In a world bewildered by spectacular advances in imaging technology, the early detection of an abdominal pregnancy should be a feasible objective. A case of an advanced abdominal pregnancy is presented. Although the pregnancy was the result of in vitro fertilisation technology, the diagnosis was not suspected until 35 weeks gestation. Both ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were used to achieve a diagnosis prior to delivery. The placenta was left within the peritoneal cavity but removal was necessitated for maternal symptomatology 4 months postdelivery. This case illustrates that despite the almost ubiquitous usage of prenatal ultrasound, extrauterine pregnancies may not be detected in a timely manner unless attention to basic ultrasound techniques is followed.

Mid-trimester residual cervical length is a good predictor of preterm birth after radical trachelectomy.

This study examines the efficiency of Doppler flow velocity waveform analysis in the evaluation of the postdate pregnancy. Seventy women whose pregnancies were at or beyond 41 weeks' gestation were assessed by calculating the systolic/diastolic ratios from umbilical and uteroplacental arteries. Waveform ratios from pregnancies associated with fetal compromise and abnormal neonatal outcome were similar to those from pregnancies in which the outcome was normal. These findings indicate that the pathophysiology of placental insufficiency in postdate pregnancies differs from that observed in cases of fetal growth retardation at earlier gestational ages. Doppler flow velocity waveform analysis is unlikely to be of benefit in the routine assessment of the postdate pregnancy.

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The complications of a consecutive series of 90 uterine washings performed among 52 women were studied. The amount of discomfort was significantly less than that of endometrial biopsy but greater than that of cervical smear or blood sampling. Incomplete recovery of fluid (< 8 ml from 10 ml flushing fluid) was reported in only 3% of cases. Vaginal bleeding, pelvic infection and delayed abdominal pain were not encountered. The techniques of uterine washing are simple and may have important implications in the study of endometrial function.