Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on August 6, 2004
Human Reproduction 2004 19(10):2401-2403; doi:10.1093/humrep/deh421
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Placenta percreta causing rupture of an unscarred uterus at the end of the first trimester of pregnancy: Case report
1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and 2 Department of Pathology, Lindendreef 1, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
3 To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: jan.gerris{at}zna.be
Reports on placenta percreta in early pregnancy leading to a spontaneous rupture of the uterus are rare. We report a case of this potentially life-threatening complication in the 14th week of pregnancy in an otherwise healthy woman who underwent a manual extraction of the placenta during a previous delivery but who had no history of severe pathology that could have potentially resulted in uterine damage. The occurrence of severe abdominal pain and the presence of a large quantity of free fluid in the abdomen necessitated an emergency laparotomy, revealing a haemoperitoneum due to rupture of the uterus, which was followed by a hysterectomy. This case demonstrates that in patients with a history of placenta accreta and subsequent manual extraction of the placenta, a close investigation of the uterine wall and placentation should be performed in the first trimester in order to anticipate a placenta percreta.
Key words: hysterectomy/placenta percreta/spontaneous uterus rupture