Predictors of Postpartal Retained Products of Conception

BACKGROUND: Retention of products of conception (RPOC) following delivery is rare. Clinicians often have the impression that a high proportion of patients with sonographically suspected RPOC following surgery have a negative histopathology. Hence, we aimed to report our single-center experience with suspected RPOC and histopathological outcome after surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, patients who underwent surgery due to suspected postpartum RPOC were analyzed for potential predictive clinical and sonographic parameters. RESULTS: A total of 32 patients with histopathologically-confirmed RPOC were compared with 21 patients with a negative histopathological report for RPOC. Endometrial hyperechogenic mass and clinical parameters such as pain, fever and bleedings were not predictive for RPOC. Increased age (p=0.001) and vaginal delivery (p=0.040) were significantly associated with RPOC. CONCLUSION: Clinical presentation alone is not predictive for RPOC. Vaginal delivery and younger age seem to be a risk factor and therefore have to be considered in patients with suspected RPOC.