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Laparoscopic Extracorporeal Knot-Tying for Uterine Vessel Occlusion during Hysterectomy with Cervical Cerclage in Large Uteri
Published on: September 12, 2025
[Stillbirth and tight umbilical cord knot: obviously guilty?]
R Guilherme1, C Plot, A-L Delezoide
1Service de biologie du développement, hôpital Robert-Debré, université Denis-Diderot, 48, boulevard Sérurier, 75019 Paris, France. romain.guilherme@rdb.aphp.fr
Journal De Gynecologie, Obstetrique Et Biologie De La Reproduction
|December 17, 2009
Summary
A tight umbilical cord knot caused a stillbirth in a healthy woman at 40 weeks. Fetopathological examination confirmed the knot
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Fetal Pathology
- Perinatal Medicine
Background:
- Umbilical cord knots are rare, often incidental findings during delivery.
- Despite rarity, umbilical cord knots are linked to increased perinatal mortality.
- Intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) necessitates thorough investigation to determine causality.
Observation:
- A term pregnancy resulted in a stillbirth due to a tight umbilical cord knot.
- Fetopathological examination was crucial in assessing the knot's role in the intrauterine fetal death (IUFD).
Findings:
- The fetopathological examination identified the umbilical cord knot as the primary, though not sole, cause of the intrauterine fetal death (IUFD).
- Complete fetopathological examination is essential to establish causality and rule out other fetal or placental factors contributing to IUFD.
Implications:
- Accurate diagnosis through fetopathology can reassure parents regarding the prognosis of future pregnancies.
- Understanding the role of umbilical cord knots in IUFD can inform clinical practice and risk assessment.
- Further research into the mechanisms linking umbilical cord knots to adverse fetal outcomes is warranted.
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