Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2006;28(6):324-330
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032006000600002
PURPOSE: to compare the maternal factors, clinical aspects and perinatal results in placental abruption during two periods. METHODS: retrospective analysis of placental abruption cases that occurred from January 1, 1994 through December 31, 1997 (period 94-97), and from April 4, 2001 through March 3, 2005 (period 01-05), in singleton delivery with birthweight higher than 500 g and after 20 weeks of gestation. The following factors were analyzed: maternal age, previous obstetric history, prenatal care, premature rupture of membranes, obstetric and/or clinical intercurrent events, vaginal bleeding, uterine tonus, fetal anomaly, mode of delivery, hemoamnion and maternal complication (hysterectomy, uterine atony, disseminated intravascular coagulation, acute renal failure, and maternal death), and the perinatal results. RESULTS: the rate of placental abruption was 0.78% (60 cases) in the period 94-97 (n=7692 deliveries), and 0.59% (51 cases) in the period 01-05 (n=8644 deliveries), without significant difference. A significant difference was observed between the periods 94-97 and 01-05 regarding mean number of previous gestations (3.5±2.4 and 2.6±1.8, p=0.04), patients without prenatal care (13.3 and 2.0%, p=0.03) and maternal intercurrences (38.3 and 64.7%, p=0.01). No significant difference was observed related to vaginal bleeding, tonus abnormalities and perinatal results, between the periods, but a higher proportion of hemoamnion in 94-97 was found when compared to 01-05 (28.3 and 11.8%, p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: in spite of obstetrical advances, maternal complications and perinatal results were similar in the analyzed periods. The severity and the unexpected results emphasize the importance of prevention and adequate control of associated factors, when this pathology is approached.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2004;26(9):709-714
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032004000900006
PURPOSE: to study the relationship between previous cesarean section and abruptio placentae. METHODS: a retrospective study reviewed 6495 deliveries between April 2001 and January 2004. The adopted inclusion criteria were: clinical diagnosis of abruptio placentae confirmed by placental examination after delivery, single pregnancy, birth weight >500 g, gestational age >22 weeks and no history of abdominal trauma. Five controls were selected for each abruptio placentae case and were matched for the following parameters: parity, gestational age (< or > 30 weeks), maternal arterial hypertension during pregnancy, presence of nonobstetrical uterine scar, premature rupture of membranes and polyhydramnios. Statistical analysis of continuous variables was perfomed by Student's t test. Statistical significance of the comparisons of categorical variables was evaluated by the chi2 test or by the Fisher exact test. p values <0.05 were considered to be significant. RESULTS: thirty-four cases of abruptio placentae were included (incidence 0.52%). The control group included 170 cases that fulfilled the matching criteria. The incidence of previous cesarean section in the abruptio placentae group was 26.5% (9 cases) and in the control group it was 21.2% (36 cases). No significant difference was found between the groups (p=0.65, OR=1.34, CI 95%=0.53-3.34). CONCLUSION: the present study was not able to demonstrate association between abruptio placentae and previous cesarean section.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2003;25(8):585-591
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032003000800007
PURPOSE: to analyze the histopathological patterns of the placental bed arteries in pregnancies complicated by abruptio placentae (AP) and compare them with the normal vascular histology of the placental bed. METHODS: placental bed biopsy was performed in 23 pregnant women with a diagnosis of abruptio placentae associated with high blood pressure (G/HBP) disorders, with gestational age of 28 weeks or more, submitted to cesarean section. The control group (CG) consisted of 30 patients without disease, submitted to cesarean section for obstetric reasons. The selected histological variables were: unaltered pattern, physiological changes, medial layer disorganization, hyperplastic changes, acute necrosis and atherosis. RESULTS: in patients with AP associated with HBP there was a significant predominance of medial layer disorganization and hyperplastic changes, compared to CG, while physiological changes in spiral arteries were statistically more common in CG. Findings of acute necrosis and atherosis were observed in a low number of G/HBP, with no statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: in pregnant women with AP associated with HBP the predominant vascular histological findings were medial layer disorganization and hyperplastic changes. The presence of histopathological features was significantly higher in G/HBP, with prevalence of medial layer disorganization. Normal histological pattern, i.e., physiological changes, were more prevalent in CG.
Summary
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2003;25(2):103-107
DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032003000200005
PURPOSE: to study the causes and associated factors of fetal death. METHODS: epidemiological descriptive study, composed of 190 cases of fetal loss amongst 11,825 pregnant women that gave birth at the two only hospitals (Casa de Saúde Divino Espírito Santo and Hospital Nossa Senhora Auxiliadora) of Caratinga City, in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, in the period from January 1, 1995 to April 30, 2000. The variables were the number of pregnancies, the timing of the pregnant women at the time of hospitalization, the occurrence of fetal death in relation to delivery and the cause of fetal death. Since there were no comparative groups, tables, percentages and arithmetical means were applied, following the guidelines of the Course of Statistics, of the "Universidade Federal de São Paulo". RESULTS: among the 189 pregnant women with fetal death, 77 were primigravidal and 76 had already been pregnant 2 to 5 times. The gestational age in 113 women was from 20 to 37 weeks. In relation to parturition, the fetal loss occurred during the antepartum period in 164 of 190 dead fetuses. The most frequently noticed death causes were: abruptio placentae in 35 cases, fetal anomaly in 12 cases, and hypertension syndrome in 8 cases. Nervertheless, there was no explanation for the etiology of 117 cases of fetal death. CONCLUSION: stillbirth has frequently been observed among the primigravidae (40.74%), in preterm period (59.79%), and in the antepartum period (86.31%). Among fetal death causes, the most frequent was a abruptio placentae (18.42%), and in 61.57% of the cases the fetal death could not be explained.