title: Sonographic follow-up of a placenta left in situ after delivery of the fetus in an abdominal pregnancy.
abstract: A case of abdominal pregnancy was followed until 34 weeks' gestation, when rupture of the amniotic sac was noted. A live and anatomically normal female weighing 1400 g was delivered by laparotomy and the placenta was left in place. Color Doppler imaging and measurement of serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) were successfully used to follow the placental involution after delivery. A progressive increase in the resistance index in the utero-ovarian and subplacental vessels was observed while beta-hCG disappeared 45 days after laparotomy. The mother and baby left hospital 20 days after delivery and are both doing well.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitario de Getafe, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bajo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garcia-Frutos
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Huertas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010920:Placenta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018457:Placenta, Retained / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011269:Pregnancy, Abdominal / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D018617:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Pulsed; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D014655:Vascular Resistance
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin