Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica最新文献

Introduction: The rate of vaginal hysterectomies is declining globally. We investigated surgical techniques, outcomes, and costs in a large national cohort of benign hysterectomies with prerequisites for vaginal surgery.

Material and methods: A retrospective register-based cohort study with benign hysterectomies in the Swedish GynOp registry 2014-2023 (n = 17 804). Inclusion criteria were non-prolapse, non-endometriosis with uterus weight <300 g. The cohort was divided into a low-risk and a standard group, with the low-risk group having optimal conditions for vaginal hysterectomy: no previous caesarian section (CS), no previous abdominal surgery, Body Mass Index (BMI) <30, and no nulliparous patients. Surgical outcomes were quantified using crude and adjusted risk ratios (RR, ARR). Costs were calculated and compared between abdominal (AH), laparoscopic (LH), robot-assisted (RH), and vaginal hysterectomies (VH).

Results: The rate of AH and VH decreased during the period studied. RH increased and was the most common surgical technique 2021-2023 (33.2%). VH had the shortest surgical time and was the cheapest method. In the low-risk group, 25.2% of the patients were operated on vaginally. AH had more postoperative complications and longer hospitalization compared to VH in the low-risk group. LH had less severe intraoperative complications, ARR = 0.38 (95% CI 0.17-0.86) but more mild postoperative complications, ARR = 1.24 (95% CI 1.05-1.46) compared to VH in the low-risk group. LH had more conversions, ARR = 1.46 (95% CI 1.00-2.12), longer surgical time, ARR = 2.73 (95% CI 2.46-3.00) and longer hospital stay, ARR = 1.26 (95% CI 1.12-1.43) compared to VH. Mild (ARR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.16-0.66) and severe (ARR = 0.17, 95% CI 0.05-0.58) intraoperative complications and bleeding >500 mL (ARR = 0.12, 95% CI 0.04-0.34) were less common in RH versus VH in the low-risk group. There were no differences between RH and VH regarding postoperative complications and reoperations. Surgical time <45 min was less common in RH versus VH (ARR = 0.47, 95% CI 0.42-0.54) and RH had a significantly longer postoperative hospital stay (ARR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.02-1.33).

Conclusions: A decline of vaginal hysterectomies in Sweden 2014-2023 among patients with prerequisites for vaginal surgery was shown. VH was the cheapest method with few postoperative complications and short hospitalization. Our results support the vaginal route in low-risk hysterectomies.

Introduction: The optimal approach for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) screening remains controversial. Since 2003, all Canadian guidelines have recommended universal GDM screening. Some countries, such as Sweden, use selective GDM screening among those with pre-existing risk factors. In Canada, antenatal care model (midwife, general practitioner or obstetrician) is partially self-selected; thus, patient populations may differ between care models. Despite the Canadian policy of universal GDM screening, screening nonadherence is more frequent in midwife-led care. We examined perinatal outcomes according to GDM screening adherence vs. nonadherence in this population.

Material and methods: We conducted a population-based cohort study of singleton pregnancies and infants using linked administrative data from the province of British Columbia, Canada. We restricted the study to pregnancies with midwife-led antenatal care where GDM screening nonadherence occurred more frequently and was more likely by choice. We estimated adjusted risk ratios (aRR) according to GDM screening, comparing no glucose tests during pregnancy (21.4%), early glucose testing <20 weeks (5.5%), and glucose testing with alternate methods ≥20 weeks (4.0%) vs. normoglycemic pregnancies (69%) using multivariable log binomial regression. We stratified by known GDM risk factors. Our primary outcome was large for gestational age (LGA) infants. Secondary outcomes were small for gestational age infants (SGA), stillbirth, 5-min Apgar <7, birth trauma, preterm birth, cesarean birth, and obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI).

Results: In this cohort of 83 522 pregnancies, having no glucose tests in pregnancy was associated with lower risks of LGA and cesarean birth (LGA aRR 0.82; 95% CI 0.79-0.86; cesarean birth aRR 0.75; 95% CI 0.72-0.78) and higher risks of stillbirth and SGA (stillbirth aRR 1.6; 95% CI 1.0-2.2; SGA aRR 1.2; 95% CI 1.1-1.3) compared with normoglycemic pregnancies. Stillbirth risks were further elevated (aRR 2.5; 95% CI 1.2-5.0) in strata with GDM risk factors, but not in strata without risk factors, while higher SGA risks persisted across strata.

Conclusions: Nonadherence to GDM screening guidelines was associated with lower risks for excess fetal growth-related outcomes (LGA, cesarean birth), but higher risks of stillbirth and SGA.

Introduction: Moderate and high levels of anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL), especially in the setting of the antiphospholipid syndrome, are associated with adverse obstetric outcomes. However, the clinical relevance of low aCL levels (<40 MPL/GPL units) is still a matter of debate. The aim of the study was to evaluate obstetric outcomes in pregnancies with low immunoglobulin M (IgM) and/or immunoglobulin G (IgG) aCL positivity. The association between low aCL positivity and maternal baseline characteristics was also studied.

Material and methods: The retrospective monocentric cohort study of prospectively collected data involved a total 3047 singleton pregnancies that underwent the first-trimester screening involving an aCL test and delivered on site. Obstetric outcomes were compared between the low-titer aCL group (IgM ≥7 MPL units and <40 MPL units and/or IgG ≥10 GPL units and <40 GPL units) and the aCL negative group (IgM <7 MPL units and IgG <10 GPL units, reference group). In addition, obstetric outcomes were evaluated with regard to the antibody isotype: IgM-positive group (IgM <40 MPL units, IgG negative) and IgG-positive group (IgG <40 GPL units, IgM negative or <40 MPL units).

Results: Overall, the occurrence of pregnancy-related complications was significantly higher (27.91% vs. 19.32%, p = 0.034) in the low-titer aCL group. Concerning the antibody isotype, a higher rate of pregnancy-related complications was observed in the IgG-positive group (54.55% vs. 19.32%, p = 0.001), but not in the IgM-positive group (22.43% vs. 19.32%, p = 0.454). The stillbirth rate did not reach statistical significance. Low-titer aCL pregnancies were more frequently of advanced maternal age (p < 0.001), suffered from autoimmune diseases (p < 0.001), chronic hypertension (p = 0.040), and hereditary thrombophilia (p = 0.040). In addition, they had more often a positive history of stillbirth (p < 0.001), underwent conception via assisted reproductive technologies (p < 0.001), were administered low-dose aspirin (p < 0.001), low-molecular-weight heparin (p = 0.018) and immunomodulatory drugs (p < 0.001), and delivered earlier (p = 0.018).

Conclusions: Even low aCL levels are associated with a higher incidence of pregnancy-related complications, but only in the case of IgG antibody isotype presence. Screening for aCL in the first trimester has some prognostic value, but further studies are needed to determine whether its potential implementation into routine clinical practice would improve antenatal care.

Introduction: Assisted vaginal delivery has been associated with a negative childbirth experience and the development of secondary fear of childbirth, although it is less consistent than emergency Cesarean delivery. Whether the choice of instrument influences this, and the woman's preference for delivery mode in a potential subsequent pregnancy, is unknown. Our objective was to assess the association between the choice of instrument during assisted vaginal delivery, secondary fear of childbirth, and preference for an elective Cesarean delivery in a potential subsequent pregnancy.

Material and methods: Study design: Secondary analysis of Bergen birth study, a prospective observational study assessing maternal and neonatal outcomes after assisted vaginal delivery in primiparas at term, inclusion period: June 2021-April 2023. Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire version B was completed within a week after delivery. This validated instrument has 33 questions, a total score range from 0 to 165, and a score of ≥85 was used as a cutoff to define fear of childbirth. Preferred mode of delivery in a potential subsequent pregnancy, pain, and overall birth experience was also measured.

Main outcome measures: Secondary fear of childbirth and request for Cesarean delivery in the next pregnancy.

Results: 132 women after forceps, 160 after vacuum, and 139 after spontaneous delivery answered the questionnaires. Overall prevalence of secondary fear of childbirth was 12.2% after spontaneous and 14.4% after both forceps and vacuum deliveries. Compared with spontaneous delivery, the adjusted odds ratio of developing fear of childbirth was aOR 1.63 (95% CI 0.45-5.17, p = 0.4) after vacuum and aOR 1.71 (95% CI 0.43-6.14, p = 0.4) after forceps delivery. Secondary fear of childbirth (aOR: 11.3 (95% CI 5.30-24.6), p < 0.001) and maternal age ≥35 (aOR: 3.66 (95% CI: 1.49-8.81), p = 0.004) were associated with a preference for cesarean delivery in a potential subsequent pregnancy. Severe pain was reported just as often in the spontaneous delivery cohort (33.8%) as in the vacuum (25.6%) and forceps (24.2%) cohorts. Less than 5% in each cohort indicated that they were very unsatisfied with their birth experience.

Conclusions: The choice of instrument during assisted vaginal delivery was not associated with secondary fear of childbirth or preference for cesarean delivery in a potential subsequent pregnancy.

Introduction: Our objective was to study the association of placental size, fetal size, and placental size relative to fetal size (placental to fetal ratio) at gestational week 27 with time to spontaneous delivery.

Material and methods: We included 100 pregnancies in a follow-up study from gestational week 27 until spontaneous delivery. Placental and fetal volume (in cm³) were measured at gestational week 27 by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the association of placental to fetal ratio (placental volume/fetal volume) with delivery after spontaneous onset of labor was estimated as hazard ratios (HR) by applying Cox regression models. Pregnancies with deliveries after planned cesarean section or induction of labor provided follow-up time until these events. An HR lower than 1.0 indicates decreased risk of spontaneous delivery.

Results: Mean placental volume was 532 cm³ (SD 136 cm³) at gestational week 27, and fetal volume was 961 cm³ (SD 112 cm³). This yielded a mean placental to fetal ratio of 0.55 (SD 0.12). The HR of spontaneous delivery decreased with increasing placental to fetal ratio (HR 0.013 (95% CI: 0.001-0.121), Wald statistic 14.704 (p < 0.001)), indicating a longer duration of pregnancy with a higher placental to fetal ratio at gestational week 27. The HR of spontaneous delivery also decreased with increasing placental size, but the association was less prominent than the HR associated with placental to fetal ratio (HR 0.997 [95% CI: 0.995-0.999], Wald statistic 7.638 [p = 0.006]). We estimated no association with fetal size (HR 1.001 [95% CI 0.999-1.003], Wald statistic 1.728 [p = 0.189]).

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the placental to fetal ratio at gestational week 27 may be an indicator of the remaining duration of pregnancy until the onset of spontaneous labor.

Introduction: The survival benefit of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has been well defined at the time of interval cytoreductive surgery, but the role of HIPEC remains uncertain for patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer in the upfront setting. The present study aimed to report the updated long-term survival outcomes after 5 years of follow-up from our previous multicenter retrospective cohort study to compare primary cytoreductive surgery (PCS) plus HIPEC with PCS alone among women with stage III epithelial ovarian cancer.

Material and methods: This study was conducted at five high-volume gynecological medical centers in China from January 2010 to May 2017. Eligible patients with complete data were treated with either PCS combined with HIPEC or PCS alone. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was updated to compare PCS plus HIPEC with PCS alone. The inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) method based on a propensity score model for each patient was used to control the confounding factors and evaluate the effect of HIPEC.

Results: Data from 789 patients, a total of 584 eligible stage III epithelial ovarian cancer patients were ultimately included in the analysis (PCS-plus-HIPEC group, n = 425; PCS-alone group, n = 159). After IPTW adjustment, the median OS was 44.5 (95% CI, 40.1-49.1) months in the PCS-plus-HIPEC group and 32.4 (95% CI, 28.8-40.3) months in the PCS-alone group (weighted hazard ratio, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.59-0.93; p = 0.006). At 5 years, the OS rates were 37.9% (95% CI, 33.0%-42.8%) in the PCS-plus-HIPEC group and 26.4% (95% CI, 18.9%-34.6%) in the PCS-alone group (p = 0.007). After stratification into optimal and suboptimal cytoreduction subgroups, patients in the PCS-plus-HIPEC group maintained a greater association with improved OS than those in the PCS-alone group. Among the women who underwent optimal cytoreduction in the PCS-plus-HIPEC group and PCS-alone group, the median OS was 49.9 (95% CI, 45.2-58.4) months and 37.8 (95% CI, 30.5-53.0) months (p = 0.042) while the 5-year OS rate was 43.7% (95% CI, 37.7%-49.6%) and 33.2% (95% CI, 23.3%-43.5%), respectively (p = 0.040). Meanwhile, for those treated with suboptimal cytoreduction subgroup in the PCS-plus-HIPEC and PCS-alone groups, the median OS was 28.4 (95% CI, 22.2-39.9) months and 20.6 (95% CI, 10.6-32.4) months (p = 0.099) while the 5-year OS rate was 22.4% (95% CI, 15.1%-30.5%) and 12.2% (95% CI, 4.4%-24.2%), respectively (p = 0.060). The median follow-up period was 87.2 (95% CI, 85.1-92.7) months.

Conclusions: The updated results indicate that the addition of HIPEC is associated with improved long-term survival outcomes beyond 5 years for patients with stage III epithelial ovarian cancer in the upfront setting.

Introduction: Genetic factors are considered to be the main factors leading to fetal skeletal dysplasia (SD), and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) has been used clinically for the detection of SD fetuses. At present, whole exome sequencing (WES) has been applied in SD fetuses, but there is still a lack of data accumulation. The aim of this study is to perform sequential prenatal diagnosis for fetuses with SD indicated by ultrasound and to explore the clinical value of CMA followed by WES.

Material and methods: From January 2019 to May 2024, 147 fetuses with SD were detected by prenatal ultrasound screening. After the collection of amniotic fluid or abortive tissue, CMA was performed first, then WES was performed in the cases with a negative CMA result.

Results: 147 cases accepted the prenatal CMA test, and 23 cases were reported to have chromosomal abnormalities, including 9 cases of chromosomal aneuploidies, 11 cases of pathogenic copy number variants, and 3 cases of likely pathogenic copy number variants. The detection rate of chromosomal abnormalities by the prenatal CMA test was 15.6% (23/147). 58 cases with negative results of CMA underwent WES, and 21 genes with pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants were detected in 21 cases, including FGFR3, COL2A1, COL1A1, COL1A2, RUNX2, LMX1B, GLI3, SHOX, ALPL, and DYNC2H1. The rate of abnormal prenatal WES was 36.2% (21/58). In the subgroup analysis of the SD phenotype, the detection rate of chromosomal abnormalities in isolated SD fetuses was 7.7% (7/91), which was significantly lower than that in SD fetuses combined with other system abnormalities (28.6%, 16/56) (p = 0.001). The detection rate of monogenic abnormalities in short long bones with other skeletal abnormalities was 62.5% (10/16), which was higher than that in short long bones with non-skeletal abnormalities 10.5% (2/19), and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.003).

Conclusions: SD is mostly caused by monogenic abnormalities, and prenatal WES has significantly improved the detection rate of SD fetuses. The prenatal WES can be used as an important molecular genetic testing method combined with CMA in the sequential prenatal diagnosis of SD fetuses.

Introduction: The primary aim was to determine the occurrence of lymph ascites 4-6 weeks after surgery for endometrial cancer. Secondary aims were to assess risk factors for lymph ascites and the association with lymphedema of the legs.

Material and methods: This was a post hoc analysis of an observational prospective multicenter study, performed in 14 Swedish hospitals that included 235 women undergoing surgery for early-stage endometrial cancer between June 2014 and January 2018; 116 underwent surgery including pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy and 119 had surgery without lymphadenectomy. Lymph ascites (free intraabdominal fluid or encapsulated pelvic or para-aortic fluid) was assessed by vaginal ultrasound 4-6 weeks postoperatively. Lymphedema was assessed using circumferential measurements of the legs preoperatively and 1 year postoperatively, enabling estimation of leg volume. A BMI-standardized leg volume increase ≥10% was classified as lymphedema. Evaluation of risk factors was performed using multiple logistic regression.

Results: Lymph ascites 4-6-weeks postoperatively occurred in 28.5% (67/235) of the women. The estimated volume of the lymph ascites in these women was mean 28 mL (standard deviation 48 mL) and median 14 mL (interquartile range 2-36 mL). Lymphadenectomy was a risk factor for lymph ascites (aOR 9.97; 95% CI 4.53-21.97) whereas the use of minimally invasive surgery (aOR 0.50; 95% CI 0.25-0.99) reduced the risk. Twenty-two of 231 women (9.5%) developed lymphedema of the legs 1 year after surgery. The presence of lymph ascites was predictive of lymphedema (aOR 3.90; 95% CI 1.52-9.96).

Conclusions: Lymph ascites was common 4-6 weeks after surgery but in a low and clinically insignificant volume. Lymphadenectomy was a strong risk factor for lymph ascites and the use of minimally invasive surgery seemed to reduce the risk. Detection of lymph ascites at early postoperative follow-up may be a means of selecting patients at high risk of developing lymphedema after treatment with endometrial cancer for preventive measures against lymphedema progression.

Introduction: This study aims to systematically describe eye malformations and correlate these with extraocular findings. Based on these findings, we propose a protocol for ultrasound evaluation of the fetal eye.

Material and methods: In this multicentric retrospective cohort study, 264 fetuses with ocular malformations from two tertiary referral centers for prenatal medicine were analyzed. Anophthalmia, microphthalmia, exophthalmos, hyper- or hypotelorism, cataract, aphakia, cyclopia, and retinal detachment were assessed, and their association with extraocular findings and genetic changes was investigated.

Results: The majority of the cases (99.2%) were non-isolated and presented further extraocular findings. Most commonly, the brain and central nervous system (65.9%), the limbs and the heart (46.6% each) and the cranial anatomy (41.2%) were affected. Significant associations were found between exophthalmos and anomalies of the fetal skeletal system (OR = 4.8, 95% CI 1.6-14) and cranial malformations (OR = 3.3, 95% CI 1.5-7.4). Hypotelorism showed an increased risk of cardiac anomalies (OR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-3.5) and brain malformations (OR = 2.16, 95% CI 1.2-4.1), with holoprosencephaly being the most common one. Fetuses with microphthalmia were more likely to have anomalies in the renal system (OR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.2-4.3). In 51.4% of the cases, a genetic aberration could be found, among them most frequently trisomy 13.

Conclusions: There is a significant association between specific fetal eye anomalies and certain extraocular anomalies, as well as genetic changes. Systematic evaluation of the eye using the proposed protocol is simple to learn and highly reproducible and could help to concentrate diagnosis on a certain group of malformations. Data from this study could help to develop targeted diagnostic molecular tools.