Spontaneous Rupture of Internal Iliac Artery in Pregnancy: Case Report

Spontaneous Uterine Vessel Rupture During Pregnancy or in the Puerperium: A Review of the Literature

Importance

Spontaneous perinatal rupture of a uterine vessel is a rare occurrence that may lead to severe hemorrhage and requires prompt identification and management.

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine the etiologies, locations, diagnostic tools, treatment options, and risks in subsequent pregnancies when spontaneous rupture of a uterine vessel occurs in pregnancy.

Evidence Acquisition

A literature search was performed by university research librarians using the PubMed, CINAHL, and Web of Science search engines. Identified were 78 cases of perinatal spontaneous uterine vessel rupture and formed the basis for this review.

Results

Increased uterine blood flow during pregnancy may alter the integrity of pelvic vessels leading to increased risk of spontaneous rupture. The uterine artery is the most common site of vessel rupture; the second most common site is the uterine-ovarian plexus. The most common presentation is abdominal or pelvic pain, maternal vital sign abnormalities, and an absence of vaginal bleeding. Exploratory laparotomy and embolization (interventional radiology) have been reported as management options.

Conclusions

Spontaneous rupture of uterine vessels is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication of pregnancy that should be included in the differential diagnosis of pregnant patients presenting with an acute abdomen.

Relevance

Our aim is to increase the awareness of spontaneous vessel rupture during pregnancy to improve detection, management, and perinatal outcomes.

True Saccular Aneurysm at the Iliac Bifurcation in an Adolescent: Case Report and Review of Lower Limb Vascular Embryology

Introduction

Isolated iliac artery aneurysms are an uncommon occurrence in the absence of concurrent aortic disease in the adult population and are a rare entity in children and adolescents. Paediatric patients may present with false aneurysms less frequently but true aneurysms are exceptional. In this report, the case of an iliac bifurcation true saccular aneurysm is described.

Report

An 18 year old woman without history of infection, trauma, connective tissue disorders, or vasculitis, was referred with an incidental left iliac bifurcation saccular aneurysm. She underwent open surgical resection of the aneurysm with primary re-anastomosis of the common to external iliac arteries and ligation of the internal iliac artery. Histopathological assessment did not show any inflammatory or other underlying disease process.

Discussion

A case is presented of an isolated iliac bifurcation true aneurysm in an adolescent and its successful treatment. It is plausible that incomplete involution of the embryologically dominant sciatic artery may have been the cause for this presentation and for other congenital iliac artery aneurysms. Literature review of other paediatric iliac aneurysms shows an array of postulated underlying causes and treatment strategies.

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An unusual case of a paediatric internal iliac artery aneurysm.

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True aneurysms are rare without connective tissue or vasculitic disorders.

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The initial axial sciatic artery involutes during vasculogenesis/angiogenesis.

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Sciatic artery involution may have lead to the formation of this aneurysm.

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Literature review indicates sciatic artery origins as novel for the presentation.

Intra-abdominal hemorrhage during pregnancy: Four case reports

BACKGROUND

Intra-abdominal hemorrhage during pregnancy is a rare and dangerous complication of pregnancy. In this article, we report 4 cases of intra-abdominal hemorrhage during pregnancy, including the spontaneous rupture of uterine veins, spontaneous rupture of liver, rupture of external iliac vessel branch, and rupture of right renal hamartoma.

CASE SUMMARY

The clinical manifestations of three patients lacked specificity, and the localization of the bleeding was not clear prior to surgery. All 4 pregnant women were successfully treated, while only one full-term infant survived.

CONCLUSION

There are diverse causes of intra-abdominal hemorrhage during pregnancy in clinic, and it is clinically characterized by acute abdominal pain during pregnancy. Clear diagnosis before surgery is rather difficult. Early diagnosis, timely and appropriate treatment and surgery, and multidisciplinary cooperation are key to saving pregnant females’ lives and improving the outcomes of perinatal infants.

Spontaneous Rupture of Venae Gastricae Breves in Pregnancy: Case Report

Introduction:

Hemiperitoneum caused by venous bleeding from the hilum of the spleen is a rare cause of acute abdomen in the last trimester of pregnancy.

Material and Methods:

We are presenting a case of a twenty-nine-year-old primipara with the clinical picture of acute abdomen.

Case report:

Primipara in the 36th week of pregnancy presented with the clinical picture of acute abdomen with the ultrasound finding of free fluid in the abdominal cavity and foetal bradycardia. Considering the clinical picture of the mother and the risks for the foetus, it was decided to complete the pregnancy with an emergency caesarean section. During the procedure, exploration of the abdominal cavity found the bleeding site from the venae gastricae breves, and a surgeon stopped active bleeding.

Conclusion:

Non-obstetric bleedings are not common in pregnancy, but they are life-threatening both to the mother and the foetus. The exact cause is usually found during the surgical procedure. If a pregnant woman presents with a clinical picture of abdominal pain, and the signs of foetal distress or clinical instability of the mother are also present, an emergency surgical procedure is indicated. In this case, the indication was foetal bradycardia, and the child was born alive by a caesarean section, while an extended surgical procedure saved the mother’s life.