Minimally invasive management of an advanced abdominal pregnancy

Obstet Gynecol. 2004 May;103(5 Pt 2):1064-8. doi: 10.1097/01.AOG.0000127946.14387.48.

Abstract

Background: Advanced abdominal pregnancy is a rare, life-threatening condition that presents a number of challenges.

Case: A 29-year-old primigravida with 10 years of secondary infertility and a previous tuboplasty had a 21-week abdominal pregnancy treated with preoperative arterial embolization before laparoscopically assisted fetal delivery. Postoperatively, 4 cycles of methotrexate were administered at 50 mg/m2 intramuscularly every 3 weeks for the retained abdominal placenta. Subsequent spontaneous conception occurred, and a live, full-term infant was delivered by cesarean delivery 17 months later. No adverse sequelae were found during long-term follow-up.

Conclusion: This report demonstrates successful minimally invasive management of an advanced abdominal pregnancy with a multimodal approach that included preoperative arterial embolization, laparoscopically assisted delivery, and judicious use of postoperative methotrexate.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cesarean Section
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Delivery, Obstetric / methods
  • Embolization, Therapeutic
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Injections, Intramuscular
  • Laparoscopy
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Methotrexate / administration & dosage
  • Placenta, Retained / therapy
  • Postoperative Care
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy, Abdominal / diagnosis
  • Pregnancy, Abdominal / therapy*

Substances

  • Methotrexate