A uterocutaneous fistula is an abnormal tract between the endometrium of the uterus and the skin. It is a rare but significant postcesarean section complication. This is a case of a 39-year-old female who presented with cyclical bleeding from her cesarean section scar during menstruation over the past 4 years. The assessment revealed a discharging sinus in the scar and an acutely anteverted, fixed uterus. Symptoms persisted despite medical treatment for the provisional diagnosis of endometriosis. The diagnosis was updated as uterocutaneous fistula based on a computed tomography scan of the pelvis and abdomen and a hysterosalpingogram. The fistula was surgically excised, and a hysterectomy was performed. This report elaborates on the rare presentation, diagnosis, and definitive surgical management. The surgical management resulted in a successful resolution, highlighting the importance of choosing the appropriate treatment modality while adhering to a patient-centered approach.
Cesarean Section

A 40-year-old, gravida 3 para 2 (1-1-0-2), previous primary cesarean section for nonreassuring fetal status, presented at a tertiary hospital for confirmation of cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP). Transvaginal ultrasound confirmed a CSP at 8 2/7 weeks age of gestation with good embryonic cardiac activity, raising concern for early placenta accreta spectrum. A multidisciplinary team composed of an obstetrician, advanced pelvic surgeon, urologist, and anesthesiologist managed the patient. The patient underwent total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingectomy, as the patient has a completed family size. Before the procedure, she was given cefuroxime as prophylactic antibiotic. Intraoperatively, there were dense adhesions between the posterior bladder wall and the previous cesarean section scar. Inadvertent injury to the bladder wall was incurred during adhesiolysis. Cystorrhaphy was done by a urologist, while the rest of the surgery was unremarkable, with a 450 ml estimated blood loss. The postoperative course was unremarkable. Bladder rest was achieved by maintaining an indwelling Foley catheter, which remained in place upon discharge on postoperative day 3 and was continued for 7 days thereafter. At follow-up, a successful voiding trial was conducted, confirming the return of normal bladder function.

Human ; Female ; Adult: 25-44 Yrs Old ; Cesarean Section ; Salpingectomy ; Hysterectomy ; Fetal Distress ; Placenta Accreta ; Cefuroxime ; Catheters ; Cicatrix

Ruptured Sinus of Valsalva (RSOV) is a rarely encountered cardiac anomaly that can potentially lead to adverse clinical outcomes. RSOV increases the risk of morbidity during pregnancy due to the physiological changes associated with gestation, that can exacerbate the underlying cardiac pathology. We present the case of a 29-year-old female with an uncorrected RSOV who required an emergency cesarean section for abruptio placenta. The patient underwent the procedure under spinal anesthesia, with careful titration of norepinephrine infusion and close monitoring of hemodynamic parameters using an invasive intra-arterial line. Given the absence of established anesthetic protocols for parturients with RSOV undergoing cesarean delivery, a comprehensive understanding of the complex interaction between the hemodynamic effects of RSOV, pregnancy, and anesthesia is essential. This understanding enables the safe use of spinal anesthesia in urgent situations, leading to favorable patient outcomes.
Sinus of Valsalva ; Aortic Rupture ; Cesarean Section ; Anesthesia, Spinal

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics, treatments and fertility recovery of rudimentary horn pregnancy (RHP). Methods: The clinical data of 12 cases with RHP diagnosed and treated in Peking University Third Hospital from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical informations, diagnosis and treatments of RHP and the pregnancy status after surgery were analyzed. Results: The median age of 12 RHP patients was 29 years (range: 24-37 years). Eight cases of pregnancy in residual horn of uterus occurred in type Ⅰ residual horn of uterus, 4 cases occurred in type Ⅱ residual horn of uterus; among which 5 cases were misdiagnosed by ultrasound before surgery. All patients underwent excision of residual horn of uterus and affected salpingectomy. After surgery, 9 patients expected future pregnancy, and 3 cases of natural pregnancy, 2 cases of successful pregnancy through assisted reproductive technology. Four pregnancies resulted in live birth with cesarean section, and 1 case resulted in spontaneous abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy. No uterine rupture or ectopic pregnancy occurred in subsequent pregnancies. Conclusions: Ultrasonography could aid early diagnosis of RHP while misdiagnosis occurred in certain cases. Thus, a comprehensive judgment and decision ought to be made based on medical history, physical examination and assisted examination. Surgical exploration is necessary for diagnosis and treatment of RHP. For infertile patients, assisted reproductive technology should be applied when necessary. Caution to prevent the occurrence of pregnancy complications such as uterine rupture, and application of cesarean section to terminate pregnancy are recommended.
Pregnancy ; Humans ; Female ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Cesarean Section/adverse effects* ; Retrospective Studies ; Pregnancy, Ectopic/surgery* ; Pregnancy, Cornual/surgery* ; Uterus/surgery* ; Uterine Rupture/etiology* ; Abortion, Spontaneous

Pregnancy ; Humans ; Female ; Cesarean Section ; Consensus ; Trial of Labor

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of gastric antrum ultrasonography in evaluating gastric emptying after oral administration of 300 mL carbohydrates two hours before cesarean section, and to analyze the risk factors of gastric emptying in pregnant women. METHODS: From August 2020 to February 2021, a total of 80 patients, aged 22-43 years, body mass index (BMI) < 35 kg/m², gestational age≥36 weeks, falling into American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status Ⅰ or Ⅱ, scheduled for cesarean sections in Peking University International Hospital were recruited and divided into two groups: the intervention group (n=40)and the control group (n=40). In the intervention group, solid food was restricted after 22:00, the patients were required to take 300 mL carbohydrates two hours before cesarean section. In the control group, solid food and liquid intake were restricted after 22:00 the night before surgery. All the patients received assessment of preoperative feeling of thirst and starvation with visual analogue scale (VAS). The cross-sectional area (CSA)of gastric antrum was measured in supine position and right supine position before anesthesia, the gastric volume (GV)and the gastric volume/weight(GV/W)of the two groups was further calculated. Perlas A semi-quantitative grading assessments were performed in each patient. The blood pressure and heart rate were recorded at admission(T0), 5 minutes after anesthesia (T1), immediately after fetal delivery (T2) and at the end of the surgery (T3). The occurrence of nausea and vomiting during the operation and 24 hours after the operation were recorded. RESULTS: One case in each group was excluded because the antrum was not clearly identified during the ultrasound assessments. In the semi-sitting position, the CSA was (5.07±1.73) cm² in the intervention group vs. (5.24±1.96) cm² in the control group, respectively; in the right lateral decubitus position, CSA was (7.32±2.17) cm² in the intervention group vs. (7.25±2.24) cm² in the control group, GV was (91.74±32.34) mL vs. (90.07±31.68) mL, GV/W was (1.27±0.40) mL/kg vs. (1.22±0.41) mL/kg, respectively; all the above showed no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). Perlas A semi-quantitative grading showed 0 in 20 patients (51.3%), 1 in 16 (41%), 2 in 3 (7.7%)in the intervention group and 0 in 22 (56.4%), 1 in 15 (38.5%), 2 in 2 (5.1%)in the control group, the proportion of Perlas A semi-quantitative grading showed no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). For the patients with Perlas A semi-quantitative grade 2 (3 cases in the intervention group and 2 cases in the control group), metoclopramide 0.2 mg/kg was intravenously injected before anesthesia. No aspiration case was observed in this study. The intervention group was endured less thirst and hunger (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in blood pressure and heart rate between the two groups at each time point (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of intraoperative hypotension between the two groups (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of nausea intraoperatively and postoperatively between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION Ultrasonography of gastric antrum can provide objective basis for evaluating gastric emptying of pregnant women perioperatively. 300 mL carbohydrates intake two hours before surgery, which does not increase GV and the risk of reflux aspiration, and is helpful in minimizing disturbance to the patient's physiological status, therefore leading to better clinical outcome.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Gastric Emptying/physiology* ; Cesarean Section ; Prospective Studies ; Ultrasonography ; Carbohydrates ; Nausea

Central nervous system involvement in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) is less common and usually presents as white matter lesions, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), or transverse myelitis. NMOSD is an immune-mediated inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system with a high rate of relapse and significant disability. Studies have shown that patients with pSS combined with NMOSD have more severe symptoms and poorer prognosis. Here, we present a case of critical illness in pregnancy-associated NMOSD combined with Sjögren's syndrome. The patient was a 30-year-old pregnant woman with a history of Sjögren's syndrome who was diagnosed with NMOSD. She received combination therapy with steroids, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), and hydroxychloroquine during pregnancy, resulting in partial resolution of numbness below the waist. However, due to irregular medication adherence outside the hospital setting, she developed weakness in her right lower limb accompanied by inability to move it, while her left lower limb still had some mobility but occasional numbness along with urinary and fecal incontinence. Ten days later, she was admitted to the emergency department where an emergency cesarean section was performed to deliver a healthy baby boy. However, her condition worsened postpartum as she developed high fever accompanied by bilateral lower limb paralysis and weakness along with loss of voluntary control over urination and defecation. The patient underwent ano-ther course of treatment consisting of steroids and IVIG; however there was limited improvement in symptoms observed after this intervention. Following administration of rituximab for the first time, the patient developed urinary tract infection which was successfully managed before continuing regular infusions. In later stages the patient could walk slightly with a limp and regained control over urination and defecation, allowing her to resume normal activities. This case suggests that combination therapy with steroids, IVIG, and hydroxychloroquine should be considered for the patients with pregnancy-associated NMOSD combined with Sjögren's syndrome. Rituximab can significantly improve symptoms such as postpartum paralysis in patients with NMOSD, however, there may be a risk of infection associated with its use.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Cesarean Section/adverse effects* ; Critical Illness ; Hydroxychloroquine/therapeutic use* ; Hypesthesia/complications* ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous/therapeutic use* ; Inflammation/complications* ; Neuromyelitis Optica/diagnosis* ; Paralysis/complications* ; Pregnancy Complications/therapy* ; Rituximab/therapeutic use* ; Sjogren's Syndrome/complications* ; Steroids/therapeutic use* ; Vision Disorders

Pregnancy in patients with Eisenmenger syndrome (ES) is associated with high maternal mortality rates of 30%‒50%, or even up to 65% in the case of a cesarean section (Yuan, 2016). Here, we report a case of term pregnancy complicated with ES and severe pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH), which was managed by a multidisciplinary team (MDT) and resulted in an uncomplicated delivery via elective cesarean section. The goal of this study is to emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary approach in the management of pregnancy with ES, which can profoundly improve maternal and infant outcomes.
Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Cesarean Section ; Eisenmenger Complex/therapy* ; Hypertension, Pulmonary/therapy* ; Maternal Mortality ; Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular/therapy* ; Pregnancy Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of auricular thumbtack needle on breast feeding and lactation function in primiparous women with cesarean section, and to explore its mechanism of action from the perspective of lactation-related gene expression. METHODS: One hundred cases of primiparous women with cesarean section were randomly divided into an observation group (50 cases, 3 cases dropped off) and a control group (50 cases, 2 cases were eliminated). The patients in the control group were treated with routine obstetric care. Based on the treatment of the control group, the patients in the observation group were treated with auricular thumbtack needle at Neifenmi (CO₁₈), Xiong (AH₁₀), Xiongzhui (AH₁₁), Shenmen (TF₄), and Jiaogan (AH_6a), etc., with one side of auricular point selected, only once for a total of 3 d. The lactation initiation time, lactation adequacy rate at postpartum 72 h, exclusive breastfeeding rate at postpartum 42 d, and breastfeeding score after treatment were compared between the two groups. Real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot method were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of TDP-43, Btn1A1 and XDH. RESULTS: After treatment, the lactation initiation time in the observation group was earlier than that in the control group (P<0.01), and breastfeeding score in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.01). The lactation adequacy rate at postpartum 72 h was 63.8% (30/47) in the observation group, which was higher than 41.7% (20/48) in the control group (P<0.05). The exclusive breastfeeding rate at postpartum 42 d was 72.3% (34/47) in the observation group, which was higher than 47.9% (23/48) in the control group (P<0.05). The mRNA and protein expression levels of TDP-43 and Btn1A1 in breast milk in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.01), while there was no statistically significant difference in mRNA and protein expression of XDH in breast milk between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION The auricular thumbtack needle in addition to routine care could promote lactation initiation, improve lactation adequacy rate and exclusive breastfeeding rate in primiparous women with cesarean section, and the action mechanism may be related to up-regulation of TDP-43 and Btn1A1 expression.
Pregnancy ; Humans ; Female ; Breast Feeding ; Cesarean Section ; Lactation ; Milk, Human ; DNA-Binding Proteins

Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans ; Placenta Accreta/surgery* ; Cesarean Section ; Retrospective Studies ; Biomarkers ; Hysterectomy ; Placenta Previa ; Placenta