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Artigos Originais
Conjoined twins: prenatal diagnosis, delivery and postnatal outcome
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2011;33(5):211-218
08-15-2011
Summary
Artigos OriginaisConjoined twins: prenatal diagnosis, delivery and postnatal outcome
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2011;33(5):211-218
08-15-2011DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032011000500002
Views110See morePURPOSE: the aim of this study was to analyze conjoined twins in terms of antenatal, delivery and postnatal aspects. METHODS: a retrospective descriptive analysis of prenatally diagnosed conjoined twins. Prenatal ultrasound and echocardiography, delivery details, postnatal follow-up, surgical separation and post mortem data were reviewed. The twins were classified according to the type of fusion between fetal structures. The following data were analyzed: ultrasound and echocardiographic findings, antenatal lethality and possibility of surgical separation, delivery details and survival rates. RESULTS: forty cases of conjoined twins were included in the study. There were 72.5% cases of thoracophagus, 12.5% of paraphagus, 7.5% of omphalo-ischiophagus, 5.0% of omphalophagus, and 2.5% of cephalophagus. Judicial termination of pregnancy was requested in 58.8% of the cases. Cesarean section was performed in all cases in which pregnancy was not terminated. The mean gestational age at delivery was 35 weeks; all twins were live births with a mean birth weight of 3,860 g and 88% died postnatally. Ten percent of the live borns were submitted to surgical separation with a 60% survival rate. The total survival rate was 7.5% and postnatal survival was 12%. Antenatal evaluation of lethality and possibility of surgical separation were precise. There were no maternal complications related to delivery. CONCLUSION: conjoined twins present a dismal prognosis mainly related to the complex cardiac fusion present in the majority of cases with thoracic sharing. At referring centers, prenatal ultrasound and echocardiographic evaluation accurately delineate fetal prognosis and the possibility of postnatal surgical separation.
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Artigos Originais
Comparison of Doppler indexes to predict small infants for gestational age in pregnant women with hypertensive syndromes
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2011;33(4):157-163
08-05-2011
Summary
Artigos OriginaisComparison of Doppler indexes to predict small infants for gestational age in pregnant women with hypertensive syndromes
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2011;33(4):157-163
08-05-2011DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032011000400002
Views82PURPOSE: to determine the best Doppler flow velocimetry index to predict small infants for gestational age (SGAI), in pregnant women with hypertensive syndromes. METHODS: a cross-sectional study was conducted enrolling 129 women with high blood pressure, submitted to dopplervelocimetry up to 15 days before delivery. Women with multiple fetuses, fetal malformations, genital bleeding, placental abruption, premature rupture of fetal membranes, smoking, use of illicit drugs, and chronic diseases were excluded. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for each Doppler variable was constructed to diagnose SGAI and the sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), positive (PLR) and negative (NLR) likelihood ratio were calculated. RESULTS: the area under the ROC curve for the middle cerebral artery resistance index was 52% (p=0.79) with Se, Sp, PLR, and NLR of 25.0, 89.1, 2.3 and 0.84% for a resistance index lower than 0.70, respectively. While the area under the ROC curve for the resistance index of the umbilical artery was 74% (p=0.0001), with Se=50.0%, Sp=90.0%, PLR=5.0 and NLR=0.56, for a resistance index higher or equal to 0.70. The area under the ROC curve for the resistance index umbilical artery/middle cerebral artery ratio was 75% (p=0.0001). When it was higher than 0.86, the Se, Sp, PLR and NLR were 70.8, 80.0, 3.4 and 0.36%, respectively. For the resistance index of the middle cerebral artery/uterine artery ratio, the area under the ROC curve was 71% (p=0.0001). We found a Se=52.2%, Sp=85.9%, PLR=3.7 and NLR=0.56, when the ratio was lower than 1.05. When we compared the area under the ROC curve of the four dopplervelocimetry indexes, we observed that only the resistance index umbilical artery/middle cerebral artery, resistance index middle cerebral artery/uterine artery and resistance index umbilical artery ratios seem to be useful for the prediction of SGA. CONCLUSION: in patients with high blood pressure during pregnancy, all dopplervelocimetry parameters, except the middle cerebral artery resistance index, can be used to predict SGAI. The umbilical artery/middle cerebral artery ratio seems to be the most recommended one.
Key-words DopplerInfantMiddle cerebral arteryPre-eclampsiasmall for gestational ageUltrasonographyUmbilical arteriesSee more -
Artigos Originais
Assessment of length and area of corpus callosum by three-dimensional ultrasonography
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2010;32(12):573-578
03-30-2010
Summary
Artigos OriginaisAssessment of length and area of corpus callosum by three-dimensional ultrasonography
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2010;32(12):573-578
03-30-2010DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032010001200002
Views73See morePURPOSE: to establish reference values for the length and area of the fetal corpus callosum between the 20th and 33rd weeks of gestation using three-dimensional ultrasound (3DUS). METHODS: this cross-sectional study involved 70 normal pregnancies with gestational age between 20 and 33 weeks. An Accuvix XQ instrument with a convex volumetric transducer (3 to 5 MHz) was used. To assess the corpus callosum, a transfrontal plane was obtained using the metopic suture as an acoustic window. Length was obtained by measuring the distance between the proximal and distal extremities of the corpus callosum. Area was obtained by manual tracing of the external corpus callosum surface. The means, medians, standard deviations, and maximum and minimum values were calculated for the corpus callosum length and area. Scatter graphs were created to analyze the correlation between corpus callosum length and area and gestational age and biparietal diameter, the quality adjustments was verified according to the determination coefficient (R²). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess the intraobserver variability. RESULTS: mean corpus callosum length increased from 21.7 (18.6 - 25.2 mm) to 38.7 mm (32.6 - 43.3 mm) between 20 and 33 weeks of pregnancy, respectively. Mean corpus callosum area increased from 55.2 (41.0 - 80.0 mm²) to 142.2 mm² (114.0 - 160.0 mm²), between 20 to 33 weeks of pregnancy, respectively. There was a strong correlation between corpus callosum length and area and gestational age (R² = 0.7 and 0.7, respectively) and biparietal diameter (R² = 0.7 and 0.6, respectively). Intraobserver variability was appropriate, with an ICC of 0.9 and 0.9 for length and area, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: reference values for corpus callosum length and area were established for fetuses between 20 and 33 weeks gestation. Intraobserver variability was appropriate.
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Artigos Originais
Regularity of cycles and ovulatory pattern in young women with sickle cell anemia
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2010;32(11):525-529
01-20-2010
Summary
Artigos OriginaisRegularity of cycles and ovulatory pattern in young women with sickle cell anemia
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2010;32(11):525-529
01-20-2010DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032010001100002
Views87See morePURPOSE: to evaluate the characteristics of the menstrual cycle and to identify the occurrence of ovulation in nulliparous young women with sickle cell anemia (SCA). METHODS: we conducted a case-control study including 26 nulliparous women of reproductive age, divided into two groups: "cases", consisting of 13 women with SCA, and "Control" Group, consisting of 13 healthy women with the same interval since menarche. The characteristics of the menstrual cycle were reported by the participants, who were also submitted to measurements of serum progesterone, basal body temperature curves and transabdominal ultrasound in three consecutive cycles (total: 78 cycles) in order to identify the occurrence of ovulation. The results were compared between groups using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney or Kruskal Wallis tests, and the differences were considered significant when p-value < 0.05. RESULTS: no significant difference was found in mean chronological age between the two groups (p = 0.2) in the pattern of the menstrual cycle when duration of flow (p = 0.4) and interval between cycles (p = 0.3) were compared. There was no difference between groups in age at menarche (p = 0.05). Mean hemoglobin value was 8.4 g/dL (± 0.9) in the group of women with SCA and 12.6 g/dL (± 0.8) in the control group (p < 0.01). The frequency of ovulatory cycles was similar for cases (76.9%) and controls (92.3%) (p = 0.5), with a predominance of individuals with three ovulatory cycles in the control group (84.6%) compared to 23.1% in the case group (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: the findings justify the need for effective guidance for patients with SCA regarding sexual activity, the possibility of pregnancy and the alternatives for contraception.
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Artigos Originais
Correlation between estimated fetal weight by ultrasound and neonatal weight
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2010;32(1):4-10
02-23-2010
Summary
Artigos OriginaisCorrelation between estimated fetal weight by ultrasound and neonatal weight
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2010;32(1):4-10
02-23-2010DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032010000100002
Views43See morePURPOSE: to evaluate the correlation between the estimated fetal weight (EFW) by ultrasonography and the neonatal weight (NW), as well as the EFW's capacity to predict changes in NW among pregnant women in João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. METHODS: a diagnostic validation study, including 122 pregnant women who have had the EFW calculated by ultrasonography up to seven days before delivery and the NW established immediately after birth, with a specific newborn's scale. The correlation between EFW and NW measurements was assessed by Pearson's correlation coefficient and by the mean difference between them. EFW and NW were classified as: low for the gestational age (LGA), adequate for the gestational age (AGA) and high for the gestational age (HGA), according to the percentiles 10 and 90 of the respective reference curves. The diagnosis of EFW deviation has been validated using the values of the Alexander's NW reference curve as gold-standard, by estimating the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. RESULTS: there has been a high linear correlation between the EFW and NW (R=0.96), and the difference between them has varied from -474 g to +480 g, with an average of +3 g. Most of the highest percent weight estimate variations were between 10 and 15%. EFW has had 85.7% of sensitivity and 100% of specificity for the detection of LGA, and 100 and 77.2%, respectively, for the detection of HGA. CONCLUSIONS: EFW is able to predict NW adequately, and the reference EFW tested has had a good performance in the screening of fetal growth deviation, in the population studied.
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Artigos Originais
Effects of maternal anemia on computerized cardiotocography and fetal biophysical profile
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2009;31(12):615-620
01-18-2009
Summary
Artigos OriginaisEffects of maternal anemia on computerized cardiotocography and fetal biophysical profile
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2009;31(12):615-620
01-18-2009DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032009001200007
Views104See morePURPOSES: to evaluate the influence of maternal hemoglobin (Hb) levels in the patterns of fetal heart rate (FHR) and in the fetal biophysical profile (FBP) in term gestations. METHODS: pregnant women with anemia (Hb<11.0 g/dL) were prospectively evaluated between the 36th and the 40th week of gestation, from January 2008 to March 2009. The Control Group was composed of term and healthy pregnant women, with normal values of hemoglobin (Hb>11,0 g/dL). Cases of anomalies or fetal growing restrictions were excluded. The FHR evaluation was performed by computerized cardiotocography (8002 System-Sonicaid), and by record analysis during 30 minutes of exam. The FBP was done in all the patients. Student's, χ2 and Fisher's exact tests were used, with 0.05 significance level. RESULTS: The average of maternal Hb in the group with anemia (n=18) was 9.4 g/dL (DP=1.4 g/dL), and in the control group, 12.4g/dL (DP=1.3 g/dL). There has been no significant mean differences between groups concerning the cardiotocography parameters, respectively: basal FHR(131.3 versus 133.7 bpm, p=0.5), FHR accelerations > 10b pm (7.9 versus 8.2, p=0.866), FHR accelerations > 15 bpm (5.2 versus. 5.4, p=0.9), episodes of high variation of the FHR (17.1 versus 15.5 min, p=0,5), episodes of variation of the FHR (4.4 versus 3.6 min, p=06), and short term variation (10.5 versus 10.9 ms, p=0.5). In both groups, all patients presented normal FBP. CONCLUSIONS: this study suggests that light or moderate maternal anemia, without other maternal or fetal comorbidity, is not associated with abnormalities in the parameters of fetal biophysical profile and of the FHR analyzed by computerized cardiotocography.
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Artigo de Revisão
Antenatal fetal surveillance
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2009;31(10):513-526
11-19-2009
Summary
Artigo de RevisãoAntenatal fetal surveillance
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2009;31(10):513-526
11-19-2009DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032009001000008
Views45The present context of medical practice demands from the obstetrician and gynecologist broad understanding of the scientific and technological advances of the area. The main purpose of prenatal evaluation is to identify fetuses at risk for adverse events or death, for preventive action to avoid mishappenings. The determination of fetal biophysical profile reaches its maximum efficiency when applied within the clinical context of each case. In high risk gestations, the Doppler velocimetry of the umbilical artery has shown to be useful to improve perinatal outcome. In the fetal growth deficit, due to severe placentary insufficiency, Doppler velocimetry of the venous duct has been showing to be an important tool in handling of the cases before the 34th week of gestation. Although no test itself is considered the best to evaluate the fetus's prenatal vitality, the joint analysis of all methods may lead to a better understanding of the fetal response to hypoxia.
Key-words Echocardiography, dopplerFetal distressFetal hypoxiaFetal monitoringHeart rate, fetalUltrasonographySee more -
Artigos Originais
Obesity and altered arterial structure in young women with micropolycystic ovary syndrome
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2009;31(7):342-348
10-09-2009
Summary
Artigos OriginaisObesity and altered arterial structure in young women with micropolycystic ovary syndrome
Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. 2009;31(7):342-348
10-09-2009DOI 10.1590/S0100-72032009000700004
Views99PURPOSE: to compare echographical cardiovascular risk factors between obese and non-obese patients with micropolycystic ovarian syndrome (MPOS). METHODS: in this transversal study, 30 obese (Body Mass Index, BMI>30 kg/m²) and 60 non-obese (BMI<30 kg/m²) MPOS patients, aging between 18 and 35 years old, were included. The following variables were measured: flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery, thickness of the intima-media of the carotid artery (IMT), anthropometric data, systolic arterial pressure (SAP) and diastolic arterial pressure (DAP). The women had no previous medical treatment and no comorbidity besides MPOS and obesity. For statistical analysis, the non-paired tand Mann-Whitney's tests were used. RESULTS: obese weighted more than non-obese patients (92.1±11.7 kg versus 61.4±10.7 kg, p<0.0001) and had a larger waist circumference (105.0±10.4 cm versus 78.5±9.8 cm, p<0.0001). The SBP of obese patients was higher than that of the non-obese ones (126.1±10.9 mmHg versus 115.8±9.0 mmHg, p<0.0001) and the IMT was also bigger (0.51±0.07 mm versus 0.44±0.09 mm, p<0.0001). There was no significant difference between the groups as to FMD and carotid rigidity index (β). CONCLUSIONS: obesity in young women with MPOS is associated with higher blood pressure and alteration of arterial structure, represented by a thicker intima-media of the carotid artery.
Key-words Body weights and measuresCardiovascular diseasesEndotheliumObesityPolycystic ovarian syndromeRisk factorsUltrasonographySee more