Empty fetal egg. Symptoms and hCG, causes of anembryonia

Symptoms of anembryonic or "empty" pregnancy do not appear vividly. They are accompany the development of pregnancy, in which there is no embryo in the ovum, and it is empty. Such deviations occur in 15% of cases with a "frozen" pregnancy.

In this case, the amniotic egg develops according to the norms within 2 weeks with the release of a large amount of hormones. By the end of 2 weeks, in the absence of a fetus, the egg stops developing and a miscarriage occurs or the woman's uterus needs to be cleaned through a medical operation. Often a woman does not manifest this condition and is shown only by a blood test, therefore such a pregnancy is called biochemical.

Views

An empty ovum, the symptoms of which at the initial stages of development do not manifest themselves in any way, due to the difficulty of diagnosis, can only be detected with the help of a comprehensive examination. Depending on the type of pregnancy, the following types of anembryonia are distinguished:

1 view	With type 1 of the development of the disease, ultrasound visualizes the average size of the ovum (up to 2.5 cm), in which the embryo is not visible. The uterus in this state is enlarged to the norm of 6-7 weeks, which does not correspond to its development in relation to the last period of menstruation. With subsequent ultrasound passes, the ovum does not increase, and the embryo is also absent.
2 view	2 type of anembryony is observed in cases when the egg in the uterus continues to gradually increase in size in the absence of an embryo in it. In rare cases, small growths appear at the site of the embryo. The development of such a pregnancy lasts up to 11 weeks, and the size of the amniotic egg reaches 4.5 cm.

With multiple pregnancies or after IVF, patients may experience the absence of an embryo and a violation of its development in individual amniotic eggs. In this case, amniotic eggs with embryos are present, which develop normally. This resorption that is present is considered normal.

Symptoms and Signs

An empty ovum, the symptoms of which do not appear until 2 months of pregnancy, is a pathology for the development of pregnancy. Such a change is rare in the presence of appropriate predispositions in a woman and has almost no symptoms.

In some cases, in the presence of anembryonia in a woman, it is observed:

• a sharp change in well-being. Nausea, weakness and dizziness, drowsiness disappear;
• pain and swelling in the mammary gland, which becomes soft, decreases and completely disappears;
• home pregnancy test shows the result in less contrast, in the form of translucent stripes;
• a blood test shows a sharp decrease in hCG indicators;
• bloody vaginal discharge appears, including in the form of clots;
• the woman regains a healthy appetite.

  

If the improvement in well-being increases, and the signs of pregnancy have completely stopped, then the woman should immediately consult a doctor and undergo an examination.

Causes

An empty ovum, the symptoms of which, with the correct development of pregnancy, may be completely absent, can appear in any woman. There are no exact reasons for the development of such a pathology. The factors of predisposition include diseases of the mother or factors of the influence of the work of individual organs and systems of the body.

Most often, the main reasons for the manifestation of anembryony include:

Chromosomal changes and genetic predisposition

In the early stages of fetal formation, the main reason for the absence of an embryo is hereditary predisposition or chromosomal abnormalities. When cells divide after fertilization, the process is activated incorrectly and the development of the fetus does not occur. The cells in the woman's body recognize the embryo as non-viable and stop its formation.

Age

The older the woman, the greater the risk of disrupting the process of fetal formation in the early stages of pregnancy. Women over 30 yrs. more often suffer from the development of a "frozen" pregnancy or abnormal development of the fetus during pregnancy due to accumulated chronic diseases, general health and deterioration of the body.

Pathologies of endometrial development

Regenerative plastic insufficiency of the development of the endometrium, endometriosis or chronic endometritis can provoke abnormalities in the development of pregnancy, up to the appearance of anembryonia. Chronic changes in the surface layer of the uterus affect a decrease in the level of hemoglobin in the tissues and the appearance of microthrombi, which cause insufficient nutrition of fetal cells in the early stages pregnancy.

Blood clotting disorders

Thrombophilia or a violation of the blood clotting process causes the formation of small blood clots in the intervillous substance of the uterus. As a result, the egg does not receive sufficient nutrition after fertilization and the fetus inside it dies or does not form.

Tight fetal attachment

Deep planting and attachment of the fetus cause it to "grow" into the amniotic fluid and die during formation. As a result of this pregnancy, the amniotic fluid is empty.

Immune rejection

With reduced immunity of the fetus or increased rejection of foreign cells by the mother's body, which is often occurs with different Rh factors of the blood, active immune reactions begin in the body of a pregnant woman rejection. Such changes can cause the loss of the embryo or the cessation of its development in the early stages of formation.

Anatomical changes

Any deviations in the development of the uterus affect the pregnancy process. Malformations of the uterus (two-horned or underdeveloped uterus), as well as developed changes in the endometrium after polyps, fibroids, synechia affect the quality of the surface layer of the uterus, as well as the level of hormones that play a major role in the formation process fetus.

Chronic inflammation of the uterus

In chronic inflammation of the uterus, the contractile process in the tissues is disturbed, the system of formation of the papillary layer changes. All this leads to complications of biochemical metabolism in the uterus and disruptions in the development of pregnancy, which primarily affect the formation of the embryo.

Genitourinary infections

Frequent and prolonged genitourinary infections affect the microflora of the uterine mucosa and the state of the surface layer, forming its changes. Such violations affect the malnutrition of the forming fetus, the development of which may stop at the initial stages.

Lack of folic acid

Folate is directly involved in cell division. With a lack of folic acid, the divergence of chromosomes goes wrong and the formation of the fetus does not occur.

Irradiation

Any radiation exposure during pregnancy is detrimental to the unborn baby. The cells of the embryo die under the influence of radioactive substances, and the development of pregnancy stops.

Medications

Some types of drugs (antibiotics, some hormonal substances and cytostatics) slow down or completely stop the development of the embryo during pregnancy.

Hormonal imbalance

Disruption of the endocrine system affects a woman's reproductive abilities. With hormonal imbalance, the likelihood of the correct development of the embryo is sharply reduced.

Autoimmune diseases

In the presence of lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, there is a change in blood microcirculation, metabolic processes in the uterus are disrupted.

Bad habits

In preparation for pregnancy and during the gestation period of the expectant mother, it is important to adhere to a diet and give up bad habits. After the abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and the use of drugs in the early stages of pregnancy, mutations of the embryo can occur, up to the complete death of the fetus.

With anembryonia in a woman's body, in the absence of a fetus, the release of hormones that preserve pregnancy continues for several weeks, so there is no miscarriage. The formation of pregnancy is accompanied by the absence of a cellular component in the form of an embryo, which can only be established after passing the examination.

Diagnostics

Symptoms of the manifestation of an empty ovum during pregnancy are individual in nature. In some cases, a woman may not have any changes in well-being, and a violation of the pregnancy process is detected only when passing diagnostics.

Diagnosis for anembryonic disease includes:

Examination by a gynecologist

If you suspect an "empty" pregnancy, a woman must undergo an examination by a gynecologist, who establishes the closure of the uterus, its enlargement and change, the presence of complaints and discharge. The gynecologist checks the level of pressure, weight, takes an analysis for the general microflora and prescribes a blood test for pregnancy. It is better to undergo such an examination in an antenatal clinic or a private medical clinic. Its cost is from 700 rubles.

HCG blood test

A blood test for hCG shows the level of chorionic gonadotropin production, which should correspond to the gestational age. The presence of anembryonia can be established by comparing the indicators of this analysis. In the absence of an embryo after 2 weeks of pregnancy, the level of trophoblastic glycoprotein drops sharply by 8-17 times, which indicates cell death.

Alpha-fetoprotein increases up to 1.5 times, and the level of progesterone remains at the same level. You can take the analysis in a antenatal clinic or a medical laboratory, and its price starts from 600 rubles.

Ultrasound

Ultrasound examination is the main method for diagnosing anembryonia. If there is such a violation after 5 weeks and if the size of the ovum is more than 25 mm, ultrasound shows the absence of the embryo and the yolk sac in it.

In this case, the size of the egg can correspond to the gestational age. Ultrasound, if anembryonic disease is suspected, is performed again closer to 8-9 weeks before an accurate diagnosis is made, and then at 12 weeks to confirm the absence of a heartbeat. Ultrasound examinations take place in special diagnostic rooms. Research price is from 800 rubles.

Treatment methods

An empty ovum, the symptoms of which are often manifested by bleeding, occurs when the fetus is not formed. With such a deviation, it is important to diagnose the absence of an embryo in a timely manner and take measures to treat the mother.

The initial action in identifying the absence of an embryo in the amniotic egg is examination, and then interruption of the pregnancy and cleaning the uterus from excess tissue. Termination of pregnancy is carried out by different methods:

Medical termination of pregnancy

Interruption is done with medication for up to 12 weeks by taking oral medications. This method is considered the most gentle, but does not always give positive results.

Mifepristone and misoprostol

The drug mifepristone is taken first, and then the woman is given misoprostol. A day after taking the drugs, bleeding with clots consistently occurs, which completely cleans the surface of the uterus and interrupts the course of pregnancy.

The dose of drugs is calculated individually, but usually 1 tab is taken. drugs. After 10 days. a woman should be examined by a gynecologist to identify a health condition. 2-3 weeks after termination of pregnancy, it is recommended to undergo ultrasound control to exclude the development of possible complications.

Surgical intervention

Abortion surgery can be done by vacuum aspiration or brushing.

Vacuum aspiration

With vacuum aspiration, the fetus with all tissues is removed by pulling through a vacuum. The tissues are minimally damaged during this procedure, therefore, the woman does not need to take antibiotics after the procedure. The epithelium of the uterus is not disturbed during such a procedure, and women's health is restored faster. However, this method is carried out in the early stages of pregnancy (up to 12 weeks).

Scraping

With the ineffectiveness of drug exposure, as well as at later stages of pregnancy, drugs may not have a significant effect. In these cases, as well as in case of incomplete cleaning of the walls of the uterus from excess tissue, the woman is recommended to be hospitalized with the obligatory cleaning of the uterus under general anesthesia.

For cleaning, the scraping method is used, in which everything is completely cleaned from the walls of the uterus. excess tissue, and the woman is prescribed restorative therapy with hormonal agents and antibiotics. After cleaning, a woman may bleed for 2-3 days.

Medications

In addition, for recovery, a woman is assigned:

Vikasol

Vikasol actively promotes increased blood clotting and quickly stops bleeding. The drug is taken 1 tab. 2 times a day for 5-7 days.

Dicinon

Dicinone increases blood binding and stops bleeding from the uterus. The medicine is prescribed to receive 1 tab. 3 times a day for 7 days.

Oxytocin

The drug oxytocin helps to shrink the uterus, stimulating the muscles, increasing its tone and contractile function. The drug is administered in 1 amp. 2 times a day in the morning and in the evening for 3-5 days.

The longer the term of the terminated pregnancy, the longer is the recovery therapy. The menstrual cycle after pregnancy returns to normal gradually, on average after 6 months. In some cases, long-term hormonal therapy with oral contraceptives is required to restore the menstrual cycle.

Possible consequences and complications

An empty fertilized egg is detected only in the process of a routine examination and the next screening in a woman. Often a woman is not even aware of any irregularities in the process of embryo formation and does not notice changes in well-being. In rare cases, with anembryonic disease, the uterus can clear itself and the woman will have regular periods.

But in most cases, a spontaneous miscarriage is not produced due to the increased release of the hormone progesterone. However, in the future, in the absence of an embryo in the amniotic fluid, pregnancy is disrupted. In this case, termination of pregnancy allows you to stop the development process and quickly restore women's health.

If these symptoms are ignored and measures are not taken to terminate the pregnancy, the tissues of the ovum lose nutrition and begin to decompose, causing inflammation around.

In this case, a woman may experience complications in the form of:

• excessive bleeding, which can lead to serious blood loss;
• inflammation of the tissues of the uterus;
• acute endometritis;
• increased body temperature;
• purulent vaginal discharge;
• peritonitis;
• infection and removal of the uterus;
• infertility or problems with conception.

An empty fertilized egg can be a consequence of the manifestation of various reasons. In the early stages of development, anembryonia does not show any symptoms, but after 12 weeks of pregnancy it can provoke a number of complications. Modern abortion procedures allow a woman to choose the method of abortion that is optimal for her health. pregnancy, and drug treatment to quickly restore women's health and reproductive function within a short time.

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