Magnesium sulfate is the drug of choice in the prophylaxis and treatment of eclampsia. The recent understanding of the neurological manifestations within the reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy produced by preeclampsia has confirmed mechanisms that had been previously based on animal studies, thus adding value to this old drug. From the MAGPIE study to this day, many questions regarding the use of magnesium sulfate in preeclampsia remain ulsolved, but its value as a first-line treatment for brain manifestations in preeclampsia is undoubtedly high.

Cerebral hemorrhage is a rare event but with devastating consequences. Severe preeclampsia in pregnant women is the most frequent cause of cerebral hemorrhage in the puerperium. Four cases of cerebral hemorrhage in severe preeclampsia are presented and the various factors conditioning its appearance are analyzed. The literature is reviewed.

Objective: To demonstrate that the umbilical cord area measured by ultrasound is a predictor of fetal macrosomia in term singleton fetuses. Design: Descriptive, observational, cross sectional study. Setting: Hospital Nacional Daniel Alcides Carrion, Callao, Peru. Participants: Pregnant women at term. Interventions: Ultrasound anthropometric parameters, Hadlock formula, Cromi formula and cross-sectional area in a free loop of the umbilical cord were determined in 181 pregnant women at term with single fetus. Logistic regression was used to determine predictors of fetal macrosomia. Main outcome measures: Prediction of fetal macrosomia. Results: The prevalence of fetal macrosomia detected by ultrasound was 41.9%. The proportion of cases of umbilical cord area above the 95th percentile was significantly higher in cases of infants with macrosomia (85% versus 34.2%). The multiple regression mo...

We report two cases of a rare pathology of the fetal cerebellum, rhomboencephalosynapsis, a defect characterized by the partial or complete absence of the cerebellar vermis, which is currently associated with severe ventriculomegaly due to defects in the formation of the cerebral aqueduct. These are the first cases reported in Peru.

The recent importance of antiangiogenic factors in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia and in the understanding of the multisystem manifestations of this disease is bringing closer the clinical application of laboratory values for the diagnosis, assessment of severity and prediction of preeclampsia. We will briefly review some recent examples in clinical application.

Single twin demise in the context of multiple pregnancy is rare but with severe consequences for the other twin. This event is more common in the first trimester and is clinically called vanishing twin; it may affect the normal development of the other twin. Understanding the complexity of vascular anastomosis in monochorionic gestation has helped to elucidate the pathophysiology of fetal death and brain damage, explained by exchange transfusion from one twin to the other, and determining the probability of death of the surviving fetus and neurological damage related to gestational age of occurrence, premature birth and monochorionicity. These cases require individual monitoring of the surviving fetus, neurosonography and magnetic resonance imaging.

Hydranencephaly is rare brain malformation characterized by complete or partial absence of the cerebral hemispheres, caused by occlusion of the carotid arteries in early stages of pregnancy, associated with multiple possible causal factors. We present two cases with postnatal confirmation and review of the literature.

Chorio-angiopagus twins (fetuses sharing one placenta) may exclusively show asymmetry in the distribution of placental territories with high incidence of marginal insertion and sometimes velamentous placenta as well as twin-twin transfusion (acute or chronic) produced by vessel communications (placental anastomosis). A series of fetal phenotypes may result including twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, selective intrauterine growth restriction, anemia-polycythemia syndrome, and twin reversed arterial perfusion – TRAP- sequence; they may coexist. It is therefore important to study placental angioarchitecture in monochorionic twins in order to understand resulting both outcome and phenotype.

The mirror syndrome is a rare obstetric condition whose classical triad is fetal hydrops, generalized maternal edema and placentomegaly. We present the case of a 25 weeks pregnant woman with diagnosis of fetal hydrops due to severe anemia presenting criteria of severe preeclampsia with fetal death, in the context of mirror syndrome. We review the literature with emphasis on anti-angiogenesis as the pathophysiological origin of the disease.

Significant differences between preeclampsia manifestations before (early-onset) and after 34weeks (late-onset) raise the possibility that these are two different diseases. This hypothesisis strengthened based on genetic, epidemiological and placental differences. However, recentstudies show the possibility of temporal continuity between both clinical phenotypes. In thiscontext antiangiogenic phenomena and their relation with the fetus may be crucial in clarifyingthis unanswered question.Keywords: Early-onset preeclampsia, late-onset preeclampsia, antiangiogenic imbalance

This case reports a rare ultrasonographic  sign of congenital toxoplasmosis, fetal hydrops, as the only manifestation of fetal compromise. Definitive diagnosis was done in the newborn who presented hepatosplenomegaly, chorioretinitis and absence of cerebral calcifications, being both mother and newborn positive for toxoplasmosis serology.

The case of a 30 weeks pregnant woman and her fetus affected by thanatophoric dysplasia (TD) type I, referred to our Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit, Hospital Nacional Daniel Alcides Carrión, Callao, Perú, due to suspicion of skeletal dysplasia is reported. On the ultrasound, characteristic signs of TD and markers related to high risk of lethality were found. Recommendations are suggested for ultrasound evaluation of suspected cases of skeletal dysplasia, as a differentiated approach to diagnosis.

We present four cases of monochorionic twin pregnancies with diagnosis of type III selective intrauterine growth restriction, highlighting the ultrasonographic characteristics (evaluation of the umbilical artery intermittent reverse diastole and the superficial arterio-arterial anastomosis), its evolution during pregnancy and its follow-up during the first month of life.

Placental massive perivillous fibrinoid deposition or maternal floor infarction is a rare entity associated with intrauterine growth restriction, fetal death and poor perinatal outcome. It is characterized by the perivillous deposition of fibrinoid material, without a clear etiology. We present the first documented case in Peru.

Caudal agenesis is a rare pathology, its diagnosis and fetal evaluation are complex. The presence of closed spinal dysraphism at the level of the sacrum should compel us to evaluate the anatomy of the sacrum. The evaluation of the medullary cone is very useful to evaluate and exclude closed spinal dysraphism and caudal agenesis. We report a rare case of caudal agenesis

Gastroschisis is a congenital defect of the abdominal wall that allows externalization of the abdominal contents; prognosis depends on the associated intestinal complications. Prenatal detection of cases with risk of complex gastroschisis is important. Objective: To describe the epidemiological characteristics of newborns with gastroschisis occurring at a national hospital. Design: Case series. Institution: Hospital Nacional Daniel A. Carrion (HNDAC), Lima, Peru. Patients: Newborns with gastroschisis. Methodology: All live newborns with the diagnosis of gastroschisis in a period of 5 years were studied. Cases born in other institutions or with insufficient data were excluded. Main outcome measures: Characteristics of newborns with gastroschisis and their management. Results: 17 cases were reported with an incidence of 9.7/1 000 live newborns and with a perinatal mortality of 14%; 64.3% w...

The “premonitory symptoms” of eclampsia can be interpreted as actual symptoms of cerebral involvement within the posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome, and eclampsia as a severe symptom of the same syndrome. Objective: To review the characteristics of women with eclampsia in a national hospital, with emphasis on the associated neurological manifestations. Design: Case series. Institution: Hospital Nacional Daniel Alcides Carrion (HNDAC), Lima, Peru. Patients: Women with eclampsia. Methodology: Study of all patients with eclampsia over a period of 5 years and 6 months. Eclampsia cases that occurred outside the institution or with insufficient data were excluded. Main outcome measures: General characteristics, associated symptoms, complications and laboratory values in eclamptic patients. Results: Thirty-nine cases were reported. The incidence of eclampsia in pregnant women...

We report a case lymphangioma in a 30-week gestation fetus, in whom ultrasound examination revealed multiple cystic retroperitoneal images with gluteal extension and involvement of the entire left lower limb; no other associated malformations were found. Diagnosis was confirmed at birth.

The Pentalogy of Cantrell is the conjunction of five congenital defects (defects of the heart, pericardium, diaphragm, sternum and anterior abdominal wall) which represents a unique challenge for the obstetrician gynecologist. Although its incidence is small, it is essential to identify it early in the first trimester. A case of Pentalogy of Cantrell is reported, diagnosed in the first prenatal control in the second trimester of pregnancy.

Fetal growth restriction is intimately linked to the placental function due to its failure of adequately nurture and oxygenate the fetus, with consequences in the short and long term. The search for the best definition and best diagnostic biomarkers has currently led to angiogenic factors closely related to the placenta formation and development. Placenta hypoperfusion has been linked to alterations in the levels of angiogenic factors, and it is proposed that these could help to differentiate the fetuses truly affected by chronic hypoxia even before the late adaptive hemodynamic changes are evident by Doppler ultrasound. This could have implications not only in the definition of growth restriction but also in the potential prediction of the event.