Minakshi Rohilla

Thyroid autoimmunity and obstetric outcomes in women with recurrent miscarriage: a case-control study.

Objectives Thyroid antibody positivity during pregnancy has been associated with adverse outcomes including miscarriage and preterm delivery. The aim of the study is to evaluate the obstetric outcome in pregnant women with recurrent miscarriage and their response to levothyroxine (l-T4) therapy. Study design and methods All pregnant and non-pregnant women between 21 and 35 years of age with a history of two or more consecutive miscarriages were included in the study. A third group comprising 100 pregnant women without a history of miscarriage were taken as healthy controls. Thyroid autoimmunity, prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism and maternal and foetal complications were analysed in all the groups with appropriate statistical methods. Results The mean age of the patients included in the study was 27.0±3.1 years. Of 100 pregnant patients with previous recurrent miscarriage, thyroid autoimmunity (thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb+) >34 U/ml) was found in 31% of the cases. The incidence of subclinical hypothyroidism was higher in TPOAb+ group than in TPOAb− group (52 vs 16%; P=0.0002). There was no difference in the prevalence of miscarriage or obstetric outcomes between recurrent miscarriage and healthy pregnant women group irrespective of TPO status. Conclusions The prevalence of thyroid autoimmunity was higher in pregnant women with a history of recurrent abortion compared with healthy pregnant control population. Following l-T4 treatment, there was no difference in prevalence of miscarriage between hypothyroid and euthyroid individuals in TPOAb+ women.

Can Ascending Infection from Bladder Serve as the Portal of Entry for Primary Renal Zygomycosis

Mucormycosis is an uncommon opportunistic infection by filamentous fungi that usually develops in immmunocompromised patients. Most individuals have an underlying systemic disease, such as diabetes mellitus, malignancy, uraemia, burns, renal transplant recipients and those on corticosteroid and immunosuppressive therapy. Many cases of primary renal zygomycosis with lungs serving as the portal of entry have been reported from this region. We describe two autopsy cases of renal zygomycosis where bladder appeared to be the portal of entry for the fungus.

Uterine necrosis and lumbosacral-plexopathy following pelvic vessel embolization for postpartum haemorrhage: report of two cases and review of literature

AbstractWe are reporting two cases of uterine necrosis and lumbosacral-plexopathy in patients, who underwent pelvic vessel embolization (PVE) following postpartum hemorrhage. Embolization was performed with gelfoam slurry, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) particles and coil in one patient and with gelfoam slurry only, in second patient. Both patients had lower limbs weakness and had persistent fever in the postembolization period. Nerve conduction study in both were suggestive of common peroneal and tibial neuropathy. An ultrasonography and computed tomography of abdomen and pelvis revealed bulky uterus with no identifiable endometrium and multiple air foci in subendometrial region suggestive of uterine necrosis, confirmed later by histology of expelled uterine mass. Lumbosacral ischemia resulting in paraparesis and uterine necrosis presenting as longstanding fever after embolization are extremely rare but overwhelming complications of embolization. Only 19 cases of uterine necrosis and <10 cases of lumbosacral plexopathy have been reported in the literature. The overall effectiveness of PVE is high in treatment of obstetric hemorrhage with low complication rate and highly selective PVE may further prevent these complication. To the best of our knowledge the co-existing uterine necrosis and lumbosacral plexopathy secondry to PVE has not been described prevoiusly in patients with postpartum hemorrhage. Both patients recovered with conservative management.

Scrub typhus in pregnancy: a case series.

Scrub typhus, an acute febrile illness caused by Rickettsia and transmitted by mites, is a re-emerging endemic zoonosis in the Asia Pacific region. It is an uncommon entity and very few cases of this disease in pregnant women have been reported. We present a series of six such cases collected over 1 year with poor feto-maternal outcome in 50%.

Obstetric Complications and Management in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is amongst the most common haematological malignancies encountered in adults. The younger age of onset and increased incidence of CML in Indians leads to higher chances of encountering it in pregnancy. Pregnancy in CML is a complex situation as first line therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), is fraught with multiple fetal safety issues. The fetal aspects have been elucidated in literature, but there is scarcity of information on the obstetric outcome per se in presence of CML, excluding the influence of TKI. Obstetric outcomes of 5 pregnancies in four patients with CML are being reported. Literature on interplay of CML and bleeding or thrombotic manifestations is reviewed. The major complications encountered were antepartum (APH) and postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), preterm labour, intrauterine growth retardation and intrauterine fetal death. Patients in the reproductive age group with diagnosis of CML should be carefully counseled regarding the effect of disease and TKI on the maternal-fetal health. Bleeding complications, particularly APH and PPH may be encountered in CML patients. Close coordination of the obstetrician, haematologist, and neonatologist is required in managing these cases successfully. The need for absolute contraception till the remission of disease needs to be emphasized for further pregnancies.

Individualistic approach to the management of complete hydatidiform mole with coexisting live fetus

Complete hydatidiform mole with a coexisting live fetus (CHMCF) is a rare obstetric occurrence. So far, approximately 177 cases have been documented in the literature with consequent 66 live births. We report a review article along with two cases of CHMCF, one presenting as incomplete abortion and other continued as CHMCF but terminated because of antepartum hemorrhage. Both had histopathologically proven one normal and other complete molar placenta with coexisting normal fetus. No evidence of persistent trophoblastic disease was observed. The dilemma of continuation versus termination of pregnancy is being emphasized in the review of literature. Pregnancy complicated by CHMCF may result in a viable live born infant in approximately one third of the cases. A potentially viable fetus with CHMCF may result in normal live birth with antecedent high risk maternal complications. A decision of termination of pregnancy in all CHMCF will however nullify all the chances of a live birth. An individualistic approach and an informed doctor patient consensus may improve the likely outcome. Appropriate counseling of the mother regarding high incidence of antenatal complications plays an integral part of decision of continuation of such pregnancies.

Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis during Pregnancy: Two Case Reports and Review of the Literature

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is identified from the time of introduction of antituberculosis treatment and is a known worldwide public health crisis affecting women of reproductive age group. Management issues raised by pregnant women with MDR tuberculosis are challenging due to the limited clinical experience available with the use of second line drugs. We hereby report two cases of MDR-TB during pregnancy: one patient was on second line drugs, while another one was evaluated and diagnosed to have MDR-TB in last trimester. At 6 months of follow-up both mothers and babies are doing well. The approach to such cases along with review of the literature is discussed.

Placentomegaly and placental mesenchymal dysplasia

A 23-year-old primigravida presented to the labour ward at 37 weeks gestation referred with intrauterine growth restriction, oligohydramnios and placentomegaly. Differential diagnoses of placentomegaly were considered. Her antenatal blood screening tests were normal. There were no fetal malformations. However, triple screen and fetal karyotype were not done as patient presented late in pregnancy. The patient soon went into spontaneous labour and delivered a girl weighing 2.15 kg with a normal Apgar score. The cord was long and twisted; placenta was bulky, 1.7 kg, with prominent grape-like vesicles involving whole placenta with a rim of normal placenta at the periphery. Microscopy showed some areas of multiple villi with marked hydropic changes and myxoid degeneration, preserved vasculature and no trophoblastic proliferation. Placental mesenchymal dysplasia was thus diagnosed. The baby had no evidence of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. The child is now 3 years old with normal development and is doing well.

Idiopathic Recurrent Polyhydramnios: A Rare Case Report

Polyhydramnios occurs in 1-2% of pregnancies and may be idiopathic in more than half of the cases. The diagnosis of idiopathic polyhydramnios can be made only in the absence of maternal diabetes, fetal anomalies, aneuploidies, multiple gestation, Rh incompatibility, placental tumours and non-immune hydrops. Rarely, idiopathic polyhydramnios may be recurrent in future pregnancies and sometimes neonatal examination may reveal cause of polyhydramnios. Preterm delivery and associated fetal anomalies are the main concerns with recurrent polyhydramnios. Very few cases of recurrent idiopathic polyhydramnios have been reported in literature with a maximum number of four pregnancies being affected consecutively. We report here a case of idiopathic polyhydramnios which recurred consecutively in three pregnancies with a good neonatal outcome.

Identification and treatment of intra-abdominal fetal skeletal remains: A consequence of illicit and unsafe abortion

Abstract Objective The safety of abortions has always been a matter of concern for womens health. Unsafe abortion is one of the most neglected health-care problems in developing countries due to lack of awareness of the legal issues and limited access to authorised services often leading the women to poor quality of abortion in unsafe settings through untrained health personnel. Case report Two rare cases of second trimester unsafe abortions are reported here in which women presented after several weeks with well-preserved remains of fetal skeleton in their abdomen along with complicated multiple visceral injuries. Both these second trimester abortions were performed by untrained village abortionists for sex selection and unwanted pregnancy in an unmarried adolescent girl. The management in the unmarried girl was further complicated due to undisclosed history of abortion. Conclusion These reports of unsafe abortion highlight the need for clinicians to have a high index of suspicion for an undisclosed abortion when treating any morbid woman of reproductive age with a bizarre abdominal clinical picture. Chinese Abstract 摘要： 目的： 人工流产的安全性一直是女性健康关注的问题。不安全流产是发展中国家最容易被忽视的健康问题之一，因为这些国家的女性缺乏法律意识、授权服务受限，流产设备安全性差，卫生人员未经训练，最终导致女性流产质量低劣。 病例报告：文中报道了孕中期不安全流产的两个罕见病例，这两名女性在流产后几周腹部还有保存完好的胎儿骨骼，且并发多脏器损伤。这两个孕中期妊娠流产均由未经训练的乡村堕胎者实施，一例是因为性别选择，一例是未婚青春期少女的意外妊娠。由于隐瞒流产病史，未婚女性的处理更加复杂。 结论：这些不安全流产的报告强调指出：临床医生面对任何一个具有奇怪的腹部临床图像的育龄期女性时，都要都要高度怀疑是否隐瞒流产史。