Intraplacental choriocarcinoma is a rare tumour, with approximately 62 reported cases. It may manifest as a spectrum of disease ranging from an incidental lesion diagnosed on routine placental examination to disseminated maternal and/or neonatal disease. In this case series, we presented two rare cases of intraplacental choriocarcinoma with extremely varied clinical presentations. The extremely varied clinical presentations of both patients described in the case series complicated the process of arriving at the diagnosis. In both cases, subsequent investigations showed no maternal or neonatal metastasis, and maternal serum beta-hCG levels downtrended with conservative management. We aim to highlight the importance of performing a detailed physical examination and evaluation of the patient and multidisciplinary management with oncology opinion. A detailed examination of the placenta should also be considered when faced with obstetric complications so that early diagnosis and the required management can be executed in a prompt fashion.
Pregnancy complicated by lung cancer has been rarely reported. The regional incidence of this complex situation is likely to increase in the future and optimal management needs to be established to better deal with this situation. We report two patients with metastatic lung cancer complicating pregnancy to highlight the evaluation and management difficulties associated with this problem and to contribute to the limited information in the literature.
A 40-year-old woman, a grand multipara with uncertain gestation, presented with severe, prolonged diarrhoea. She was previously diagnosed to have melanoma. Examination revealed gross ascites with hepatosplenomegaly and uterus corresponding to 29 weeks gestation. An emergency caesarean section confirmed widespread metastases to the ovaries, mesentery and placenta. A viable male foetus was delivered with features of intrauterine growth restriction. The baby survived, but the mother died a week later. This case highlights the importance of thoroughly assessing placentas and babies of patients with melanoma for metastases.