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Symptoms of a rupture may be initially quite subtle. An old cesarean scar may undergo dehiscence; but with further labor the woman may experience abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding, though these signs are difficult to distinguish from normal labor. Often a deterioration of the fetal heart rate is a leading sign, but the cardinal sign of uterine rupture is loss of fetal station on manual vaginal exam. Intra-abdominal bleeding can lead to hypovolemic shock and death. Although the associated maternal mortality is now less than one percent, the fetal mortality rate is between two and six percent when rupture occurs in the hospital.
In pregnancy uterine rupture may cause a viable abdominal pregnancy. This is what accounts for most abdominal pregnancy births.
- Abdominal pain and tenderness. The pain may not be severe; it may occur suddenly at the peak of a contraction. The woman may describe a feeling that something "gave way" or "ripped."
- Chest pain, pain between the scapulae, or pain on inspiration—Pain occurs because of the irritation of blood below the woman's diaphragm
- Hypovolemic shock caused by haemorrhage— Falling blood pressure, tachycardia, tachypnea, pallor, cool and clammy skin, and anxiety. The fall in blood pressure is often a late sign of haemorrhage
- Signs associated with fetal oxygenation, such as late deceleration, reduced variability, tachycardia, and bradycardia
- Absent fetal heart sounds with a large disruption of the placenta; absent fetal heart activity by ultrasound examination
- Cessation of uterine contractions
- Palpation of the fetus outside the uterus (usually occurs only with a large, complete rupture). The fetus is likely to be dead at this point.
- Signs of an abdominal pregnancy
- Post-term pregnancy
Bleeding before the expected time of menarche could be a sign of precocious puberty. Other possible causes include the presence of a foreign body in the vagina, molestation, vaginal infection (vaginitis), and rarely, a tumor.
Patients can have pain secondary to uterine contractions, uterine tetany or localized uterine tenderness. Signs can also be due to abruptio placentae including uterine hypertonus, fetal distress, fetal death, and rarely, hypovolaemic shock (shock secondary to severe blood loss). The uterus may adopt a bluish/purplish, mottled appearance due to extravasation of blood into uterine muscle.
Couvelaire uterus (also known as uteroplacental apoplexy) is a life-threatening condition in which loosening of the placenta (abruptio placentae) causes bleeding that penetrates into the uterine myometrium forcing its way into the peritoneal cavity.
A Cervical pregnancy is an ectopic pregnancy that has implanted in the uterine endocervix. Such a pregnancy typically aborts within the first trimester, however, if it is implanted closer to the uterine cavity - a so-called cervico-isthmic pregnancy - it may continue longer. Placental removal in a cervical pregnancy may result in major hemorrhage.
Uterine atony is a loss of tone in the uterine musculature. Normally, contraction of the uterine muscles during labor compresses the blood vessels and reduces flow, thereby increasing the likelihood of coagulation and preventing hemorrhage. A lack of uterine muscle contraction, however, can lead to an acute hemorrhage, as the uterine blood vessels are not sufficiently compressed. Clinically, 75-80% of postpartum hemorrhages are due to uterine atony.
Most unusual bleeding or irregular bleeding (metrorrhagia) in premenopausal women is caused by changes in the hormonal balance of the body. These changes are not pathological. Exceptionally heavy bleeding during menstruation is termed "menorrhagia" or "hypermenorrhea", while light bleeding is called "hypomenorrhea". Women on hormonal contraceptives can experience breakthrough bleeding and/or withdrawal bleeding. Withdrawal bleeding occurs when a hormonal contraceptive or other hormonal intake is discontinued.
There are pathological causes of unusual vaginal bleeding as well. Dysfunctional uterine bleeding is a common cause of menorrhagia and irregular bleeding. It is due to a hormonal imbalance, and symptoms can be managed by use of hormonal contraception (although hormonal contraception does not treat the underlying cause of the imbalance). If it is due to polycystic ovary syndrome, weight loss may help, and infertility may respond to clomifene citrate. Uterine fibroids (leiomyoma) are benign tumors of the uterus that cause bleeding and pelvic pain in approximately 30% of affected women. Adenomyosis, a condition in which the endometrial glands grow into the uterine muscle, can cause dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia. Cervical cancer may occur at premenopausal age, and often presents with "contact bleeding" (e.g. after sexual intercourse). Uterine cancer leads to irregular and often prolonged bleeding. In recently pregnant women who have delivered or who have had a miscarriage, vaginal bleeding may be a sign of endometritis or retained products of conception.
Uterine hyperstimulation or hypertonic uterine dysfunction is a potential complication of labor induction. It is defined as either a series of single contractions lasting 2 minutes or more OR a contraction frequency of five or more in 10 minutes. Uterine hyperstimulation may result in fetal heart rate abnormalities, uterine rupture, or placental abruption. It is usually treated by administering terbutaline.
An interstitial pregnancy is a uterine but ectopic pregnancy; the pregnancy is located outside the uterine cavity in that part of the fallopian tube that penetrates the muscular layer of the uterus. The term cornual pregnancy is sometimes used as a synonym, but remains ambiguous as it is also applied to indicate the presence of a pregnancy located within the cavity in one of the two upper "horns" of a bicornuate uterus. Interstitial pregnancies have a higher mortality than ectopics in general.
The diagnosis is made in asymptomatic pregnant women either by inspection seeing a bluish discolored cervix or, more commonly, by obstetric ultrasonography. A typical non-specific symptom is vaginal bleeding during pregnancy. Ultrasound will show the location of the gestational sac in the cervix, while the uterine cavity is "empty". Cervical pregnancy can be confused with a miscarriage when pregnancy tissue is passing through the cervix.
Histologically the diagnosis has been made by Rubin’s criteria on the surgical specimen: cervical glands are opposite the trophoblastic tissue, the trophoblastic attachment is below the entrance of the uterine vessels to the uterus or the anterior peritoneal reflection, and fetal elements are absent from the uterine corpus. As many pregnancies today are diagnosed early and no hysterectomy is performed, Rubin's criteria can often not be applied.
Placenta accreta occurs when all or part of the placenta attaches abnormally to the myometrium (the muscular layer of the uterine wall). Three grades of abnormal placental attachment are defined according to the depth of attachment and invasion into the muscular layers of the uterus:
- Accreta – chorionic villi attach to the myometrium, rather than being restricted within the decidua basalis.
- Increta – chorionic villi invade into the myometrium.
- Percreta – chorionic villi invade through the perimetrium (uterine serosa).
Because of abnormal attachment to the myometrium, placenta accreta is associated with an increased risk of heavy bleeding at the time of attempted vaginal delivery. The need for transfusion of blood products is frequent, and hysterectomy is sometimes required to control life-threatening hemorrhage.
Uterine rupture is a serious event during childbirth by which the integrity of the myometrial wall is breached. In an incomplete rupture the peritoneum is still intact. With a complete rupture the contents of the uterus may spill into the peritoneal cavity or the broad ligament. A uterine rupture is a life-threatening event for mother and baby.
A uterine rupture typically occurs during active labor, but may also develop during late pregnancy.
Uterine dehiscence is a similar condition, but involves fewer layers, less bleeding, and less risk.
Retained placenta is a condition in which all or part of the placenta or membranes remain in the uterus during the third stage of labour. Retained placenta can be broadly divided into:
- failed separation of the placenta from the uterine lining
- placenta separated from the uterine lining but retained within the uterus
A retained placenta is commonly a cause of postpartum haemorrhage, both primary and secondary.
Signs and symptoms may initially include: an increased heart rate, feeling faint upon standing, and an increased breath rate. As more blood is lost the women may feel cold, their blood pressure may drop, and they may become unconscious.
It is often characterized by a decrease in flow and duration of bleeding (absence of menstrual bleeding, little menstrual bleeding, or infrequent menstrual bleeding) and become infertile. Menstrual anomalies are often but not always correlated with severity: adhesions restricted to only the cervix or lower uterus may block menstruation. Pain during menstruation and ovulation is sometimes experienced and can be attributed to blockages.
It has been reported that 88% of AS cases occur after a D&C is performed on a recently pregnant uterus, following a missed or incomplete miscarriage, birth, or during an elective termination (abortion) to remove retained products of conception.
In the early stages of placental abruption, there may be no symptoms. When symptoms develop, they tend to develop suddenly. Common symptoms include sudden-onset abdominal pain, contractions that seem continuous and do not stop, vaginal bleeding, enlarged uterus disproportionate to the gestational age of the fetus, decreased fetal movement, and decreased fetal heart rate.
Vaginal bleeding, if it occurs, may be bright red or dark.
A placental abruption caused by arterial bleeding at the center of the placenta leads to sudden development of severe symptoms and life-threatening conditions including fetal heart rate abnormalities, severe maternal hemorrhage, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Those abruptions caused by venous bleeding at the periphery of the placenta develop more slowly and cause small amounts of bleeding, intrauterine growth restriction, and oligohydramnios (low levels of amniotic fluid).
When the antepartum diagnosis of placenta accreta is made, it is usually based on ultrasound findings in the second or third trimester. Sonographic findings that may be suggestive of placenta accreta include:
1. Loss of normal hypoechoic retroplacental zone
2. Multiple vascular lacunae (irregular vascular spaces) within placenta, giving "Swiss cheese" appearance
3. Blood vessels or placental tissue bridging uterine-placental margin, myometrial-bladder interface, or crossing the uterine serosa
4. Retroplacental myometrial thickness of <1 mm
5. Numerous coherent vessels visualized with 3-dimensional power Doppler in basal view
Although there are isolated case reports of placenta accreta being diagnosed in the first trimester or at the time of abortion <20 weeks' gestational age, the predictive value of first-trimester ultrasound for this diagnosis remains unknown. Women with a placenta previa or "low-lying placenta" overlying a uterine scar early in pregnancy should undergo follow-up imaging in the third trimester with attention to the potential presence of placenta accreta.
Depending on the definition in question, postpartum hemorrhage is defined as more than 500ml following vaginal delivery or 1000ml of blood loss following caesarean section in the first 24 hours following delivery.
The most obvious symptom of open pyometra is a discharge of pus from the vulva in a female that has recently been in heat. However, symptoms of closed pyometra are less obvious. Symptoms of both types include vomiting, loss of appetite, depression, and increased drinking and urinating. Fever is seen in less than a third of female dogs with pyometra. Closed pyometra is a more serious condition than open pyometra not only because there is no outlet for the infection, but also because a diagnosis of closed pyometra can easily be missed due to its insidious nature. Bloodwork may show dehydration and/or increased white blood cell count. X-rays will show an enlarged uterus, and ultrasound will confirm the presence of a fluid filled uterus.
Early diagnosis is important and today facilitated by the use of sonography and the quantitative human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) assay. As in other cases of ectopic pregnancy, risk factors are: previous tubal pregnancy, IVF therapy, tubal surgery, and a history of sexual infection.
Typical symptoms of an interstitial pregnancy are the classic signs of ectopic pregnancy, namely abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. Hemorrhagic shock is found in almost a quarter of patients.; this explains the relatively high mortality rate.
In pregnant patients, sonography is the primary method to make the diagnosis, even when patients have no symptoms. The paucity of myometrium around the gestational sac is diagnostic, while, in contrast, the angular pregnancy has at least 5 mm of myometrium on all of its sides. Ultrasonic criteria for the diagnosis include an empty uterine cavity, a gestational sac separate from the uterine cavity, and a myometrial thinning of less than 5 mm around the gestational sac; typically the "interstitial line sign"—an echogenic line from the endometrial cavity to the corner next to the gestational mass—is seen. MRI can be used particularly when it is important to distinguish between an interstitial and angular pregnancy.
On average, the gestational age at presentation is about 7–8 weeks. In a 2007 series, 22% of patients presented with rupture and hemorrhagic shock, while a third of the patients were asymptomatic; the remainder had abdominal pain and/or vaginal bleeding. Cases that are not diagnosed until surgery show an asymmetrical bulge in the upper corner of the uterus.
Many factors can contribute to the loss of uterine muscle tone, including:
- overdistention of the uterus
- multiple gestations
- polyhydramnios
- fetal macrosomia
- prolonged labor
- oxytocin augmentation of labor
- grand multiparity (having given birth 5 or more times)
- precipitous labor (labor lasting less than 3 hours)
- magnesium sulfate treatment of preeclampsia
- chorioamnionitis
- halogenated anesthetics
- uterine leiomyomata
- full bladder
- retained colyledon, placental fragments
- placenta previa
- placental abruption
- constriction ring
- incomplete separation of the placenta
Various classification systems were developed to describe Asherman’s syndrome (citations to be added), some taking into account the amount of functioning residual endometrium, menstrual pattern, obstetric history and other factors which are thought to play a role in determining the prognoses. With the advent of techniques which allow visualization of the uterus, classification systems were developed to take into account the location and severity of adhesions inside the uterus. This is useful as mild cases with adhesions restricted to the cervix may present with amenorrhea and infertility, showing that symptoms alone do not necessarily reflect severity. Other patients may have no adhesions but amenorrhea and infertility due to a sclerotic atrophic endometrium. The latter form has the worst prognosis.
Uterine inversion is a potentially fatal childbirth complication with a maternal survival rate of about 85%. It occurs when the placenta fails to detach from the uterus as it exits, pulls on the inside surface, and turns the organ inside out. It is very rare.
Dysfunctional uterine bleeding (DUB) is abnormal genital tract bleeding based in the uterus and found in the absence of demonstrable structural or organic disease. It is usually due to hormonal disturbances: reduced levels of progesterone cause low levels of prostaglandin F2alpha and cause menorrhagia (abnormally heavy flow); increased levels of tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) (a fibrinolytic enzyme) lead to more fibrinolysis.
Diagnosis must be made by exclusion, since organic pathology must first be ruled out.
DUB can be classified as "ovulatory" or "anovulatory", depending on whether ovulation is occurring or not. It is usually a menstrual disorder, although abnormal bleeding from the uterus is possible outside menstruation.
Some sources state that the term "dysfunctional" implies a hormonal mechanism. Use of the term "abnormal uterine bleeding" is preferred in today's medicine.
Based on severity:
- Class 0: Asymptomatic. Diagnosis is made retrospectively by finding an organized blood clot or a depressed area on a delivered placenta.
- Class 1: Mild and represents approximately 48% of all cases. Characteristics include the following:
- No vaginal bleeding to mild vaginal bleeding
- Slightly tender uterus
- Normal maternal blood pressure and heart rate
- No coagulopathy
- No fetal distress
- Class 2: Moderate and represents approximately 27% of all cases. Characteristics include the following:
- No vaginal bleeding to moderate vaginal bleeding
- Moderate-to-severe uterine tenderness with possible tetanic contractions
- Maternal tachycardia with orthostatic changes in blood pressure and heart rate
- Fetal distress
- Hypofibrinogenemia (i.e., 50–250 mg/dL)
- Class 3: Severe and represents approximately 24% of all cases. Characteristics include the following:
- No vaginal bleeding to heavy vaginal bleeding
- Very painful tetanic uterus
- Maternal shock
- Hypofibrinogenemia (i.e., <150 mg/dL)
- Coagulopathy
- Fetal death