Postpartal deep-vein thrombosis revealing agenesis of the inferior vena cava.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Josip Djelmis.
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The aim was to review currently available evidence on the association between thrombophilia and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Maternal thrombophilia has recently been identified as a major cause of thromboembolism, placental thrombosis and adverse pregnancy outcome including severe preeclampsia, placental abruption, intrauterine growth retardation, recurrent pregnancy loss, and stillbirth. The relatively high prevalence of thrombophilia defects in the general population and the association with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes have prompted obstetricians to focus their interest on this area. We focused on genetic thrombophilias (factor V Leiden mutation) and its possible impact on severe preeclampsia, placental abruption and intrauterine fetal death. A 39-year-old patient was regularly treated at our Department. Her mother had placental abruption and deep venous thrombosis of lower extremities in medical history. Our patient was suffering from multiple sclerosis from 1990. Until this pregnancy she had been pregnant for six times and had delivered one healthy child. She had four cesarean sections, one for preeclampsia (live-born infant died three days after birth), two for placental abruption (both stillbirths), one spontaneous abortion and one artificial abortion. Having in mind her family and medical history, we focused on genetic thrombophilia. Using the PCR-method we identified activated protein C resistance due to factor V Leiden mutation. The patient was treated by low-molecular weight heparin. A healthy infant was born by cesarean section after 37 weeks of gestation. Therapy with low-molecular weight heparin continued for ten days postpartum.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: In pregnancy complicated with type-1 diabetes mellitus (DM), information on the predictive value of yolk sac (YS) measurement and YS morphology on outcome has been scant. The aim of this study was to compare the size and shape of the YS using transvaginal sonography (TVS) in normal pregnancies and those complicated with well-regulated type-1 DM. METHODS: Sixty healthy pregnant women and 60 pregnant women with type-1 DM underwent TVS. The correlation coefficients between YS and gestational age (GA), YS and crown-rump length (CRL), and YS and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) were calculated. Statistical analysis showed that the difference between the YS diameters for each gestational week among the groups studied was highly statistically significant. Statistical analysis of the results was performed with SPSS 10 software. RESULTS: A highly statistically positive correlation was found between YS diameter and GA, CRL and HCG levels for both groups studied. The YS diameter in type-1 DM pregnancies was statistically significantly larger for GA than that of healthy pregnant women. The YS diameter in type-1 DM women was statistically significantly larger after 6 weeks of gestation and the HbA1c levels were >6% when compared to the YS dimensions in the group with HbA1c concentrations of <6%. CONCLUSION: A gross change in YS size may indicate or reflect significant dysfunction of the maternofetal transport system in early pregnancy which is complicated with type-1 DM.
Splenic rupture in pregnancy or postpartum is a rare and frequently misdiagnosed occurrence. Failure to recognise it is common, and can be fatal for both mother and child. With all our highly developed diagnostic methods and equipment, aetiology of splenic ruptures in pregnancy remains a dilemma in many cases.
INTRODUCTION: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia and other complications throughout pregnancy. AIM: The aim of the study was to analyze the incidence of preeclampsia and other risk factors in GDM pregnant women. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: During 1992-2001 period, 472 consecutive unselected pregnancies were followed up in women with GDM. Glycemic control was assessed by HbA1c at the time of diagnosis. Preeclampsia was defined as blood pressure 140/90 mm Hg combined with albuminuria of >0.3 g/L. The occurrence of preeclampsia was also assessed in a control group comprising 324 unselected pregnant women. RESULTS: Preeclampsia developed in 14.4% of GDM women and 4.3% of controls. After adjustment by logistic regression, both fasting blood glucose (FBG) and profile blood glucose (PBG) and their changes during pregnancy remained significant predictors for preeclampsia. The odds for preeclampsia increased by a factor 1.2 for each 1 mmol/L increment in initial FBG level and PBG level, and decreased by factor 0.8 for each 1 mmol/L decrease of FBG or PBG level achieved during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Improvement of the glycemic control during pregnancy reduces the risk of preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE: Autonomic neuropathy has recently been recognized as a potential risk factor in pregnancy of type 1 diabetics. The aim of the study was to highlight this poorly recognized problem in the obstetric management of diabetic mothers. STUDY DESIGN: 94 pregnant type 1 diabetics aged 20-35 with a minimum five--year duration of diabetes. A normal population, i.e. 46 age-matched pregnant women without diabetes were evaluated, because there are no normal values for this population. Cardiovascular tests and structured clinical examination were performed on 3 occasions 3 times during pregnancy (once in each trimester). Cardiovascular tests were performed using the ProSciCard system. A full test battery were performed and six basic tests were evaluated. HbA1c was used to assess diabetes control. Diabetic polyneuropathy was clinically assessed by Dyck's staging system. RESULTS: The incidence of moderate and severe autonomic neuropathy in type-1 diabetic pregnant women was 8.5%. There was no increase in the perinatal morbidity and mortality associated with moderate and severe autonomic neuropathy. CONCLUSION: The presence of moderate to severe symptomatic autonomic neuropathy in patients with type-1 diabetes is not a contraindication for pregnancy. If pregnancy is achieved, the patients should be monitored for the occurrence of pernicious vomiting.
AIM: To evaluate potential risk factors and perinatal outcome of pregnancies complicated with placenta previa in Croatian population of pregnant women recruited from the largest tertiary care perinatal center in Croatia. METHODS: This retrospective case-control study included a total of 202 singleton pregnancies with placenta previa during a 10-year study period and 1,004 randomly selected simple singleton controls. Data on potential risk factors for placenta previa development were carefully extracted from medical records, reviewed, and compared with a control group of women. Data were statistically analyzed with chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U test, and crude odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were provided. RESULTS: The incidence of placenta previa was 0.4%. Factors significantly associated with a placenta previa development were advanced maternal age (especially >34 years, even after adjustment for high parity), gravidity of 3 and more (OR, 4; 95% CI, 2.5-6.6), more than one previous delivery (OR, 2.76; 95% CI, 1.7-4.3), history of previous cesarean sections (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.17-3.44), abortions (OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 2.04-3.83), and presence of various uterine abnormalities (OR, 8.5; 95% CI, 1.75-44.5). The risk was significantly increased after two previous cesarean sections (OR, 7.32; 95% CI, 2.1-25) and after one previous abortion (OR, 4.8; 95% CI, 2.7-8.3). No difference between the groups was found regarding the history of previous placenta previa, drug abuse, and male sex at birth. Smoking history was significantly less frequent in women with placenta previa than controls (16.3% vs 25.6%, chi-square=7.9, p=0.007). The main perinatal complication was preterm birth, with 14-fold higher risk in women with placenta previa. Preterm infants of mothers with placenta previa were more likely to have lower first- (6 vs 10, p<0.001) and fifth-minute median Apgar scores (8 vs 10, p<0.045). Term infants of mothers with placenta previa had significantly lower birth weight then their controls (3,300 vs 3,500 g, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The most important obstetric factors for placenta previa development were advanced maternal age especially >34 years, 3 or more previous pregnancies, parity of 2 and more, rising number of previous abortions, and history of previous cesarean section, but not child sex at birth, history of drug abuse and previous placenta previa. Smoking cigarettes was significantly less frequent in women with placenta previa. Preterm delivery still remains the greatest problem in pregnancies complicated with placenta previa.
OBJECTIVE: To review our experience with pregnancies in women with myasthenia gravis (MG). STUDY DESIGN: Sixty nine pregnancies among 65 women with MG patients managed by our department over 28 years were included. The course of the disease in pregnancy, mode of delivery and postpartal period were evaluated. RESULTS: One pregnancy miscarried. In 15% of patients the MG deteriorated in pregnancy a further 16% in the puerperium. 17% of pregnancies were delivered by cesarean section, one due to myasthenia exacerbation. All women with puerperal infections developed exacerbations. One neonatal death, not attributable to myasthenia, was recorded. Transitory neonatal myasthenia gravis (TNMG) was diagnosed in 30% infants. Its incidence was inversely associated with maternal disease duration (P < 0.05). Newborns of thymectomized mothers showed lower rate of neonatal myasthenia compared to those of non-thymectomized women (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: MG patients can have normal pregnancy and delivery but the course is unpredictable. Shorter disease history and infection predispose to puerperal exacerbation. Maternal thymectomy lessens the likelihood of neonatal myasthenia. An interdisciplinary approach is required for managing the pregnant women with MG.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate perinatal outcome in newborns of mothers who are smokers. METHODS: The study included 87 pregnant women with a single pregnancy in the cephalic position, 64 of them nonsmokers (group 1), 13 who smoked 5-20 cigarettes per day (group 2) and 10 who smoked more than 20 cigarettes per day (group 3). Maternal demographic variables and laboratory hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit and erythrocyte count in the last trimester were recorded. Perinatal outcome included type of delivery (vaginal or cesarean section), birth weight, occurrence of meconium in the amniotic fluid, 5-min Apgar score, umbilical arterial blood pH postpartum, sex of the newborn, need for treatment at a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and clinically and neurosonographically verified postpartum neurologic complications in the newborn. RESULTS: A statistically significant correlation (p < 0.01) was found with the mean gestational age at delivery in all three groups of women, especially in those smoking >20 cigarettes per day, who had a higher incidence of premature deliveries. Maternal laboratory findings also differed significantly among the three groups of women, i.e. erythrocyte count (p < 0.01), hemoglobin concentration (p < 0.01) and hematocrit (p < 0.001). The rate of delivery by cesarean section was significantly higher in the groups of smokers, irrespective of the number of cigarettes per day (groups 2 and 3). Birth weight was lower by about 250 and 350 g (p < 0.001) in groups 2 and 3, respectively. Five-minute Apgar score and umbilical arterial blood pH were lower in group 3 as compared with groups 1 and 2 (p < 0.01). NICU treatment was required in more than 50% of infants born to group 3 mothers, in whom 70% of perinatal neurologic complications such as subependymal hemorrhage, periventricular hemorrhage, porencephalic cysts, intracranial hemorrhage and swallowing disturbance of the newborn were recorded (p < 0.001). The infants born to group 3 mothers had a longer and more difficult period of adaptation, thus often requiring an NICU stay. CONCLUSION: Our study confirmed that pregnancy burdened with smoking, especially in the case of >20 cigarettes a day, is associated with a high risk due to the development of maternal anemia and fetal hypoxia and polyglobulia, which in turn result in a significantly poorer perinatal outcome in infants born to smoking mothers and compromised subsequent development of the child, as evidenced by the morphological substrates on the brain resulting from the fetal mechanism of defense against hypoxia. Clinically, there was no other (etiologic) reason for (chronic) fetal hypoxia; thus, the clinical substrate of fetal tobacco syndrome could be presumed to have developed consequentially to chronic smoking during pregnancy, as a preuterine factor of fetal hypoxia. Other gestational or gestation-related diseases (e.g., gestosis, diabetes) that may potentially cause nutritional and respiratory insufficiency of the placenta were ruled out.