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In rare cases, inherited bleeding disorders, like hemophilia, von Willebrand disease (vWD), or factor IX or XI deficiency, may cause severe postpartum hemorrhage, with an increased risk of death particularly in the postpartum period. The risk of postpartum hemorrhage in patients with vWD and carriers of hemophilia has been found to be 18.5% and 22% respectively. This pathology occurs due to the normal physiological drop in maternal clotting factors after delivery which greatly increases the risk of secondary postpartum hemorrhage.
Another bleeding risk factor is thrombocytopenia, or decreased platelet levels, which is the most common hematological change associated with pregnancy induced hypertension. If platelet counts drop less than 100,000 per microliter the patient will be at a severe risk for inability to clot during and after delivery.
The risk of a repeat GTD is approximately 1 in 100, compared with approximately 1 in 1000 risk in the general population. Especially women whose hCG levels remain significantly elevated are at risk of developing a repeat GTD.
Antepartum bleeding (APH), also prepartum hemorrhage, is bleeding during pregnancy from the 24th week (sometimes defined as from the 20th week) gestational age to full term (40th week). The primary consideration is the presence of a placenta previa which is a low lying placenta at or very near to the internal cervical os. This condition occurs in roughly 4 out of 1000 pregnancies and usually needs to be resolved by delivering the baby via cesarean section. Also a placental abruption (in which there is premature separation of the placenta) can lead to obstetrical hemorrhage, sometimes concealed. This pathology is of important consideration after maternal trauma such as a motor vehicle accident or fall.
Other considerations to include when assessing antepartum bleeding are: sterile vaginal exams that are performed in order to assess dilation of the patient when the 40th week is approaching. As well as cervical insufficiency defined as a midtrimester (14th-26th week) dilation of the cervix which may need medical intervention to assist in keeping the pregnancy sustainable.
It is a rare disease, with an incidence of 1 in 1200 placentas. Women with cardiac problems, disorders of circulation, monosomy, hypertension and diabetes are predisposed to Breus' mole. The mole is formed as a sub-chorionic hematoma, formed out of the intervillous blood, causing progressive accumulation of the clotting substance called fibrin with increasing gestational age. Evidence from Southern blot test reveals that 85 percent of the clotted material is maternal blood. Breus mole is reported to be found in the placetae of macerated stillborn foetuses, indicating that massive subchorionic hematoma could have been the cause of their demise. A massive Breus' mole can cause disturbances in blood flow in the spiral arteries and might result in intrauterine growth restriction of the foetus.
Most women with GTD can become pregnant again and can have children again. The risk of a further molar pregnancy is low. More than 98% of women who become pregnant following a molar pregnancy will not have a further hydatidiform mole or be at increased risk of complications.
In the past, it was seen as important not to get pregnant straight away after a GTD. Specialists recommended a waiting period of 6 months after the hCG levels become normal. Recently, this standpoint has been questioned. New medical data suggest that a significantly shorter waiting period after the hCG levels become normal is reasonable for approximately 97% of the patients with hydatidiform mole.
Breus' mole (Ova tuberculosa, massive mole) is a massive, subchorionic, tuberous hematoma, formed out of maternal blood in the uterus in pregnancy. It was first described by Karl Breus in 1892.
The cause of this condition is not completely understood. Potential risk factors may include defects in the egg, abnormalities within the uterus, or nutritional deficiencies. Women under 20 or over 40 years of age have a higher risk. Other risk factors include diets low in protein, folic acid, and carotene. The diploid set of sperm-only DNA means that all chromosomes have sperm-patterned methylation suppression of genes. This leads to overgrowth of the syncytiotrophoblast whereas dual egg-patterned methylation leads to a devotion of resources to the embryo, with an underdeveloped syncytiotrophoblast. This is considered to be the result of evolutionary competition with male genes driving for high investment into the fetus versus female genes driving for resource restriction to maximise the number of children.
More than 80% of hydatidiform moles are benign. The outcome after treatment is usually excellent. Close follow-up is essential. Highly effective means of contraception are recommended to avoid pregnancy for at least 6 to 12 months.
In 10 to 15% of cases, hydatidiform moles may develop into invasive moles. This condition is named "persistent trophoblastic disease" (PTD). The moles may intrude so far into the uterine wall that hemorrhage or other complications develop. It is for this reason that a post-operative full abdominal and chest x-ray will often be requested.
In 2 to 3% of cases, hydatidiform moles may develop into choriocarcinoma, which is a malignant, rapidly growing, and metastatic (spreading) form of cancer. Despite these factors which normally indicate a poor prognosis, the rate of cure after treatment with chemotherapy is high.
Over 90% of women with malignant, non-spreading cancer are able to survive and retain their ability to conceive and bear children. In those with metastatic (spreading) cancer, remission remains at 75 to 85%, although their childbearing ability is usually lost.
A placental disease is any disease, disorder, or pathology of the placenta. The article also covers placentation abnormalities, which is often used synonymously for placental disease.
Trophoblastic neoplasms derive from trophoblastic tissue. Examples include:
- Choriocarcinoma
- Hydatidiform mole
Eclampsia, like pre-eclampsia, tends to occur more commonly in first pregnancies. Women who have long term high blood pressure before becoming pregnant have a greater risk of pre-eclampsia. Furthermore, women with other pre-existing vascular diseases (diabetes or nephropathy) or thrombophilic diseases such as the antiphospholipid syndrome are at higher risk to develop pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. Having a large placenta (multiple gestation, hydatidiform mole) also predisposes women to eclampsia. In addition, there is a genetic component: a woman whose mother or sister had the condition is at higher risk than otherwise. Women who have experienced eclampsia are at increased risk for pre-eclampsia/eclampsia in a later pregnancy.
Invasive hydatidiform mole, also known as invasive mole and chorioadenoma destruens is a type of neoplasia that grows into the muscular wall of the uterus. It is formed after conception (fertilization of an egg by a sperm). It may spread to other parts of the body, such as the vagina, vulva, and lung.
Placental site trophoblastic tumor is a form of gestational trophoblastic disease, which is thought to arise from intermediate trophoblast.
It may secrete human placental lactogen (human chorionic somatomammotropin), and result in a false-positive pregnancy test.
Placental site trophoblastic tumor is a monophasic neoplasm of the implantation site intermediate trophoblast, and usually a benign lesion, which comprises less than 2% of all gestational trophoblastic proliferations. Preceding conditions include molar pregnancy (5%). Compared to choriocarcinoma or invasive mole, hemorrhage is less conspicuous and serum β-HCG level is low, making early diagnosis difficult.
Immunohistochemistry: Often stains with hPL, keratin, Mel-CAM, EGFR.
Prognosis: 10–20% of cases metastase leading to death.
Treatment: Because chemotherapy is ineffective; the patient should undergo hysterectomy.
There are risks to both the mother and the unborn child (fetus) when eclampsia occurs. The fetus may grow more slowly than normal within the womb (uterus) of a woman with eclampsia, which is termed intrauterine growth restriction and may result in the child appearing small for gestational age or being born with low birth weight. Eclampsia may cause problems with the placenta to occur. The placenta may bleed (hemorrhage) or it may begin to separate from the wall of the uterus. It is normal for the placenta to separate from the uterine wall during delivery, but it is abnormal for it to separate prior to delivery; this condition is called placental abruption and can be dangerous for the fetus. Placental insufficiency may also occur, a state in which the placenta fails to support appropriate fetal development because it cannot deliver the necessary amount of oxygen or nutrients to the fetus. During an eclamptic seizure, the beating of the fetal heart may become slower than normal (bradycardia). If any of these complications occurs, fetal distress may develop. If the risk to the health of the fetus or the mother is high, the definitive treatment for eclampsia is delivery of the baby. It may be safer to deliver the infant preterm than to wait for the full 40 weeks of fetal development to finish, and as a result prematurity is also a potential complication of eclampsia.
In the mother, changes in vision may occur as a result of eclampsia, and these changes may include blurry vision, one-sided blindness (either temporary due to amaurosis fugax or potentially permanent due to retinal detachment), or cortical blindness, which affects the vision from both eyes. There are also potential complications in the lungs. The woman may have fluid slowly collecting in the lungs in a process known as pulmonary edema. During an eclamptic seizure, it is possible for a person to vomit the contents of the stomach and to inhale some of this material in a process known as aspiration. If aspiration occurs, the woman may experience difficulty breathing immediately or could develop an infection in the lungs later, called aspiration pneumonia. It is also possible that during a seizure breathing will stop temporarily or become inefficient, and the amount of oxygen reaching the woman's body and brain will be decreased (in a state known as hypoxia). If it becomes difficult for the woman to breathe, she may need to have her breathing temporarily supported by an assistive device in a process called mechanical ventilation. In some severe eclampsia cases, the mother may become weak and sluggish (lethargy) or even comatose. These may be signs that the brain is swelling (cerebral edema) or bleeding (intracerebral hemorrhage).
Ultraviolet light from the sun causes premature aging of the skin and skin damage that can lead to melanoma. Some scientists hypothesize that overexposure to UV, including excessive sunlight, may play a role in the formation of acquired moles. However, more research is needed to determine the complex interaction between genetic makeup and overall exposure to ultraviolet light. Some strong indications that this is so (but falling short of proof), are:
- The relative lack of moles on the buttocks of people with dysplastic nevi.
- Freckles (spots of melanin on the skin, and distinct from moles) are known to be influenced by sunlight.
Studies have found that sunburns and too much time in the sun can increase the risk factors for melanoma. This is "in addition to" those who have dysplastic nevi being at higher risk of this cancer (the uncertainty is in regard to acquiring "benign" moles). To prevent and reduce the risk of melanoma caused by UV radiation, the American Academy of Dermatology and the National Cancer Institute recommends staying out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. standard time (or whenever one's shadow is shorter than one's height). The National Cancer Institute also recommends wearing long sleeves and trousers, hats with a wide brim, sunscreens, and sunglasses that have UV-deflecting lenses.
Hormonal changes during pregnancy and diabetics (i.e. insulin) are often contributing to mole formation.
Since gestational choriocarcinoma (which arises from a hydatidiform mole) contains paternal DNA (and thus paternal antigens), it is exquisitely sensitive to chemotherapy. The cure rate, even for metastatic gestational choriocarcinoma, is around 90–95%.
At present, treatment with single-agent methotrexate is recommended for low-risk disease, while intense combination regimens including EMACO (etoposide, methotrexate, actinomycin D, cyclosphosphamide and vincristine (Oncovin) are recommended for intermediate or high-risk disease.
Hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus) can also be offered to patients > 40 years of age or those for whom sterilisation is not an obstacle. It may be required for those with severe infection and uncontrolled bleeding.
Choriocarcinoma arising in the testicle is rare, malignant and highly resistant to chemotherapy. The same is true of choriocarcinoma arising in the ovary. Testicular choriocarcinoma has the worst prognosis of all germ-cell cancers.
Halo nevi are estimated to be present in approximately 1% of the general population, and are found to be more prevalent in people with vitiligo, malignant melanoma, or Turner syndrome. All races and sexes are equally susceptible to this disease, although a familial tendency has been reported. The average age of onset is in a person's teenage years.
Choriocarcinoma of the placenta during pregnancy is preceded by:
- hydatidiform mole (50% of cases)
- spontaneous abortion (20% of cases)
- ectopic pregnancy (2% of cases)
- normal term pregnancy (20–30% of cases)
- hyperemesis gravidarum
Rarely, choriocarcinoma occurs in primary locations other than the placenta; very rarely, it occurs in testicles. Although trophoblastic components are common components of mixed germ cell tumors, pure choriocarcinoma of the adult testis is rare. Pure choriocarcinoma of the testis represents the most aggressive pathologic variant of germ cell tumors in adults, characteristically with early hematogenous and lymphatic metastatic spread. Because of early spread and inherent resistance to anticancer drugs, patients have poor prognosis. Elements of choriocarcinoma in a mixed testicular tumor have no prognostic importance.
Choriocarcinomas can also occur in the ovaries.
Large and especially giant congenital nevi are at higher risk for malignancy degeneration into melanoma. Because of the premalignant potential, it is an acceptable clinical practice to remove congenital nevi electively in all patients and relieve the nevocytic overload.
Trophoblastic neoplasms are neoplasms which derive from trophoblastic tissue.
Examples include:
- choriocarcinoma
- hydatidiform mole
Histologically, keloids are fibrotic tumors characterized by a collection of atypical fibroblasts with excessive deposition of extracellular matrix components, especially collagen, fibronectin, elastin, and proteoglycans. Generally, they contain relatively acellular centers and thick, abundant collagen bundles that form nodules in the deep dermal portion of the lesion. Keloids present a therapeutic challenge that must be addressed, as these lesions can cause significant pain, (itching), and physical disfigurement. They may not improve in appearance over time and can limit mobility if located over a joint.
Keloids affect both sexes equally, although the incidence in young female patients has been reported to be higher than in young males, probably reflecting the greater frequency of earlobe piercing among women.
The frequency of occurrence is 15 times higher in highly pigmented people. African descendant people have increased risk of keloid occurrences.
Most people, especially Africans and African Americans, have a positive family history of keloid disorder. Development of keloids among twins also lends credibility to existence of a genetic susceptibility to develop keloids. Marneros et al. (1) reported four sets of identical twins with keloids; Ramakrishnan et al. also described a pair of twins who developed keloids at the same time after vaccination. Case series have reported clinically severe forms of keloids in individuals with a positive family history and black African ethnic origin.
A junctional nevus is a mole found in the junction (border) between the epidermis and dermis layers of the skin.
As halo nevi are only of cosmetic significance, no treatment is required, and patients will be asymptomatic. Although halo nevi are harmless, it is important to monitor the lesion on regular basis. Watch out for any changes in appearance of existing or new halo nevi. If there is any change in appearance or is associated with pain, itch, and infection, a doctor should be consulted immediately to exclude the possibility of melanoma.