Ultrasonic antepartum assessment of a classical Cesarean uterine scar and diagnosis of dehiscence

Abstract

Prior classic incision through the uterine corpus carries the most significant risk of catastrophic uterine rupture and subsequent maternal and fetal morbidity or mortality. A trial of labor is not carried out in this group of patients, but the risk of uterine rupture exists during the antepartum period. An accurate and prospective method for diagnosing the presence of uterine defects or documenting their absence would be clinically useful. Our unusual case emphasizes the obvious need for antepartum sonographic scans of the classic uterine scar, starting from the third trimester to term, using the high-frequency (> 5 MHz) transducer.