1st Trimester Complications Flashcards
Based on what hCG values should a pregnancy be seen using transvaginal US?
800 to 1000 IU/L based on 2IS (second international standard)
1000 to 2000 IU/L based on first IRP (first international reference preparation)
Normal intrauterine pregnancy under 7 weeks demonstrates __ of quantitative maternal serum hCG levels every 3.5 days; or increase __% in hCG levels within __hours.
Normal intrauterine pregnancy under 7 weeks demonstrates doubling of quantitative maternal serum hCG levels every 3.5 days; or increase 66% in hCG levels within 48 hours.
When do hCG levels plateau and subsequently decline while gestation continues to grow?
9-10 weeks
With what pathology do hCG levels plateau later and fall much more slowly?
trisomy 21
How can hCG be used as a screening marker for trisomy 21?
What subunit is most sensitive for this pathology?
hCG will be increased during 1st and 2nd trimesters; but cannot be used by itself to diagnose.
beta subunit
Normally, pregnancy-associated plasma protein (PAPP-A) does what with advancing gestation?
increases
What does PAPP-A do with trisomy 21?
is initially lower than normal, but decreases with advancing gestation
At what gestational age is PAPP-A the strongest biochemical marker for trisomy 21?
9-11 weeks
What is the most emergent diagnoses made with sonography?
ectopic pregnancy
What percentage of ectopic pregnancies take place in the fallopian tubes? In the ampula?
95-99% in fallopian tubes
70% in ampula
What are the risk factors for ectopic pregnancy?
rise in incidence of pelvic infections, use of IUDs (having IUD while pregnant), infertility treatments, history of ectopic pregnancies, fallopian tube surgeries, disruption of normal tubal pathways (scarring, endometriosis)
What is the most important risk factor for ectopic pregnancy?
history of ectopic pregnancy
Clinical Symptoms for ectopic pregnancy:
vaginal bleeding, positive pregnancy test, back pain, shock symptoms, abnormal hCG levels
Other than in fallopian tubes, where can ectopic pregnancies take place?
ovary, broad ligament, peritoneum, cervix and cornua
Sonographic findings for ectopic pregnancy:
pseudogestational sac with homogeneous level echoes, empty uterus, presence of adnexal mass, echogenic free fluid in POD
What is a pseudogestational sac?
does not contain either living embryo or yolk sac; centrally located within endometrial cavity (vs burrowed sac that is eccentrically located), has homogeneous echoes
Extrauterine gestational sacs often demonstrate:
thickened echogenic ring (trophoblastic tissue)
Risk of ectopic pregnancy can be greater than __% when intrauterine gestation absent and there is corresponding adnexal mass
90%
What is correlated with an increased risk of ectopic?
moderate to large amounts of free intraperitoneal fluid and associated adnexal mass
What is the most life-threatening of all ectopic gestations?
interstitial pregnancy (at segment of fallopian tube that enters uterus)
What makes interstitial ectopic such a dangerous location?
involves parauterine and myometrial vasculature, creating life threatening hemorrhage when rupture occurs
What type of ectopic has an increased risk of complete hysterectomy? Why?
cervical pregnancy
because of uncontrollable bleeding caused by increased vascularity of cervix
Name the different location of ectopic pregnancies.
ovarian, peritoneal, tubal, isthmic, and cervical
What is the most common presentation for complication?
first trimester bleeding
Why would bleeding occur in the first trimester?
normal implantation, ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, subchronic hemorrhage
Pregnancy is unlikely to progress if bleeding is accompanied by…
severe pain, uterine contractions, dilated cervix
___% of pregnancies result in 1st trimester spontaneous abortion. When does this occur?
15-20%
happens in first 6-8 weeks
List the five types of abortions.
complete, incomplete, threatend, missed, and inevitable
Describe each type of abortion: complete, incomplete, threatend, missed, and inevitable
complete: expulsion of all products of conception(POC)
incomplete: partial expulsion of POC
inevitable: no expulsion of POC, open cervix, contractions, no progression
threatened: bleeding, no expulsion of POC, cervix closed, pregnancy may progress
missed: no expulsion of POC, complete retention of POC
What is an abortus?
fetus exposed prior to 20 weeks or less than 500g
Sonographic findings of incomplete spontaneous abortion:
ranges from intact gestational sac with nonviable embryo to collapsed gestational sac grossly misshapen
Sonographic signs for retained products:
thickened endometrium ( >8mm), increased vascularization of endometrial complex (color doppler strongly predictive)
What are signs of a spontaneous abortion?
presence of visible embryonic parts, gestational sac, embryonic disc, obvious evidence of retained products of conception, no heart activity
What is the most common occurrence of bleeding in first trimester?
subchorionic hemorrhage
How does a subchorionic hemorrhage occur?
the low pressure bleed results from the process of implantation of fertilized ovum into endometrial cavity and myometrial wall
Where is a subchorionic hemorrhage found?
between myometrium and margins of gestational sac (between chorion and wall of uterine cavity)?
Clinical Symptoms for subchorionic hemorrhage:
bleedings, spotting or uterine cramping; if hemorrhage becomes large enough, can lead to spontaneous abortion
Sonographic finding for subchorionic hemorrhage:
early bleed: slightly echogenic as RBC actively fill area of hemorrhage
with time, becomes more anechoic; avascular
If a patient has a positive pregnancy test, but a normal uterus/endometrium with no gestational sac, what should be suspected?
very early intrauterine pregnancy (between 3 and 5 weeks), nondeveloping pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy
Sonographic findings for absent intrauterine sac:
empty uterus with no evidence for endometrial fluid collection, absence of adnexal masses or ff, positive beta-hCG level
How fast does a normal intrauterine sac grow? How fast does a normal embryo grow?
1mm per day in the first trimester
At what size should the gestational sac be to see the yolk sac transvaginally?
8mm in size
When should the embryo be visualized?
when the MSD is greater than 16 mm
Differentials of gestational sac without embryo or yolk sac:
normal early intrauterine pregnancy less than 5 weeks, abnormal intrauterine pregnancy, pseudogestational sac in patient with ectopic
Criteria for abnormal sac:
lack of appropriate growth indicates abnormal sac; if embryo not detected at 6.4 weeks, diagnosis of spontaneous pregnancy loss can be made
What is a blighted ovum/anembryonic pregnancy?
gestational sac in which embryo fails to develop or stops developing at such early stage that it is imperceptible by US
What happens to the gestational sac with a blighted ovum?
continues to grow
Sonographic findings for blighted ovum:
large, empty gestational sac; no yolk sac, amnion, or embryo; MSD increases by 0.7mm/day (normal=1.13mm/day)
Findings in a gestational sac associated with abnormal intrauterine pregnancies include:
absence of cardiac motion in embryo 5mm or larger, absence of cardiac motion after 6.5 menstrual weeks, large yolk sac or amnion without visible embryo, calcified yolk sac;
gestational sac greater than 18mm and lacking viable embryo, gestational sac greater than 8mm and lacking visible yolk sac, irregular/misshapen sac, sac in the position of cornula, low or hourglassing through cervical os;
irregular trophoblastic reaction, absent double decidual sac finding, thin trophoblastic reaction (less than 2mm), intratrophoblastic venous flow, gestational sac growth of less than .6mm/day, absent embryonic growth, discrepancy in sac size with hCG level
What is gestational trophoblastic disease?
proliferative disease of trophoblast after abnormal conception
benign form of gestational trophoblastic disease include:
hydatidiform mole (partial, complete, coexistent)
malignant form of gestational trophoblastic disease include:
invasive mole or choriocarcinoma
Clinically, what does gestational trophoblastic disease look like?
vaginal bleeding, beta hCG dramatically elevated (>100,000), severe nausea/vomiting (hyperemesis gravidarum), low AFP levels
What is a complete molar pregnancy?
occurs when egg without nucleus is fertilized by one normal sperm
Sonographic findings for complete mole:
snowstorm appearance: moderately echogenic soft tissue mass filling uterine cavity marked with small cystic spaces representing hydropic chorionic villi (grape-like)
uterus larger than dates, heterogeneous complex pattern, bilateral adnexal fullness, ovarian enlargement (theca lutein cysts)
Sonographic findings for partial mole:
placental tissue grossly enlarged and engorged with cystic spaces, embryo/embryonic tissue may be identified