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Case Reports
. 2010 Feb;115(2 Pt 2):414-417.
doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e3181bd8a61.

Rupture of the posterior cul-de-sac during spontaneous labor

Brett Young  1 , Tamara Takoudes, Kee-Hak Lim, Sarosh Rana
Affiliations
Case Reports

Rupture of the posterior cul-de-sac during spontaneous labor

Brett Young et al. Obstet Gynecol. 2010 Feb.

Abstract

Background: Women with genital anomalies are at increased risk of labor dysfunction. Rupture of the posterior cul-de-sac causing an intraabdominal delivery is a rare complication of labor that may be related to a congenitally atretic vagina.

Case: A nulliparous woman at 28 weeks of gestation with a known short vagina presented with preterm labor; her cervix could not be palpated or visualized. At cesarean delivery, the cervix was intraabdominal and the fetal head was delivered in the abdomen. A large rent in the posterior cul-de-sac required repair to restore correct anatomical positioning. The uterus was intact.

Conclusion: Rupture of the posterior cul-de-sac is a rare event that can cause significant maternal and fetal morbidity.

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