88 (85%). CONCLUSION RFA appears to be a relatively safe and reliable technique in the treatment of TRAP sequence pregnancies. Further research is needed to define the best timing of the procedure.

Impact of cord entanglement on perinatal outcome of monoamniotic twins: a systematic review of the literature

To review the current literature concerning perinatal outcome of monoamniotic pregnancies with cord entanglement.

Perinatal outcomes of isolated oligohydramnios at term and post-term pregnancy: a systematic review of literature with meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE The management of isolated oligohydramnios (IO) in post/term pregnancies is controversial. The aim of this paper was to review outcomes of term and post-term pregnancies with IO versus normal amniotic fluid (AF) at labor assessment. STUDY DESIGN A search in PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, and reference lists was performed. Inclusion criteria for articles selection: singleton pregnancy, definition of olgohydramnios as AFI <5cm, AF assessment at 37-42 gestational weeks. EXCLUSION CRITERIA fetal malformations, preterm delivery, premature rupture of membranes, intrauterine growth restriction. Perinatal outcomes were: obstetric intervention for non-reassuring fetal heart rate (cesarean section, operative delivery), meconium-stained AF, Apgar score <7 at 5min, umbilical artery pH <7.0, small for gestational age infants (SGA), admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and perinatal death. Meta-analysis compared outcomes of pregnancies with IO vs normal AF. Inter-studies heterogeneity was tested. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated. Differences between the two groups were considered significant if 95% CI did not encompass 1. MOOSE guidelines were followed. RESULTS Four articles provided 679 (17.2%) cases with IO and 3264 (82.8%) with normal AF. Obstetric interventions occurred more frequently in the IO than normal AF group (IO: 89/679, 13% vs normal; AF: 166/3354, 5%; OR: 2.30; 95% CI: 1.00-5.29). Meta-analysis did not show differences with regard to meconium, Apgar, pH, SGA, NICU and perinatal death. CONCLUSION In term or post-term pregnancies, IO is associated with increased risk of obstetric interventions but outcomes are similar to those of pregnancies with normal AF.

Sonographic and molecular diagnosis of thanatophoric dysplasia type I at 18 weeks of gestation

Thanatophoric dysplasia is the most common type of lethal skeletal dysplasia. It can usually be diagnosed with ultrasound, but differential diagnosis with other osteochondrodysplasias is not always possible. Mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene have been demonstrated to cause two distinct subtypes of the disorder. We describe a case of thanatophoric dysplasia type I diagnosed at 18 weeks of gestation by ultrasonography. Genomic DNA obtained by chorionic villus sampling showed a C to G substitution at position 746 in the FGFR3 gene, resulting in a Ser249Cys substitution already known to be associated with type I disease. Implications for perinatal management are discussed. Copyright

Quality of first trimester risk prediction models for pre-eclampsia: a systematic review

There is an increasing interest in first trimester risk prediction models for pre‐eclampsia.

Prevention, Management, and Outcomes of Macrosomia: A Systematic Review of Literature and Meta-analysis

&NA; Macrosomia represents an obstetric challenge, and when suspected, there is no general consensus as to whether expectant management, induction of labor, or elective cesarean delivery are the best option. This review article was aimed to discuss literature published in the last decade about the identification, management, and outcomes of macrosomia. The identification of macrosomia remains uncertain, mainly because of the high heterogeneity across studies because of different definitions of macrosomia, gestational age at time of assessment, and fetal weight formulas. With regard to management and outcomes of macrosomia, 12,212 macrosomic neonates can be pooled from 17 articles. Compared with neonates with normal birth weight, the odds ratio of emergency cesarean delivery increases from 1.92 (1.53–2.42) to 2.24 (1.42–3.56) and 5.20 (3.47–7.79) for macrosomia 4000 g or greater, 4500 g or greater, and 5000 g or greater, respectively. The odds ratios of shoulder dystocia are 7.18 (2.06–25.00), 7.33 (5.13–10.48), and 16.16 (7.62–34.26) for macrosomia 4000 g or greater, 4500 g or greater, and 5000 g or greater, respectively. Three birth traumas were reported after cesarean delivery. Perinatal mortality is similar between macrosomic and neonates with normal birth weight at each cutoff of macrosomia. Nonetheless, limitations of current literature, which are also discussed in this review, do not allow to drive definitive conclusion about the management of macrosomia. Target Audience Obstetricians and gynecologists, family physicians Learning Objectives After completing this CME activity, physicians should be better able to determine the optimal mode of delivery for pregnant women whose fetuses may be macrosomic, identify the potential risks of adverse neonatal outcomes in macrosomic fetuses, and identify the limitations in the obstetric literature on macrosomia.