Braxton Hicks contraction

Case contributed by Dennis Odhiambo Agolah
Diagnosis almost certain

Presentation

Second trimester routine fetal anomaly scan.

Patient Data

Age: 22/40, 25 years
Gender: Female
ultrasound

Homogeneously hypoechogenic antero-medial focal Myometrial thickening spanning an anterior posterior diameter of 3.31 cm is noted. No focal myometrial lesions.

Case Discussion

Braxton Hicks contraction incidentally chanced in a mid second trimester routine fetal surveillance. The uterine contraction showed transient spasms of increasing and reducing thickness focally during real-time scanning.

Such uterine myometrial contractions and relaxations are broadly physiological occuring in the second to early third trimesters and patients may or may not be aware of their occurrences however, they may be painful and are worth reporting when encountered for proper medical management1.

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