We report a case of uterine artery rupture in a woman at 14 weeks' gestation who presented with abdominal pain, tachycardia, and hypotension and underwent a diagnostic laparoscopy. During this procedure, a spontaneous rupture of the left uterine artery was diagnosed and the surgery was converted into a laparotomy. The artery was bound to its origin and to its distal uterine portion. The patient...

Pregnancy is associated with a significant increase in uterine blood flow which contributes to optimal fetal development. Although neuropeptide Y (NPY) is considered to be an important regulator of uterine blood flow, it is not known whether: (i) products from the vascular endothelium modulate NPY action in the uterine artery; (ii) pregnancy changes the responsiveness of the uterine artery to N...

BACKGROUND No therapy is currently available to improve the reduced uteroplacental blood flow (UPBF) that characterizes pre-eclampsia. We hypothesized that sympathectomy induced by epidural local anaesthesia reduces uterine vascular resistance (which is inversely correlated with UPBF) in pre-eclampsia. METHODS Ten pregnant women between 24 and 32 weeks of gestation with pre-eclampsia and uter...

Uterine arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is defined as abnormal and nonfunctional connections between the uterine arteries and veins. Although the patients typically present with vaginal bleeding, some patients may experience life-threatening massive bleeding in some circumstances. The treatment of choice depends on the symptoms, age, desire for future fertility, and localization and size of th...

Dysfunctional uterine bleeding is a common presentation of women in the emergency department. We describe the case of a 33-year-old female who presented with intermittent spotting due to an acquired uterine AVF. The patient underwent a transvaginal pelvic ultrasound as well as a CT angiogram. The patient was treated conservatively and elected to undergo uterine artery embolization in an effort ...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to report on pregnancies and their outcome after uterine artery embolization for uterine fibroids. SUBJECTS AND METHODS From 2001 to 2004, 102 patients (mean age, [+/- SD] 35.7 +/- 6.4 years; range, 20-48 years) with symptomatic uterine fibroids underwent uterine artery embolization with 500- to 710-microm polyvinyl alcohol particles. The mean uterine v...

Bilateral uterine artery embolisation (UAE) was used to treat 11 women with symptomatic uterine fibroids. Uterine volume and dominant fibroid volume were assessed quantitatively by ultrasonography both before and at two and six months post procedure. Both uterine arteries were occluded effectively in all of the women, and the procedure was well tolerated, with hospital stays limited to 24-48 ho...

T he uterus is the most common site to develop smooth muscle tumors. Uterine fibroids (leiomyomas) contain benign smooth muscle and fibrous tissues. Twenty percent to 40% of reproductive age women develop uterine fibroids, with a higher incidence in African Americans. Although the decline in hormonal stimulation causes most fibroids to regress at menopause, 20% become symptomatic before then. U...

Uterine leiomyomas are the most common benign tumors in young females and leading cause of hysterectomy. Uterine artery embolization is a safe option for women who wish to retain their uterus. Several complications have been reported including expulsion and sepsis. MRI is a useful pretreatment tool to predict results and outcomes. We report a case of a 44-year-old female with a history of uteri...