Background
There is little knowledge about the significance of extremely high values (>655) for the ratio of
sF
lt‐1 (soluble fms‐like tyrosine kinase 1) to Pl
GF
(placental growth factor). We aim to describe the time‐to‐delivery interval and maternal and perinatal outcomes when such values are demonstrated while assessing suspected or confirmed placental dysfunction based on clinical or sonographic criteria.
Methods and Results
A multicenter retrospective cohort study was performed on 237 singleton gestations between 20+0 and 37+0 weeks included at the time of first demonstrating a
sF
lt‐1/Pl
GF
ratio >655. Clinicians were aware of this result, but standard protocols were followed for delivery indication. Main outcomes were compared for women with and without preeclampsia at inclusion. In those with preeclampsia (n=185, of whom 77.3% had fetal growth restriction), severe preeclampsia features and fetal growth restriction in stages
III
or
IV
were present in 49.2% and 13.5% cases, respectively, at inclusion and in 77.3% and 28.6% cases, respectively, at delivery. In the group without preeclampsia (n=52, 82.7% had fetal growth restriction), these figures were 0% and 30.8%, respectively, at inclusion and 21.2% and 50%, respectively, at delivery. Interestingly, 28% of women without initial preeclampsia developed it later. The median time to delivery was 4 days (interquartile range: 1–6 days) and 7 days (interquartile range: 3–12 days), respectively (
P
<0.01). Overall, perinatal mortality was 62.1% before 24 weeks; severe morbidity surpassed 50% before 29 weeks but became absent from 34 weeks. Maternal serious morbidity was high at any gestational age.
Conclusions
An
sF
lt‐1/Pl
GF
ratio >655 is almost invariably associated with preeclampsia or fetal growth restriction that progresses rapidly. In our tertiary care settings, we observed that maternal adverse outcomes were high throughout gestation, whereas perinatal adverse outcomes diminished as pregnancy advanced.
We report a case of a twin-reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) sequence complication in monochorionic triplets, in which both normal fetuses were directly connected to the umbilical cord of the acardiac fetus, thus both acting as a pump twin. Doppler ultrasound showed a significant waveform pattern with two superposed systolic waveforms in the same vessel. After birth, placental findings confirmed the existence of two direct pump twins. The Doppler pattern described here may be of help to distinguish the existence of two pump twins in a triplet monochorionic pregnancy with TRAP.
Postnatal penile length is a reliable, standardized, and widely used marker for the diagnosis of genitourinary pathology, as well as genetic and hormonal disorders. In contrast, prenatal diagnosis has not been developed equally and there is a lack of relevant literature. Our objective is to review the studies on fetal penile length, and apply findings to clinical practice. Although the most used technique is the outer penile length, there is no consensus regarding the appropriate technique for prenatal measurement. Several reports have provided reference data with high correlation. However, important issues like poor correlation with post-natal measures or presence of confounding variables are still present. Diagnosis of both a micropenis and macropenis can indicate related pathologies, and this information may benefit parental counseling and facilitate fetal management. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out prospective studies that provide reliable normative data.
Background
Micropenis is an endocrinological condition that is habitually observed at birth. Diagnosis is made by measuring the stretched penile length, a method established 80 years ago. Discrepancies in the normative data from recent studies raise the need for a current revision of the methodology.
Objectives
The aims of this systematic review were to compare the different normative data of SPL at birth, to examine the methodological aspects of the technique and to evaluate the independent variables that may be involved.
Methods
Searches were performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scielo, the Cochrane Library and Web of Science. A combination of the relevant medical terms, keywords and word variants for “stretched penile length”, “penile length”, “penile size”, “newborn” and “birth” were used. Eligibility criteria included normative studies that used the stretched penile length (SPL) measurement on a population of healthy, full-term newborns during the first month of life. The outcomes studied included characteristics of the studies, methodological aspects and independent variables.
Results
We identified 49 studies comprising 21,399 children. Significant discrepancies are observed between the different studies. Methodological aspects seem to be consistent and similar. The main independent variables appear to be ethnic group and gestational age. Main limitations were the absence of studies of entire world regions such as Europe or South America, and the heterogeneity of the ethnic background that complicates the analysis.
Conclusions
It seems advisable to suggest the creation of customized reference charts for each specific population instead of resorting to the classic cut-off points.
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