What is amniotic band syndrome?

Amniotic band syndrome is still relatively common in clinical practice. Many women may develop this disease after pregnancy due to various reasons. This will have a greater impact on the fetus in the womb and may easily cause compression of the fetus. This may also cause developmental abnormalities or malformations in the fetus, so pregnant women must pay attention to it. So what is amniotic band syndrome?

1. There are many names for amniotic band syndrome, such as congenital annular adhesions spider web syndrome, which refers to the partial rupture of the amniotic membrane to produce fiber bundles or fiber sheaths, causing the embryo or fetus to adhere to the amniotic bands, binding, compressing, and entangled the fetus, causing the affected organs of the fetus to split or develop malformations. Commonly affected areas are the head, trunk, and limbs. Deformities vary from small deformities of the hands, feet or fingers toes to multiple complex deformities of the whole body.

2. This is mainly due to unexplained rupture of the amnion in early pregnancy, while the chorion is intact, and the fetus reaches the chorionic cavity through the ruptured amnion. Due to the good permeability of the chorion, amniotic fluid extravasates, causing transient oligohydramnios and the fetus being close to the chorion. The chorionic tissue has the ability to proliferate and infiltrate. After coming into contact with various tissues of the fetus, it destroys the tissues it contacts, resulting in deformities in the corresponding parts. Amniotic band syndrome is often associated with complex visceral malformations, which are difficult to explain with the theory of amniotic membrane rupture. An animal model of amniotic band syndrome was established in rats without amniotic membrane rupture by applying vasoactive substances.

3. Although amniotic band syndrome is associated with amniotic bands, there is no direct evidence that amniotic bands cause amputation or deformity. Some scholars believe that the root cause of amniotic band syndrome is the abnormality of genetic material, that is, the theory of genetic material deficiency. Amniotic band syndrome is characterized by low incidence and sporadic nature, and has no clinical specificity. There are no clinical symptoms and signs in early pregnancy. If there is no obvious oligohydramnios in early and mid-pregnancy, the growth rate of the uterus is normal.