Prognosis of very large first-trimester hematomas

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of pregnancies complicated by very large hematomas in the first trimester.

Methods: Between January 2001 and January 2006, 8085 patients between 5 and 14 weeks' gestation underwent routine first-trimester ultrasonographic examinations at our practice. Of these, 30 patients had a "very large" (> 50% of the gestational sac) intrauterine hematoma. These 30 patients were further classified according to pregnancy outcome (normal or adverse), maternal age, vaginal bleeding, crown-rump length, gestational age at diagnosis of the hematoma, and position and location of the hematoma. P < .05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Six patients were excluded (4 were still pregnant, and 2 were lost to follow-up), leaving 24 patients eligible for analysis, of which 11 (46%) had adverse outcomes and 13 (54%) had normal outcomes. The group with adverse outcomes had a significantly lower gestational age at diagnosis than the second group (7 weeks [range, 5.7-8.4 weeks] versus 8.4 weeks [range, 6.2-14 weeks]; P = .0227), but crown-rump length, vaginal bleeding, and position and location of the hematoma were similar.

Conclusions: Very large hematomas were associated with adverse outcome in 46% of the pregnancies. Vaginal bleeding was not associated with a poor prognosis. Neither position nor location of the placental hematoma was related to the outcome; however, when the hematoma was diagnosed at an early gestational age, the outcomes were worse.