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Background: Intracystic papillary excrescence is a characteristic morphological feature of ovarian malignancy. A few recent reports have demonstrated that ovarian endometriotic cysts, undergoing decidualization during pregnancy, occasionally show excrescence, necessitating surgery during pregnancy; however, this phenomenon is not well recognized among clinicians. Cases: Three pregnant women with decidualized ovarian endometriosis showed excrescence. Both ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) preoperatively suggested the presence of underlying ovarian endometriotic cysts in 2 women, but not in the other. Intracystic papillary excrescence prompted us to perform laparotomy at 14, 14, and 19 weeks of pregnancy, respectively, with 1 woman aborting in the 21st week, and with 2 delivering healthy term infants. Histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of decidualized ovarian endometriotic cysts in all 3 patients. Conclusions: We provide the first report of pregnant women in whom excrescence occurred from ovarian endometriotic cysts without preoperative evidence. Decidualized ovarian endometriosis, even without preoperative morphological features of endometriosis, should be added to the differential diagnosis of ovarian malignancy during pregnancy.

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Serum levels of sFlt-1 and the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio, but not PlGF, in a woman with AFLP were markedly higher than those in women with HELLP syndrome. AFLP may be a different clinical entity from HELLP syndrome based on angiogenesis-related factors. Clinically, the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio may be used to rapidly distinguish AFLP from HELLP syndrome.

Our aim was to evaluate whether the serum level of galectin-1 (Gal-1) at 18-24 and 27-31 weeks of gestation is a risk factor for predicting the later occurrence of not only preeclampsia (PE) but also gestational hypertension (GH). We measured serum levels of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1), placental growth factor (PlGF), and Gal-1 using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 81 and 73 normal pregnant women, 22 and 16 women with a later onset of GH, and 37 and 29 women with a later onset of PE at 18-24 and 27-31 weeks, respectively. We also measured Gal-1 in 33 women with GH and 78 women with PE after the onset. The levels of Gal-1 after the onset of GH, late-onset PE (onset at ⩾34 weeks), and early-onset PE (onset at <34 weeks) were significantly higher than those in normal pregnant women at 27-31 weeks. However, the low levels of Gal-1 (<8.1 ng ml) at 18-24 weeks, but not at 27-31 weeks, predicted the later occurrence of not only early-onset PE and late-onset PE but also GH. The low level of Gal-1 at 18-24 weeks was an independent risk factor for the later occurrence of GH and PE, after adjusting for the effects of a high BP and increased sFlt-1/PlGF ratio at 18-24 weeks. In conclusion, the serum level of Gal-1 is a novel risk factor for both GH and PE, specifically its expression at a low level in the second trimester and a high level after onset.

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Measurement of the soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1)/placental growth factor (PlGF) ratio may be clinically useful to discriminate systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) from preeclampsia. Here, we present a pregnant woman with newonset SLE with hypertension, with the measurement of the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio during pregnancy. A 31-year-old Japanese nulliparous woman, who had been diagnosed with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura at 10 years, had a systolic blood pressure of 120 mmHg and was negative for proteinuria at 12 +1 weeks. Since her blood pressure increased to 159/86 mmHg with 3+ proteinuria at 25 +4 weeks, preeclampsia was suspected. Deterioration of the kidney function (creatinine: 0.58 mg/ dL at 24 +6 weeks to 0.83 mg/dL at 33 +6 weeks) necessitated cesarean section at 33 +6 weeks. After delivery, she still showed increased creatinine and proteinuria. Therefore, she was transferred to a nephrology specialist in a tertiary center and was finally diagnosed with SLE with lupus nephritis class IV-G(A) (diffuse lupus nephritis). The serum levels of sFlt-1 and the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio, which are usually elevated in preeclampsia, were within normal reference ranges at 27 +6 , 28 +1 , and 28 +6 weeks of gestation, although the serum levels of PlGF were slightly lower than the normal reference range. In conclusion, measurement of the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio may be clinically useful to discriminate lupus nephritis from preeclampsia.