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An intratubal placenta and a 14 cm umbilical cord protruding
from the fimbrial end of the tube connected to a 12 cm macerated
fetus were found (Fig. 1).
The patient was discharged well on post-operative day 2. Nine
days later a repeat bHCG was 29.8 IU/L suggesting no retained
trophoblast.
Histological
examination
showed
chorionic
villi
within tube and a separate fetus.
Abdominal pregnancy is a rare and potentially dangerous
diagnosis, with mortality rates between 5.1 and 30 per 1000 [5].
Based
on
Studdiford’s
criteria
[3],
this
is
a
secondary
abdominal
pregnancy and we were able to demonstrate tubal implantation
followed by abortion of fetus into the POD and retention of
placenta within tube. We hypothesize that fetal demise might have
occurred
after
the
amnion
ruptured
at
around
15
weeks
resulting
in ensuing symptoms or that placenta within the tube could no
longer expand to support the growing pregnancy.
Clinicians and sonographers should be aware of the possibility
of
abdominal
pregnancies
which
may
be
mistaken
as
intrauterine
in
later
gestation.
Ultrasound
should
allow
accurate
diagnosis
and timely diagnosis and treatment are pertinent in reducing
morbidity and mortality. A laparoscopic approach may be
considered
depending
on
the
size
of
the
fetus
and
the
risk
of
bleeding/complexity
of
the
placental
implantation
site.
References
[1] Morita Y, Tsutsumi O, Kuramochi K, et al. Successful laparoscopic managementof primary abdominal pregnancy. Hum Reprod 1996;11:2546–7.
[2] Atrash HK, Friede A, Hogue CJ. Abdominal pregnancy in the United States:frequency and maternal mortality. Obstet Gynecol 1987;69:333–7.
[3] Studdiford WE. Primary peritoneal pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1942;44:487–91.
[4] Dabb RG. Secondary abdominal pregnancy. Br Med J 1947;1947(February(4491)):198–9.
[5] Poole A, Haas D, Magann EF. Early abdominal ectopic pregnancies: a systematicreview of the literature. Gynecol Obstet Invest 2012;74:249–60.
Xinyi Li*
Peter
Barton-SmithDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Singapore General Hospital,
Singapore
*Corresponding author at: Department of Obstetrics and
Gynecology, Singapore General Hospital, The Academia, Level 5, 20
College Road, Singapore 169856, Singapore.
Tel.: +65 9847 6408/6321 4673; fax: +65 6225 3464
E-mail address: [email protected] (X. Li).
20 September 2014
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2014.11.040
Low rates of fimbrial excision at tubal ligation:
room
for
improvement?
Dear
Editors,
Recently, there has been a paradigm shift in our understandings
about
the
origins
of
pelvic
serous
carcinoma/ovarian
cancer.
Ironically,
many
carcinomas
that
fulfil
WHO
criteria
for
ovarian
cancer are metastases to the ovary from fallopian tube lesions [1].
As there is no reliable screening test and few early symptoms,
ovarian
carcinoma
typically
presents
at
an
advanced
stage.
In
Ireland,
344
new
cases
are
recorded
per
year,
the
5
year
survival
rate is less than 40% and 278 women die yearly from the disease
[2].
Ovarian serous carcinoma (OSC) is the most common type of
ovarian cancer. Serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC) is a
fallopian tube lesion increasingly implicated as the important
precursor
of
OSC
[1], and
can
be
seen
in
60%
of
cases
of
OSC
[3].
Tubal ligation (TL) can lower the risk subsequent OSC and is an
effective, reliable form of contraception that can be performed at
caesarian section. Nearly 70% of Irish Obstetricians/Gynaecologists
list
partial
excision/ligation
as
their
preferred
method
of
tubal
ligation at caesarian section; most do not perform routine
salpingectomy when performing hysterectomies for benign
indications [4].
As
STIC,
the
precursor
lesion
of
OSC,
develops
almost
exclusively in the fimbria of the fallopian tube, we looked to
establish how often the fimbriated end of the fallopian tube was
excised when TL was performed at the time of caesaerian section.
Between
1st
January
2012
and
31st
of
December
2013,
4069
women
had
caesarean
deliveries
in
our
institution;
177
women
had synchronous tubal sterilisation. In nine cases, the fimbrial end
of the tube was included in the excision and was available for
microscopic
examination
(5.1%
of
cases).
Over
the
same
period,
161
hysterectomies
were
performed
for
benign indications where no ovarian pathology was suspected.Fallopian tubes (with fimbria) were excised in 25 of these
procedures
(15.5%).
While
our
rates
of
complete
salpingectomy
appear
low,
it
is
not
uncommon that low rates of complete salpingectomy are seen
outside of educational initiatives [5]. As interruption of the
fallopian
tube,
rather
than
fimbrial
excision,
is
the
key
contracep-
tive
requirement,
low
rates
of
complete
salpingectomy
at
the
time
of caesarean delivery are not surprising.
Although precise reasons are unclear, excision of the fimbriae
may
be
seen
as
time
consuming
and
technically
challenging
[4]
compared to excising the narrowest portion of the extramural
fallopian tube. This may relate to perceived difficulty to access to
the
fallopian
tubes
immediately
after
delivery
in
the
proximity
of
an enlarged uterus.Despite this, there are benefits to performing complete
salpingectomy, even when surgery is performed for benign reasons
[5]
and
systematic
pathologic
examination
of
the
fimbriae,
even
in
a
low
risk
population,
will
result
in
early
detection
of
a
small
number of asymptomatic tubal carcinomas/pre-cancers.
Approximately 70% of ovarian epithelial tumours are of
high-grade serous histology. These are often preceeded
by STIC
[3],
a
lesion of
the
distal
fallopian
tubes
[1].
Given
that risk-
reducing salpingo-oophorectomy can reduce the r isk of OSC in
high risk populations by up to 96%, we would support the recent
opinion
paper
from
the
Royal
College of
Obstetricians
and
Gynaecologists
[6].
Opportunistic fimbrial
excision/complete
salpingectomy, to include the ampulla of the fallopian tube,
at
the
time
of
benign pelvic
surgery
offers
the
tantalisingopportunity to
further reduce
the
incidence of
OSC
in
a
lowrisk
population. This
can
be
achieved without increased
operative
morbidity, [5] but requires rates of complete salpingectomy to
be increased.
While
it
is
likely
to
take
some
time
before
any
reduction
in
ovarian
serous
carcinoma
is
seen
at
a
population
level,
sparing
the
fallopian tubes at the time of hysterectomy or tubal sterilisation
has no physiological benefit and bilateral salpingectomy can be
performed
without
increased
complications.
References
[1] Kindelberger DW, Lee Y, Miron A, et al. Intraepithelial carcinoma of the fimbriaand pelvic serous carcinoma: evidence for a causal relationship. Am J Surg
Pathol
2007;31(February
(2)):161–9.
Letters to the Editor – Brief Communications / European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 185 ( 2015) 181–183182
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[2] National Cancer Registryof Ireland.Ovarian cancer factsheet;December 2013 [1–1].[3] Przybycin CG, Kurman RJ, Ronnett BM, Shih I-M, Vang R. Are all pelvic (non-
uterine) serous carcinomas of tubal origin? Am J Surg Pathol 2010;34(October(10)):1407–16.
[4] Kamran MW, Vaughan D, Crosby D, Wahab NA, Saadeh FA, Gleeson N. Oppor-tunistic and interventional salpingectomy in women at risk: a strategy forpreventing pelvic serous cancer (PSC). Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol2013;170(September (1)):251–4.
[5] McAlpine JN, Hanley GE, Woo MM, et al. Opportunistic salpingectomy: uptake,risks, and complications of a regional initiative for ovarian cancer prevention.Am J Obstet Gynecol 2014;210(May (5)). 471.e1–11.
[6]
Royal
College
of
Obstetricians
and
Gynaecologists.
The
distal
fallopian
tube
asthe origin of non-uterine pelvic high-grade serous carcinomas. Scientific ImpactPaper No. 44; November 2014.
Kathleen Han-Suyin
MRCPI, Department of Pathology, National Maternity Hospital,
Dublin
2,
Ireland
Donal O’Brien
MRCOG, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology,
National Maternity Hospital, Dublin 2, Ireland
Eoghan E. Mooney
Paul
Downey*
FRCPath, Department of Pathology, National Maternity Hospital,
Dublin 2, Ireland
*Corresponding
author.
Tel.:
+353
1
6373531;
fax:
+353
1
6765048
E-mail address: [email protected] (P. Downey).
5 November 2014
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2014.12.009
Letters to the Editor – Brief Communications / European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 185 (2015) 181–183 183