Abstract
Introduction: Preterm delivery is defined as a delivery prior to a gestational age of 37 weeks. Two common risk factors are cervical insufficiency and multiple pregnancy. Preterm delivery is the main cause of neonatal death. Current treatment options are both pharmacological and mechanical. Mechanical options include the cervical cerclage and the pessary. The objective of this study is to elucidate the mechanism of action of the pessary.Materials and methods: Pregnant women with short cervical length in the context of preterm delivery were included in our study. We analyzed fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and collected additional patient characteristics. Measurements of the the uterocervical angle were done on the MRI’s by using PACS software. The placed pessaries were from Arabin®.
Results: We analyzed 46 images in the control group and 22 images in the pessary group. Our data could not show that more acute UCAs are associated with lower risk of preterm delivery. This is rooted in our data being statistically non-significant.
Conclusion: This study could not conclude the impact of the UCA on the gestational age at delivery. Further research is necessary to elucidate the mechanism of action of the pessary.
| Date of Award | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |