A short cervical length in pregnancy: Management options

American Journal of Perinatology

Volumn 26, Issue 10, 2009, Pages 761-770

  Sinno, Abdulrahman ^a   Usta, Ihab M ^a   Nassar, Anwar H ^a  

^a AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT   (Lebanon)

Author keywords

Cerclage; Management; Progestational agents; Short cervical length

Indexed keywords

ANTIBIOTIC AGENT; FIBRONECTIN; HYDROXYPROGESTERONE CAPROATE; INDOMETACIN; INTERLEUKIN 8; PLACEBO; PROGESTERONE;

CERVICAL LENGTH MEASUREMENT; CLINICAL TRIAL; DRUG MECHANISM; DRUG MEGADOSE; GESTATIONAL AGE; HIGH RISK PREGNANCY; HOSPITALIZATION; HUMAN; IMAGE ANALYSIS; PREMATURITY; PRIORITY JOURNAL; REVIEW; TRANSVAGINAL ECHOGRAPHY; TREATMENT OUTCOME; UTERINE CERVIX CERCLAGE; UTERINE CERVIX DISEASE;

CERCLAGE, CERVICAL; CERVIX UTERI; COHORT STUDIES; COMBINED MODALITY THERAPY; FEMALE; HUMANS; INDOMETHACIN; OBSTETRIC LABOR, PREMATURE; PREGNANCY; PREGNANCY OUTCOME; PREGNANCY, HIGH-RISK; PROGESTERONE; RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS AS TOPIC; RETROSPECTIVE STUDIES;

EID: 70449382672     PISSN: 07351631     EISSN: 10988785     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1239495     Document Type: Review

References (73)

1. Martin J A., Hamilton B E., Sutton P D. et al, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics National Vital Statistics System. Births: final data for 2005. Natl Vital Stat Rep 2007 56 1-103
2. Odibo A O., Berghella V, To M S., Rust O A., Althuisius S M., Nicolaides K H. Shirodkar versus McDonald cerclage for the prevention of preterm birth in women with short cervical length. Am J Perinatol 2007 24 55-60
3. Iams J D., Casal D, McGregor J A. et al. Fetal fibronectin improves the accuracy of diagnosis of preterm labor. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1995 173 141-145
4. Iams J D., Goldenberg R L., Meis P J. et al, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit Network. The length of the cervix and the risk of spontaneous premature delivery. N Engl J Med 1996 334 567-572
5. Iams J D., Johnson F F., Sonek J, Sachs L, Gebauer C, Samuels P. Cervical competence as a continuum: a study of ultrasonographic cervical length and obstetric performance. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1995 172 (4 Pt 1) 1097-1103 discussion 1104-1106
6. Owen J, Yost N, Berghella V et al, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network. Mid-trimester endovaginal sonography in women at high risk for spontaneous preterm birth. JAMA 2001 286 1340-1348
7. Berghella V, Pereira L, Gariepy A, Simonazzi G. Prior cone biopsy: prediction of preterm birth by cervical ultrasound. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2004 191 1393-1397
8. Visintine J, Berghella V, Henning D, Baxter J. Cervical length for prediction of preterm birth in women with multiple prior induced abortions. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2008 31 198-200
9. Airoldi J, Berghella V, Sehdev H, Ludmir J. Transvaginal ultrasonography of the cervix to predict preterm birth in women with uterine anomalies. Obstet Gynecol 2005 106 553-556
10. Goldenberg R L., Iams J D., Miodovnik M et al, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network. The preterm prediction study: risk factors in twin gestations. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1996 175 (4 Pt 1) 1047-1053 (Pubitemid 26357981)
11. Guzman E R., Walters C, O'reilly-Green C et al. Use of cervical ultrasonography in prediction of spontaneous preterm birth in twin gestations. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000 183 1103-1107 (Pubitemid 30943782)
12. Guzman E R., Walters C, O'reilly-Green C et al. Use of cervical ultrasonography in prediction of spontaneous preterm birth in triplet gestations. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000 183 1108-1113 (Pubitemid 30943783)
13. Vendittelli F, Mamelle N, Munoz F, Janky E. Transvaginal ultrasonography of the uterine cervix in hospitalized women with preterm labor. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 2001 72 117-125
14. Clement S, Candy B, Heath V, To M, Nicolaides K H. Transvaginal ultrasound in pregnancy: its acceptability to women and maternal psychological morbidity. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2003 22 508-514
15. Dutta R L., Economides D L. Patient acceptance of transvaginal sonography in the early pregnancy unit setting. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2003 22 503-507
16. Berghella V, Tolosa J E., Kuhlman K, Weiner S, Bolognese R J., Wapner R J. Cervical ultrasonography compared with manual examination as a predictor of preterm delivery. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1997 177 723-730 (Pubitemid 27516032)
17. Fonseca E B., Celik E, Parra M, Singh M, Nicolaides K H., Fetal Medicine Foundation Second Trimester Screening Group. Progesterone and the risk of preterm birth among women with a short cervix. N Engl J Med 2007 357 462-469
18. Berghella V, Bega G, Tolosa J E., Berghella M. Ultrasound assessment of the cervix. Clin Obstet Gynecol 2003 46 947-962
19. Berghella V. Novel developments on cervical length screening and progesterone for preventing preterm birth. BJOG 2009 116 182-187
20. Grimes-Dennis J, Berghella V. Cervical length and prediction of preterm delivery. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol 2007 19 191-195
21. Gyamfi C, Lerner V, Holzman I, Stone J L. Routine cervical length in twins and perinatal outcomes. Am J Perinatol 2007 24 65-69
22. Guzman E R., Ananth C V. Cervical length and spontaneous prematurity: laying the foundation for future interventional randomized trials for the short cervix. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2001 18 195-199
23. Hassan S S., Romero R, Berry S M. et al. Patients with an ultrasonographic cervical length
24. Hibbard J U., Snow J, Moawad A H. Short cervical length by ultrasound and cerclage. J Perinatol 2000 20 161-165
25. Rust O A., Atlas R O., Kimmel S, Roberts W E., Hess L W. Does the presence of a funnel increase the risk of adverse perinatal outcome in a patient with a short cervix? Am J Obstet Gynecol 2005 192 1060-1066
26. Berghella V, Owen J, MacPherson C et al, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network (MFMU). Natural history of cervical funneling in women at high risk for spontaneous preterm birth. Obstet Gynecol 2007 109 863-869
27. Fox N S., Jean-Pierre C, Predanic M, Chasen S T. Does hospitalization prevent preterm delivery in the patient with a short cervix? Am J Perinatol 2007 24 49-53
28. Astle S, Slater D M., Thornton S. The involvement of progesterone in the onset of human labour. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2003 108 177-181
29. Grazzini E, Guillon G, Mouillac B, Zingg H H. Inhibition of oxytocin receptor function by direct binding of progesterone. Nature 1998 392 509-512
30. Garfield R E., Kannan M S., Daniel E E. Gap junction formation in myometrium: control by estrogens, progesterone, and prostaglandins. Am J Physiol 1980 238 C81-C89
31. Facchinetti F, Dante G, Venturini P, Paganelli S, Volpe A. 17alpha-hydroxy-progesterone effects on cervical proinflammatory agents in women at risk for preterm delivery. Am J Perinatol 2008 25 503-506
32. Brancazio L R., Murtha A P., Heine R P. Prevention of recurrent preterm delivery by 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate. N Engl J Med 2003 349 1087-1088 author reply 1087-1088
33. Dodd J M., Flenady V, Cincotta R, Crowther C A. Prenatal administration of progesterone for preventing preterm birth. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2006 1 CD004947
34. How H Y., Barton J R., Istwan N B., Rhea D J., Stanziano G J. Prophylaxis with 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate for prevention of recurrent preterm delivery: does gestational age at initiation of treatment matter? Am J Obstet Gynecol 2007 197 260.e1-260.e14
35. Meis P J., Klebanoff M, Thom E et al, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network. Prevention of recurrent preterm delivery by 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate. N Engl J Med 2003 348 2379-2385
36. DeFranco E A., O'Brien J M., Adair C D. et al. Vaginal progesterone is associated with a decrease in risk for early preterm birth and improved neonatal outcome in women with a short cervix: a secondary analysis from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2007 30 697-705
37. Harger J H. Cervical cerclage: patient selection, morbidity, and success rates. Clin Perinatol 1983 10 321-341
38. Jorgensen A L., Alfirevic Z, Tudur Smith C, Williamson P R., cerclage IPD Meta-analysis Group. Cervical stitch (cerclage) for preventing pregnancy loss: individual patient data meta-analysis. BJOG 2007 114 1460-1476
39. Rust O A., Atlas R O., Reed J, van Gaalen J, Balducci J. Revisiting the short cervix detected by transvaginal ultrasound in the second trimester: why cerclage therapy may not help. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001 185 1098-1105
40. Althuisius S M., Dekker G A., Hummel P, Bekedam D J., van Geijn H P. Final results of the Cervical Incompetence Prevention Randomized Cerclage Trial (CIPRACT): therapeutic cerclage with bed rest versus bed rest alone. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001 185 1106-1112
41. To M S., Alfirevic Z, Heath V C. et al, Fetal Medicine Foundation Second Trimester Screening Group. Cervical cerclage for prevention of preterm delivery in women with short cervix: randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2004 363 1849-1853 (Pubitemid 38748638)
42. Berghella V, Odibo A O., Tolosa J E. Cerclage for prevention of preterm birth in women with a short cervix found on transvaginal ultrasound examination: a randomized trial. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2004 191 1311-1317
43. Berghella V, Odibo A O., To M S., Rust O A., Althuisius S M. Cerclage for short cervix on ultrasonography: meta-analysis of trials using individual patient-level data. Obstet Gynecol 2005 106 181-189
44. Incerti M, Ghidini A, Locatelli A, Poggi S H., Pezzullo J C. Cervical length
45. Owen J. Vaginal Ultrasound Trial Consortium. Multicenter randomized trial of cerclage for preterm birth prevention in high-risk women with shortened mid-trimester cervical length. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2008 199 (suppl A) S3
46. Shennan A, Jones B. The cervix and prematurity: aetiology, prediction and prevention. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med 2004 9 471-479
47. Guzman E R., Forster J K., Vintzileos A M., Ananth C V., Walters C, Gipson K. Pregnancy outcomes in women treated with elective versus ultrasound-indicated cervical cerclage. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 1998 12 323-327
48. Althuisius S M., Dekker G A., van Geijn H P., Bekedam D J., Hummel P. Cervical incompetence prevention randomized cerclage trial (CIPRACT): study design and preliminary results. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000 183 823-829
49. To M S., Palaniappan V, Skentou C, Gibb D, Nicolaides K H. Elective cerclage vs. ultrasound-indicated cerclage in high-risk pregnancies. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2002 19 475-477
50. Berghella V, Haas S, Chervoneva I, Hyslop T. Patients with prior second-trimester loss: prophylactic cerclage or serial transvaginal sonograms? Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002 187 747-751
51. Higgins S P., Kornman L H., Bell R J., Brennecke S P. Cervical surveillance as an alternative to elective cervical cerclage for pregnancy management of suspected cervical incompetence. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol 2004 44 228-232
52. Groom K M., Bennett P R., Golara M, Thalon A, Shennan A H. Elective cervical cerclage versus serial ultrasound surveillance of cervical length in a population at high risk for preterm delivery. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2004 112 158-161
53. Simcox R, Seed P T., Bennett P, Teoh T G., Poston L, Shennan A H. A randomized controlled trial of cervical scanning vs history to determine cerclage in women at high risk of preterm birth (CIRCLE trial). Am J Obstet Gynecol 2009 200 623.e1-6
54. Martinez C A., Turrentine M A., Ramirez M M. Diagnosis of short cervix in a community hospital prior to placement of a therapeutic cerclage. Am J Perinatol 2007 24 457-460
55. Baxter J K., Airoldi J, Berghella V. Short cervical length after history-indicated cerclage: is a reinforcing cerclage beneficial? Am J Obstet Gynecol 2005 193 (3 Pt 2) 1204-1207
56. Hedriana H L., Lanouette J M., Haesslein H C., McLean L K. Is there value for serial ultrasonographic assessment of cervical lengths after a cerclage? Am J Obstet Gynecol 2008 198 705.e1-6
57. Scheib S, Visintine J F., Miroshnichenko G, Harvey C, Rychlak K, Berghella V. Is cerclage height associated with the incidence of preterm birth in women with an ultrasound-indicated cerclage? Am J Obstet Gynecol 2009 200 e12-5
58. Keeler S M., Kiefer D, Rochon M, Quinones J N., Novetsky A P., Rust O. A randomized trial of cerclage vs. 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate for treatment of short cervix. J Perinat Med 2009 In press
59. Berghella V, Iams J D., Newman R B. et al, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Network of Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units. Frequency of uterine contractions in asymptomatic pregnant women with or without a short cervix on transvaginal ultrasound scan. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2004 191 1253-1256
60. Lewis D, Pelham J J., Done E, Sawhney H, Talucci M, Berghella V. Uterine contractions in asymptomatic pregnant women with a short cervix on ultrasound. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2005 18 325-328
61. Berghella V, Rust O A., Althuisius S M. Short cervix on ultrasound: does indomethacin prevent preterm birth? Am J Obstet Gynecol 2006 195 809-813
62. Berghella V, Prasertcharoensuk W, Cotter A et al. Does indomethacin prevent preterm birth in women with cervical dilatation in the second trimester? Am J Perinatol 2009 26 13-19
63. Hassan S, Romero R, Hendler I et al. A sonographic short cervix as the only clinical manifestation of intra-amniotic infection. J Perinat Med 2006 34 13-19
64. Berghella V, Rust O, Althuisius S, To M. Short cervix on ultrasound: do antibiotics prevent preterm birth? Am J Obstet Gynecol 2005 193 S48
65. Ness A, Visintine J, Ricci E, Berghella V. Does knowledge of cervical length and fetal fibronectin affect management of women with threatened preterm labor? A randomized trial. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2007 197 426.e1-7
66. Tsoi E, Akmal S, Rane S, Otigbah C, Nicolaides K H. Ultrasound assessment of cervical length in threatened preterm labor. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2003 21 552-555
67. Alfirevic Z, Allen-Coward H, Molina F, Vinuesa C P., Nicolaides K. Targeted therapy for threatened preterm labor based on sonographic measurement of the cervical length: a randomized controlled trial. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2007 29 47-50
68. Goldenberg R L., Klebanoff M, Carey J C. et al. Vaginal fetal fibronectin measurements from 8 to 22 weeks' gestation and subsequent spontaneous preterm birth. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000 183 469-475
69. Keeler S M., Roman A S., Coletta J M., Kiefer D G., Feuerman M, Rust O A. Fetal fibronectin testing in patients with short cervix in the midtrimester: can it identify optimal candidates for ultrasound-indicated cerclage? Am J Obstet Gynecol 2009 200 158.e1-6
70. Keelan J A., Yang J, Romero R J. et al. Epithelial cell-derived neutrophil-activating peptide-78 is present in fetal membranes and amniotic fluid at increased concentrations with intra-amniotic infection and preterm delivery. Biol Reprod 2004 70 253-259
71. Kiefer D G., Keeler S M., Rust O A., Wayock C P., Vintzileos A M., Hanna N. Is midtrimester short cervix a sign of intraamniotic inflammation? Am J Obstet Gynecol 2009 200 374.e1-5
72. Sakai M, Shiozaki A, Tabata M et al. Evaluation of effectiveness of prophylactic cerclage of a short cervix according to interleukin-8 in cervical mucus. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2006 194 14-19
73. Sakai M, Sasaki Y, Yoneda S et al. Elevated interleukin-8 in cervical mucus as an indicator for treatment to prevent premature birth and preterm, pre-labor rupture of membranes: a prospective study. Am J Reprod Immunol 2004 51 220-225