We report a case of live cervical ectopic pregnancy (CEP) at 6 weeks gestation. A 36-year-old nulliparous who presented with mild vaginal bleeding. She was haemodynamically stable with a serum B-hCG of 10713. A transvaginal ultrasound scan showed an empty uterus and lives cervical ectopic pregnancy with a fetal pole measuring 7.1 mm and yolk sac with negative sliding sign. She was counselled on options of management and had hysteroscopy and surgical evacuation under ultrasound guidance with no complications and post-operative methotrexate injection. She had a significant drop in her serial B-hCG and urine pregnancy test 3 weeks after surgery was negative.
Introduction: Primary hyperparathyroidism in pregnancy is rare, with a reported incidence of 1%. The physiological changes of pregnancy can mask its diagnosis. Primary hyperparathyroidism is characterized by the overproduction of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and results in hypercalcemia and a raised or inappropriately normal PTH.
Maternal and fetal/neonatal complications are estimated to occur in 67 and 80% of untreated cases respectively. Maternal complications include nephrolithiasis, pancreatitis, hyperemesis gravidarum, pre-eclampsia and hypercalcemic crises. Fetal complications include intrauterine growth restriction; preterm delivery and an increased risk of miscarriage.
Case reports
Case 1: An 18-year old woman presented in her first pregnancy with a known history of MEN type 1. She was diagnosed at the age of 17 following an appendectomy. She has a strong family history and subsequent genetic test confirmed the diagnosis of MEN1. Pre-pregnancy parathyroid sestamibi scan showed bilateral parathyroid adenoma. MRI pituitary was in keeping with a pituitary microadenoma. She had a corrected calcium ranged between 2.7-3.3mmol/L and an inappropriately raised PTH of 24.1pg/ml. She underwent elective parathyroidectomy at 15 week gestation. Post operatively she remained normocalcaemic. She subsequently developed gestational diabetes and was induced at 34 + 3 weeks due to multiple episodes of hypoglycaemia, reduced fetal movement and suspected placental insufficiency. She had a good fetal outcome.
Case 2: A 29-year-old woman in her first pregnancy presented with recurrent episodes of renal colic and imaging confirmed significant bilateral renal calculi. A diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism was made with adjusted calcium of 2.94 mmol/L (2.20-2.60) and inappropriately unsuppressed parathyroid hormone of 20.1pg/ml (1.6-6.9), along with ultrasound parathyroid. She was managed with fluid rehydration initially and parathyroidectomy was performed at 12 weeks due to persistently elevated serum calcium. Her genetic screening for MEN (multiple endocrine Neoplasia) was negative. Fetal growth was closely monitored and the rest of her pregnancy was uncomplicated. She had an assisted vaginal delivery at term with good fetal outcome.
Learning Points: 1. The physiological changes of pregnancy can mask its diagnosis; hence a high index of suspicion is needed to diagnose primary hyperparathyroidism in pregnancy.2. Management with rehydration forms the cornerstone in mild cases and Parathyroidectomy is the definitive treatment and recommended in second trimester.
3. Ultrasound is the only recommended imaging modality in pregnancy.4. Primary hyperparathyroidism can be genetically determined in 10% of cases. Genetic testing enables patients to be screened for the development of other syndrome-related diseases e.g. neuroendocrine tumours in MEN1.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.