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Miscarriage is the most frequent cause of pregnancy loss, affecting 15-20% of clinically recognized pregnancies. Early uterine vascular insufficiency (EUVI), defined as abnormal uterine artery (UA) Doppler impedance indices in early pregnancy, is present in two-thirds of pregnancies ending in miscarriage after embryonic cardiac activity has been detected. There is currently no available therapy for reducing the risk of miscarriage in these cases.To determine whether vasodilator therapy with hydralazine can reduce abnormally high UA impedance indices and miscarriage rates in pregnancies with EUVI when administered from before 9 weeks' gestation until completing 13 weeks' gestation.A total of 253 consecutive singleton pregnancies with a live embryo and scanned before 9 weeks' gestation were included in the study. Ninety-two pregnancies (36.3%) were classified as having EUVI. Hydralazine was administered in daily doses of 50 mg, starting 24-36 h after the initial diagnosis of EUVI and continuing throughout the first trimester. The miscarriage rate in the hydralazine-treated EUVI group was compared with the one observed in our previously reported untreated cohort and the pregnancies with EUVI that declined treatment with hydralazine.The miscarriage rate among the hydralazine-treated EUVI group was significantly lower than the previously reported untreated cohort (7.8% versus 26.2%,Hydralazine therapy in pregnancies with EUVI was associated with a significant decrease in the rate of miscarriage. We suggest a sequence of events leading to a higher risk of miscarriage in pregnancies with EUVI and propose a potential mechanism through which hydralazine may reduce this risk.

Objective: Our purpose was to determine whether an abnormal uterine perfusion pattern was associated with subsequent pregnancy loss after fetal cardiac activity was documented. Study Design: Pulsatility indexes of both the right and left uterine arteries were obtained by transvaginal color Doppler ultrasonography in 318 consecutive viable pregnancies between 6 and 12 weeks' gestation. The Δ uterine artery pulsatility index value, expressed as the highest uterine artery pulsatility index value minus the lowest value, was calculated for each pregnancy. Women were subsequently classified as having continuing pregnancies or pregnancy loss before 20 weeks' gestation. To predict subsequent pregnancy loss, Doppler findings were adjusted for maternal age, history of previous abortion, presence of subchorionic hematoma, embryonic bradycardia, and gestational age by means of multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results : Twenty-four pregnancies (8%) were spontaneously aborted before 20 weeks' gestation. Both Δ uterine artery pulsatility index (odds ratio 2.9, 95% confidence interval 1.5-5.8) and history of previous abortion (odds ratio 3.1, 95% confidence interval 1.2-8.2) were significantly associated with pregnancy loss in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. The sensitivity and specificity of the multivariate logistic regression model to predict abortion were 75% and 85%, respectively, significantly higher than the diagnostic performances of qualitative and quantitative variables considered individually. Conclusion : Discordant uterine artery pulsatility indexes in the first trimester were strongly associated with subsequent pregnancy loss. This suggests that uterine ischemia may be implicated in certain cases of early pregnancy loss after documentation of fetal cardiac activity during the first trimester. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1998;179:1587-93.)

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are demonstrable alterations in uterine artery blood flow in pregnant women with müllerian duct anomaly.Flow velocity waveforms obtained from the placental and nonplacental uterine arteries were studied at 18 to 24 weeks' gestational age in 15 pregnant women with müllerian duct anomaly and in 30 controls. The systolic/diastolic ratios were compared and correlated with the degree of placental laterality and perinatal outcome.Systolic/diastolic ratio in the uterine artery was abnormal in 80% of the cases and in 10% of controls (p0.0001). A completely lateral placenta was found in 10 of 15 women of the study group and only in 1 of the 30 controls (p0.0001). Women with müllerian duct anomaly had higher systolic/diastolic ratios in the nonplacental uterine artery than those with a normal uterus (median 4.3, range 2.0 to 7.4 vs median 2.8, range 2.0 to 4.0; p0.001). Twelve of 15 women of the study group had poor perinatal outcome compared with 4 of the 30 controls (p0.001). Among those women with poor perinatal outcome, 11 of 12 (92%) in the study group and only 1 of the 4 (25%) in the control group had an abnormal systolic/diastolic ratio in the uterine arteries (p0.05).There is a clear association between placental laterality and high systolic/diastolic ratio in the nonplacental uterine artery in pregnant women with müllerian duct anomaly who had poor perinatal outcome. This finding suggests that unilateral placental implantation could lead to functional exclusion of one uterine artery from the uteroplacental circulation and could explain pregnancy complications in women with developmental fusion defects of the uterus.

Antecedentes: En pacientes con cáncer de endometrio se discute la concordancia entre biopsia pre e intraoperatoria versus la definitiva, en grado de diferenciación, tipo histológico y profundidad de mioinvasión. Método: Se determinó sensibilidad (S), especificidad (E), valor predictivo positivo (VPP) y valor predictivo negativo (VPN) de: grado de diferenciación bien diferenciado y tipo histológico sólo endometrioide en biopsia preoperatoria; y grado de diferenciación bien diferenciado, tipo histológico sólo endometrioide y profundidad de mioinvasión menor o igual a la mitad interna del miometrio, en biopsia intraoperatoria, para resultados similares en biopsia definitiva en serie clínica de pacientes con cáncer de endometrio clínicamente limitado al útero sometidas a tratamiento quirúrgico primario. Resultados: Biopsia preoperatoria: grado de diferenciación bien diferenciado S: 100%, E: 77,8%, VPP: 78,9% y VPN: 100%. Tipo histológico sólo endometrioide S: 86,4%, E: 33,3%, VPP: 86,4% y VPN: 33,3%, para resultado similar en biopsia definitiva. Biopsia intrao-peratoria: grado de diferenciación bien diferenciado S: 91,7%, E: 94,4%, VPP: 91,7% y VPN: 100%. Tipo histológico sólo endometrioide S: 95,7%, E: 77,8%, VPP: 95,7% y VPN: 70%. Profundidad de mioinvasión menor o igual a mitad interna del miometrio S: 95,2%, E: 30%, VPP: 74,1% y VPN: 75%, para resultado similar en la biopsia definitiva. Conclusión: No hubo concordancia absoluta de grado de diferenciación bien diferenciado entre biopsia preoperatoria y biopsia definitiva, ni de grado de diferenciación bien diferenciado ni tipo histológico sólo endometrioide entre biopsia intraoperatoria y biopsia definitiva, por lo que se recomienda etapificación quirúgica independiente de los resultados de las biopsias pre e intra operatoria. Background: Among patients with endometrial cancer there is discussion about concordance between pre and intraoperatory biopsy and the definitive one, for diferentiation grade, histologyc type and depth of myoinvasion. Method: To determinate sensibility (S), specificity (Sp), positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of: good diferenciated diferentiation grade and only endometrioid histologyc type on preoperatory biopsy, and good diferenciated diferentiation grade, only endometrioid histologyc type and inner half of the miometryum or less myoinvasion depth on intraoperatory biopsy, for similar result on definitive biopsy in a clinical cohort of patients with endometrial cancer clinically limited to uterus treated with primary surgery. Results: Preoperatory biopsy: good diferentiated diferentiation grade S: 100%, Sp: 77.8%, PPV: 78.9% and NPV: 100%. Only endometrioid histologyc type S: 86.4%, Sp: 33.3%, PPV 86.4% and NPV 33.3%, for similar result on definitive biopsy. Intraoperatory biopsy: Good diferentiated diferentiation grade S: 91.7%, Sp: 94.4%, PPV: 91.7% and NPV 100%. Only endometrioid histologyc type S: 95.7%, Sp 77.8%, PPV 95.7% and NPV 70%. Inner half of the myometrium or less myoinvasion depth S: 95.2%, Sp 30%, PPV 74.1% and NPV 75%, for similar result on definitive biopsy. Conclusion: There wasn't absolute concordance of good diferentiated diferentiation grade between preoperatory and definitive biopsy. Also there weren't absolute concordance of neither good diferentiated diferentiation grade, nor only endometrioid histologyc type, between intraoperatory and definitive biopsy, for that it is recommended surgical staging, independent of results of pre and intraoperatory biopsies.