Background: Retention of products of conception (RPOC) following delivery is rare. Clinicians often have the impression that a high proportion of patients with sonographically suspected RPOC following surgery have a negative histopathology. Hence, we aimed to report our single-center experience with suspected RPOC and histopathological outcome after surgery.
Patients and methods: In this retrospective analysis, patients who underwent surgery due to suspected postpartum RPOC were analyzed for potential predictive clinical and sonographic parameters.
Results: A total of 32 patients with histopathologically-confirmed RPOC were compared with 21 patients with a negative histopathological report for RPOC. Endometrial hyperechogenic mass and clinical parameters such as pain, fever and bleedings were not predictive for RPOC. Increased age (p=0.001) and vaginal delivery (p=0.040) were significantly associated with RPOC.
Conclusion: Clinical presentation alone is not predictive for RPOC. Vaginal delivery and younger age seem to be a risk factor and therefore have to be considered in patients with suspected RPOC.
Keywords: Delivery; RPOC; curretage.
Copyright© 2019, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.