Ultrasound diagnosis

This edition of our journal emphasizes maternal and fetal aspects, beginning with the first paper that brings to the fore challenges and insights in managing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) during pregnancy. Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic autoimmune disease predominantly affecting women during their reproductive years which presents unique challenges during pregnancy. The paper presents a retrospective study conducted at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of the University Emerge­ncy Hospital Bucharest, between 2021 and 2023, analyzing three cases of SLE in pregnancy to elucidate maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Moving on, the next paper describes the case of a patient diagnosed with a large submucous leiomyoma who under­went cae­sarean myomectomy, with an ex­cellent postoperative outcome, also reviewing the most recent data published in li­te­ra­ture regarding the advantages and down­sides of performing this surgical in­tervention.

Umbilical cord cysts are rare anoma­lies, being associated in the first trimester most often with chromosomal defects or structural anomalies, while in the second and third trimesters, they are associated with urachal abnormalities. The following paper presents the case of a pregnant patient diagnosed in the second trimester with umbilical cord cyst localized at the placental site of the umbilical cord, with a low-risk noninvasive prenatal test performed in the first trimester, with no other structural anomalies, who delivered a healthy baby at term.

As this edition of our journal is focusing on ultrasound diagnosis, another article presents the sonographic determination of fetal sex during the late first trimester, early second trimester and late second trimester, utilizing both transvaginal and transabdominal ultrasound techniques.

The gynecology section presents the case of a 34-year-old woman with a history of previous caesarean section and elective abortion, presenting with 8 weeks of amenorrhea and diagnosed one week prior with cervical ectopic pregnancy.

The aim of the next paper is to empha­size fibrocystic dystrophy, one of the most frequent and common non-neoplastic pathologies whose symptomatology is represented by the appearance of painful nodules in the breast. This article presents a study in which 50 women, aged between 30 and 50 years old, were included, for a period of three years, all of them being diagnosed by ultrasound with fibrocystic mastopathy and all presenting vitamin D deficiency at the time of the examination, showing that the level of vitamin D below 20 ng/mL is associated with an increased risk of breast, colon and prostate cancer.

The interdisciplinary section focuses on a rare case of synchronous endometrial and ovarian carcinomas (SEOC), prompting challenges in the diagnosis and management, due to their heterogeneity in histological subtypes and molecular profiles.

Last but not least, we are glad to invite you to be part of the 2^nd National Congress of the Romanian Society of Fetal and Neonatal Medicine which will take place between the 25^th and the 27^th of April 2024 in Cluj-Napoca.

Whatever your traditions and how­ever you are celebrating, we wish you all Happy Holidays and all the best in the year to come!