Successful term pregnancy after bilateral uterine artery embolization for postpartum hemorrhage.

Background: Selective bilateral uterine artery embolization has been used since the 1970s for the conservative treatment of postpartum hemorrhage. The fertility rate after the embolization procedure is yet to be determined.

Case: A 30-year-old woman presented with placental abruption and subsequently delivered preterm at 29 weeks' gestation.

Successful digoxin therapy of fetal supraventricular tachycardia in a triplet pregnancy.

Background: Fetal supraventricular tachycardia is a rare complication of pregnancy associated with cardiac failure, hydrops, and fetal death. If no underlying cardiac defects are present, medical management with digoxin has been successful.

Case: A young woman with a triplet pregnancy presented at 23 17 weeks' gestation for routine Doppler auscultation which suggested fetal supraventricular tachycardia, confirmed by M-mode echocardiography.

Fetal ovarian cyst decompression to prevent torsion.

Background/purpose: Neonates who have ovarian torsion caused by an ovarian cyst often lose their ovary because the torsion and infarction occurred antenatally. Because ultrasound scan has been so effective in diagnosing ovarian cysts in utero, we have a better understanding of their natural history and can select appropriate cases for cyst decompression in utero to prevent torsion. The authors reviewed experience with seven fetuses who had fetal ovarian cyst.

Validation of fetal telemedicine as a new obstetric imaging technique.

Objective: Our purpose was to establish whether obstetric ultrasonography interpreted by a live video telemedicine link is comparable to interpretation by videotape review in a low-risk patient population.

Study Design: An Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN 6) was established from three satellite offices to our central prenatal diagnostic center. Patients seen at these satellite offices had a complete fetal anatomic survey recorded onto videotape by a trained ultrasonographer.

Oligohydramnios and the appropriately grown fetus.

The perinatal implications of oligohydramnios prior to 37 weeks of gestation, in the absence of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), rupture of membranes or fetal anomalies, are unknown. We compared the outcomes of 65 women with oligohydramnios (amniotic fluid index ([AFI] < or = 8 cm) by sonography to those of a control group matched by sonogram indication. Study patients were between 17 and 37 weeks of gestation, with appropriately grown fetuses on index sonogram and no other detected explanation for amniotic fluid abnormalities.

Lumbar disk disease in pregnancy.

Background: Lumbar disk herniation is rare in pregnancy. We report on three pregnant women with this disorder seen over 2 years.

Cases: Three women were seen with progressive back pain, paresthesias, and urinary retention.

Minimal hydronephrosis in the fetus: clinical significance and implications for management.

Purpose: We further define the natural history and management of minimal fetal hydronephrosis.

Materials And Methods: Experience with minimal fetal hydronephrosis (renal pelvic diameter 4 to 10 mm. before 20 weeks of gestation and 5 to 10 mm.

The vanishing fetal ureterocele: a cause for concern?

The natural history of fetal ureteroceles is poorly understood. We report two cases of fetal ureterocele which add to our understanding of its natural history. In both cases, the fetal ureterocele 'resolved' later in gestation.

Amniotic band syndrome in fetal lambs. I: Fetoscopic release and morphometric outcome.

A fetal lamb model of amniotic band syndrome (ABS) was developed to study the pathophysiology of banded extremities and evaluate the possibility of in utero treatment with the potential for functional recovery. Eight fetal lambs underwent banding of their extremities with umbilical tape at 100 days' gestation. Two lambs aborted after the open fetal surgery.

The role of percutaneous umbilical blood sampling in the management of immune thrombocytopenic purpura.

On consultation, percutaneous umbilical blood sampling (PUBS) was offered to women with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) to determine the mode and site of delivery prior to labour. Between January 1989 and December 1993, 41 pregnant women underwent PUBS. All women had a history of ITP, a platelet count less than 90 K, (+) antiplatelet antibody, and/or thrombocytopenia diagnosed early in pregnancy.

Diagnostic ultrasound in pregnancy: an overview.

The safety of ultrasonography in pregnancy is well documented. In screening populations, with the exception of the RADIUS trial, ultrasound examination can diagnose in approximately 50% of major anomalies. The accuracy of anomaly detection improves with increasing operator experience and advances in equipment resolution of the fetal image.

Fetal ultrasonography.

Since its introduction in the 1950s, ultrasonography in pregnancy has been helpful in determining gestational age, detecting multiple pregnancies, locating placentas, diagnosing fetal anomalies, evaluating fetal well-being, and guiding obstetricians with in utero treatment. We review current standards and controversies regarding the indications, safety, accuracy, and limitations of ultrasonography in pregnancy.