Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30404087

Fetal Diagn Ther. 2018 Nov 7:1-6. doi: 10.1159/000493792. [Epub ahead of print]
Cervical Measurement and Pessary Application in Relation to Gestational Age at Delivery in Patients Treated with Fetoscopic Endotracheal Occlusion.
Kosinski P, Luterek K, Bomba-Opon D, Lipa M, Wielgos M.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the impact of cervical length and cervical pessary application in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) treated by the fetoscopic endotracheal occlusion (FETO) procedure.

METHODS:
The study group consisted of 80 patients with severe CDH treated by FETO. Cervical length measurement was performed by transvaginal ultrasound in all patients within the 24 h prior to the FETO procedure. The study group (n = 44) had cervical pessaries applied routinely within the 24 h following the FETO procedure, whereas the control group (n = 36) were not offered pessaries and only had cervical length measurement performed.

RESULTS:
The median cervical length was 31 (range 22-45) mm. The median gestational age at delivery was 34.7 (range 27.8-39.2) weeks. Gestational age at delivery correlated significantly with gestational age at balloon removal (r = 0.768; p < 0.0001) and premature rupture of membranes (r = 0.501; p = 0.003). There was no significant correlation between gestational age at delivery and cervical length before the procedure (r = 0.141; p = 0.26) or pessary application (r = 0.081; p = 0.51). In the multivariate linear regression model, the only factor independently associated with gestational age at delivery was gestational age at fetoscopic balloon removal (β = 0.713; p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION:
In cases of severe CDH treated by the FETO procedure, neither cervical length before the procedure nor cervical pessary application was associated with gestational age at delivery.

© 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

KEYWORDS:
Cervical length; Cervical pessary; Congenital diaphragmatic hernia; Endotracheal occlusion; Fetoscopy; Preterm delivery

PMID: 30404087 DOI: 10.1159/000493792
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Google+