Non-Laboring Uterine Rupture of an Unscared Uterus before Term Discover during Obstetric Ultrasound

Abstract

Uterine rupture is defined as the occurrence of communication between the abdominal and uterine cavity and may be complete or incomplete depending on the degree of involvement of the different layers of the uterus and surrounding organs. It is a rare complication whose consequences often involve the maternal and fetal prognosis. The majority of uterine rupture occurs on the scarred uterus, its incidence in France is estimated according to the series between 1/1000 and 1/2000 births, it represents 30% of causes of maternal death in the developing countries. The authors report here a case of uterine rupture outside of labor at 33 weeks of age in 32 years old woman, gravida 9 para 8, with no history of uterine surgery discovered during obstetric ultrasound for abdominal pain. During the interrogation, she was alarge multipara and had a child of 15 months. The abdominal ultrasound showed a right lateral corporeal rupture with hemoperitoneum of medium sized and a dead fetus. The emergency laparotomy revealed a right lateral uterine wound approximately 15 cm long with intra-abdominal placenta and a haemoperitoneum of medium sized of about 600 cc and a bladder lesion. After opening the amniotic sac, there was extraction of a dead fetus. The uterine and bladder lesions were repaired followed by bilateral tubal ligation. The patient received 500 cc of whole blood during and 500 cc after the procedure. The postoperative follow-up was simple. This case contributes to the knowledge of this rare and atypical event, and emphasizes the importance of maintaining a suspicion.