The sonographic appearance and obstetric management of placenta accreta

Conservative management of placenta previa-percreta with bladder invasion: A case report

Key Clinical Message

Placenta previa, accompanied by placenta percreta, which involves invasion of the bladder, presents a significant risk of excessive bleeding during and after delivery. This case highlights that prophylactic embolization, conservative surgery, and careful monitoring offer an effective approach to avoid hysterectomy in cases of placenta percreta with adjacent organ involvement.

Abstract

Placenta previa complicated by placenta percreta is associated with a high risk of massive intra and post-partum hemorrhage. We present a case of a 35-year-old woman (G2 P1) who was referred to the Akbar-Abadi hospital at 13 weeks of gestation. Color Doppler ultrasound indicated complete placenta previa-percreta with bladder invasion. After induction of fetal demise, bilateral uterine and bladder artery endovascular embolization was conducted for the patient. After 48 h, under ultrasound guidance, surgical resection of residual percreta tissue was conducted as much as possible. Eight weeks later, a follow-up sonography showed the minimum residual placenta tissue and she regained menstrual cycles after 2 months. This case indicated that the combination of prophylactic embolization, conservative surgical management with placenta left in situ, and follow-up with serial color Doppler monitoring, is an optimum method to avoid hysterectomy in placenta percreta patient with adjacent organ invasion.

Placenta accreta spectrum: Management and outcomes in a tertiary centre in India: An observational cross-sectional study

Our observational cross-sectional study looked at the risk factors, diagnosis, management and outcomes of placenta accrete spectrum at the Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, India, between January 2013 and December 2018. A total of 21 cases of placenta accrete spectrum are described among whom a preop diagnosis was available in 14 cases. A previous history of Caesarean section and placenta previa was present in 90%. Caesarean hysterectomy was carried out in 80%, but none of those managed conservatively required interval hysterectomy. Urinary tract injury was the most common surgical complication, seen in over 50%. The mean blood loss was 3.5 l and 14 patients required intensive care unit admission, but no maternal mortality ensued. Thus, we conclude that the conservative management in carefully selected cases is feasible.

[Prognostic significance of specific proteins of pregnancy in women with a uterine scar and placenta accreta.]

Comparative analysis of serum concentrations of chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) associated with the pregnancy of plasma protein A (PAPP-A) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), based on the results of a survey of women as part of a standard screening program (the results were expressed as a MoM - multiply of the median), found a significant increase in the performance of all the studied specific pregnancy proteins in women with a scar on the uterus and placenta acctera (75 patients) compared with the data of the group of pregnant women without scar on the uterus and without abnormalities of attachment of the placenta (150 women). AFP indices were 1.68 ± 0.76 and 1.19 ± 0.43 MoM (p = 0.0018), hCG - 1.62 ± 1.48 and 1.23 ± 0.76 MoM (p = 0, 0112), PAPP-A - 1.93 ± 1.24 and 1.23 ± 0.67 MoM (p <0.0001). Using the ROC analysis, the diagnostic thresholds for the concentrations of AFP, hCG and PAPP-A were calculated. The risk of placenta accreta in women with a scar on the uterus in cases of exceeding the diagnostic threshold of AFP concentration (1.64 MoM) increased 2.5 times (RR = 2.5; 95% CI 1.17-5.36, p = 0, 0185), hCG (1.41 MoM) - 1.6 times (RR = 1.59; 95% CI 1.09-2.32, p = 0.0147), PAPP-A (1.41 MoM) - 2.65 times (RR = 2.65; 95% CI 1.76-3.99, p <0.0001). Determination of the level of specific pregnancy proteins can be used in the system of complex prediction of placental growth in pregnant women with a scar on the uterus as an addition to the assessment of clinical and anamnestic risk factors.

Structured evaluation and reporting in imaging of placenta and umbilical cord

The human placenta plays a pivotal role in development and growth of the fetus. Disorder of this multifunctional organ is central to various fetal disorders. Doppler sonography and MRI provide excellent diagnostic evaluation of the placental morphology and umbilical cord. Decades of experience in obstetric imaging have highlighted the need of careful prenatal assessment of placenta. However, in most of the routine obstetric scans, the evaluation and reporting of the placental examination is limited to the location and grade of the placenta. The purpose of this article is to review the existing literature and facilitate step-by-step evaluation of the placenta and umbilical cord by the radiologists.

Prenatal Diagnosis of Placenta Previa Complicated by Placenta Percreta

Placenta previa is one of the most common complications in pregnancy. A partial or complete obstruction of the internal cervical os prevents a normal vaginal delivery. It can be further complicated by placenta accreta. Accreta, increta, and percreta are the three types of placental accreta identified and involve different layers of uterine myometrium. Of these types, percreta is the most invasive, invading through the myometrium to the uterine serosa and potentially affecting surrounding organs or tissues. The prevalence of accreta is increased with those who have a history of cesarean sections. This case study demonstrates how color and gray-scale sonography are a reliable imaging method for identifying placenta previa and accreta.

Case series of outcomes of a standardized surgical approach for placenta percreta for prevention of ureteral lesions

OBJECTIVE

To report the outcomes of women with placenta percreta who were surgically treated by a specialized technique based on gynecologic oncology experience, and to demonstrate its safety in preventing ureteral lesions and reducing blood loss.

METHODS

In the present retrospective study, data from patients with placenta percreta radically treated at Hôtel-Dieu de France, Beirut, Lebanon, between December 2012 and January 2017 were reviewed. Demographic, pathology, and delivery data, medical history, per-operative and postoperative information, and neonatal data were assessed. Operative and postoperative outcomes were compared between emergency and scheduled cases.

RESULTS

Data from 35 patients were reviewed. Median gestational age at delivery was 34 weeks. Cesarean hysterectomy was scheduled in 20 (60%) cases. No ureteral lesions were noted. The median estimated blood loss was 1 L and a median of 3 units of red blood cells units was transfused. Emergency and scheduled cases presented comparable estimated blood loss, intra-operative transfusion, bladder injury incidence, and surgery duration (all P>0.05). The mean delivery weight was 2100 g; admission to the neonatal intensive care unit was needed for 30 (86%) neonates.

CONCLUSION

The surgical technique developed for placenta percreta was found to be effective (operative and postoperative outcomes) and safe (prevention of ureteral lesions).

A comprehensive surgical procedure in conservative management of placenta accreta: a case series

We aimed to present a combined surgical procedure in conservative treatment of placenta accreta based on surgical outcomes in our cohort of patients. The study was designed as a prospective cohort series study. The setting involved two education and research hospitals in Turkey. This study included 12 patients with placenta accreta who were prenatally diagnosed and managed. We offered the patients the choice of conservative or nonconservative treatment. We then offered 2 choices for patients who had preferred conservative treatment, leaving the placenta in situ as is the classical procedure, or our surgical procedure. One patient preferred nonconservative treatment, the others opted for our procedure.We evaluated demographic and obstetric characteristics of patients, sonographic and operative parameters of patients, and surgical outcomes. We operated on 11 patients using this surgical procedure that we have developed for placenta accreta cases. We found that there was no need for hysterectomy in any patient, and we preserved the uterus for all of these patients. No patient presented any septic complication or secondary vaginal bleeding.Our surgical procedure seems to be effective and useful in the conservative treatment of placenta accreta.