Placenta Accreta Spectrum Disorders: Challenges, Risks, and Management Strategies

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Reproductive Health

Background:

• Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) incidence is increasing globally, linked to rising cesarean delivery rates.
• PAS is a complex condition associated with high maternal morbidity and mortality.
• Challenges in understanding PAS stem from its rarity, lack of high-quality evidence, and non-standardized diagnostic reporting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review current evidence on screening, diagnosis, and management of PAS.
• To identify and discuss challenges in understanding and managing PAS disorders.
• To provide insights into future directions for PAS research and clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of existing studies on PAS.
• Critical analysis of data on ultrasound, clinical, and pathological diagnostic approaches.
• Evaluation of current management strategies and epidemiological data.

Main Results:

• The review highlights significant heterogeneity in epidemiological data, complicating management strategy evaluation.
• Lack of standardized reporting for PAS diagnosis hinders a deep understanding of the condition.
• Current evidence on screening, diagnosis, and management is limited and requires further high-quality research.

Conclusions:

• PAS presents substantial diagnostic and management challenges due to its increasing incidence and heterogeneity.
• A standardized approach to PAS reporting and diagnosis is crucial for advancing clinical understanding.
• Future research should focus on generating high-quality evidence to improve screening, diagnosis, and management outcomes for PAS.