Successful pregnancy outcome after preterm premature rupture of membranes at < 20 weeks. A report of three cases.
BACKGROUND
Spontaneous preterm premature rupture of the membranes occurring before 20 weeks' gestation carries a perinatal mortality of approximately 82% and potential for considerable morbidity for mother and fetus. This is in contrast to amniotic fluid leakage after second-trimester amniocentesis, when the prognosis is usually good.


METHODS
We report three cases of spontaneous rupture of the membranes before 20 weeks' gestation, all associated with reaccumulation of amniotic fluid and satisfactory neonatal outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
Our cases may represent a subgroup with a relatively good prognosis. The existence of such subgroups would better be determined in a prospective, cohort study, and it might need to be a multicenter one. It requires well-defined entry criteria, management protocols and neonatal follow-up as well as information about pregnancies where termination, rather than continuation, is chosen.
Schierlitz
L
L
Mercy Hospital for Women, Geelong Hospital and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Barker
G K
GK
Walker
S P
SP
Permezel
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005322:Premature Rupture of Fetal Membranes / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007751:Labor, Induced; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011379:Prognosis