生殖医学杂志最新文献

Objective: To review the clinicopathological characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of tubal gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) misdiagnosed as tubal pregnancy.

Study design: From January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2013, a total of 619 patients with GTD were recorded at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University. Among them, 4 cases of tubal GTD were initially misdiagnosed as tubal pregnancies. We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathologic characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of those 4 patients.

Results: All 4 patients showed symptoms similar to those of tubal pregnancy. The serum human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) level at presentation was elevated >50,000 mIU/mL. All cases were treated by laparoscopic surgery. Misdiagnosis of the 3 cases of complete hydatidiform mole (CHM) and 1 choriocarcinoma were identified by postoperational histopathology. At 7 days postoperation the β-hCG level decreased to 304–6,115 mIU/mL. One case of tubal CHM received a second operation, and 3 cases received chemotherapy due to the unsatisfactory decrease in β-hCG level. The patient with choriocarcinoma received routine adjuvant chemotherapy. All of the patients achieved complete remission, and none relapsed for a median of 20 months’ follow-up.

Conclusion: Tubal GTD is rare and is often misdiagnosed for tubal pregnancy. Salpingectomy, intraoperative frozen section, and close follow-up were recommended, and prophylactic chemotherapy was unnecessary.

Objective: To examine 3 legal cases in which physicians prescribed methotrexate to women with a viable intrauterine pregnancy, presumed to be ectopic, resulting in adverse fetal outcomes.

Study design: We conducted an electronic literature search for legal cases using the keywords “methotrexate” and “pregnancy” in the LexisNexis legal research engine as well as an Internet-wide search using the additional keyword “verdict.” We manually searched the resultant list of identified cases and categorized the studies identified in the search by verdict, award amount, and outcome of the embryo exposed to methotrexate.

Results: The monetary awards are typically greater when the embryo exposed to methotrexate lives and requires continuous medical and custodial care as compared to when the fetus dies in utero or shortly after birth.

Conclusion: Physicians who, with all good intentions, prescribe methotrexate to women with a viable pregnancy, presumed to be ectopic, could find them-selves liable for an adverse fetal outcome. For the benefit of patients, their unborn offspring, and the liability exposure of the physician, it is important to be very cautious when prescribing methotrexate.

Objective: To evaluate the association between leptin level, adiponectin level, gestational weight gain, maternal constitutional factors, and the weights at birth and at 1 year of age in infants born to women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Study design: Fifty-one women with GDM were recruited from June 2011 to September 2011. Leptin and adiponectin levels in maternal and cord blood were measured and their correlations with infant’s birth weight and weight after 1 year were evaluated using Pearson correlation analysis. The weight correlations were also determined with maternal constitutional factors.

Results: The neonatal birth weight positively correlates with cord blood leptin (r=0.316, p=0.024) and adiponectin (r=0.855, p=0.026) levels. One-year-old infant’s weight correlates only with the cord blood adiponectin level (r=0.753, p=0.036). The infant’s birth weight had positive correlations with maternal constitutional factors such as prepregnancy weight (r=0.340, p=0.015), prepregnancy BMI (r=0.289, p=0.040), prepartum weight (r=0.404, p=0.003), prepartum BMI (r=0.348, p=0.012), and gestational weight gain (r= 0.280, p=0.047).

Conclusion: The infant’s birth weight is closely associated with cord blood levels of both leptin and adiponectin and with pregravid and prepartum maternal obesity. The 1-year weight of infants born to GDM mothers is only associated with levels of adiponectin in cord blood.

Background: Heterotopic pregnancy is defined as the simultaneous presence of 2 or more pregnancies at different implantation sites, most commonly one intrauterine and one ectopic. Triplet heterotopic pregnancy refers to the presence of specifically 3 concurrent gestations with at least 1 being abnormally implanted. Heterotopic pregnancy is a potentially life-threatening condition that requires thorough diagnostic workup and prompt intervention.

Case: We report the fourth case of triplet heterotopic pregnancy after ovarian stimulation with gonadotropins. A 24-year-old woman, G0, presented at 6 weeks of gestation with bilateral tubal ectopic pregnancies and a nonviable intrauterine pregnancy (IUP) after gonadotropin stimulation cycle. Bilateral tubal pregnancies were removed laparoscopically and the nonviable IUP via dilation and curettage.

Conclusion: Although rare, heterotopic pregnancy of 2 or more gestations must be kept in mind when managing patients undergoing treatment with ART. Careful examination of bilateral adnexa and consideration of uterine sampling at the time of surgery for ectopic pregnancy is advisable, even for patients with few or no risk factors.

Objective: While prenatal 3D ultrasonography results in improved diagnostic accuracy, no data are available on biometric assessment of the fetal frontal lobe. This study was designed to assess feasibility of a standardized approach to biometric measurement of the fetal frontal lobe and to construct frontal lobe growth trajectories throughout gestation.

Study design: A sonographic 3D volume set was obtained and measured in 101 patients between 16.1 and 33.7 gestational weeks. Measurements were obtained by two independent raters. To model the relationship between gestational age and each frontal lobe measurement, flexible linear regression models were fit using penalized regression splines.

Results: The sample contained an ethnically diverse population (7.9% Native Americans, 45.5% Hispanic/Latina). There was high inter-rater reliability (correlation coefficients: 0.95, 1.0, and 0.87 for frontal lobe length, width, and height; p-values < 0.001). Graphs of the growth trajectories and corresponding percentiles were estimated as a function of gestational age. The estimated rates of frontal lobe growth were 0.096 cm/week, 0.247 cm/week, and 0.111 cm/week for length, width, and height.

Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine fetal frontal lobe growth trajectories through 3D prenatal ultrasound examination. Such normative data will allow for future prenatal evaluation of a particular disease state by 3D ultrasound imaging.

Objective: To describe the relationship between severe diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) and assisted reproductive technology outcomes.

Study design: Retrospective cohort including all United States’ fertility centers reporting to the CDC National ART Surveillance System, 2004–2012. Among women aged <41 (504,266 fresh autologous IVF cycles), we calculated cancellation rate/cycle and pregnancy rate/transfer, stratified by age, by maximum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Cancellation rate per cycle and pregnancy, live birth, and miscarriage rates per transfer were compared among women with and without DOR. We used multivariable log binomial regression, stratified by age, to calculate adjusted relative risk (aRR) for the association between DOR and these outcomes and, within DOR groups, between stimulation type and outcomes.

Results: Cancellation rate/cycle increased with increasing FSH and with DOR severity. For women aged <35 who underwent transfer, aRR for pregnancy and live birth indicated slightly reduced likelihood of these outcomes (severe vs. no DOR); confidence intervals approached the null. Among women with severe DOR, stimulation type was not associated with likelihood of pregnancy or live birth per transfer in any group except women ages 38–40.

Conclusion: Women with severe DOR are at significantly increased risk of cancellation; however, those who undergo transfer have pregnancy and live birth chances similar to those of women without DOR after controlling for cycle characteristics.

Objective: To assess young women’s preferences and attitudes towards various options to create families at a time when women are increasingly postponing childbearing due to greater career focus and widespread availability of contraceptives.

Study design: Reported data were obtained from an electronic survey distributed over 6 months to approximately 7,000 females enrolled in American universities.

Results: Most respondents ranked preferable childbearing modalities as follows: natural conception, assisted reproductive technologies, adoption, anonymous oocyte donation, and directed oocyte donation. The majority would consider using autologous oocyte cryopreservation for childbearing, but only a minority saw oocyte donation as a viable option. When queried about donating oocytes, 61% said they would donate to a sibling/friend, 51% to research, and 40% for clinical usage. Most would prefer to receive donation outcome information and would be comfortable being contacted by offspring. Most believed selecting recipient characteristics would increase their likelihood of donation, and 43% felt donors should receive additional compensation for desirable characteristics.

Conclusion: Reproductive autonomy and fertility preservation are important to young educated females, a population sought-after for oocyte donation. Potential donors’ desires for additional rights merit consideration as oocyte demand increases and frozen-oocyte banks emerge.

Objective: To assess the feasibility of a standardized approach to biometric measurement of the fetal frontal lobe and to construct frontal lobe growth trajectories throughout gestation.

Study design: A sonographic 3-dimensional (3D) volume set was obtained and measured in 101 patients between 16.1 and 33.7 gestational weeks. Measurements were obtained by 2 independent raters. To model the relationship between gestational age and each frontal lobe measurement, flexible linear regression models were fit using penalized regression splines.

Results: The sample contained an ethnically diverse population (7.9% Native Americans, 45.5% Hispanics/Latinas). There was high interrater reliability (correlation coefficients 0.95, 1.0, and 0.87 for frontal lobe length, width, and height; p values <0.001). Graphs of the growth trajectories and corresponding percentiles were estimated as a function of gestational age. The estimated rates of frontal lobe growth were 0.096 cm/week, 0.247 cm/week, and 0.111 cm/week for length, width, and height, respectively.

Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine fetal frontal lobe growth trajectories through 3D prenatal ultrasound examination. Such normative data will allow for future prenatal evaluation of a particular disease state by 3D ultrasound imaging.