Vasa previa: a case report

Normally, the blood vessels of the baby run from the middle of the placenta via the umbilical cord to the baby. Velamentous insertion means that the blood vessels, unprotected by Wharton's jelly, traverse the membranes before they come together into the umbilical cord. The most significant clinical problem arising from a velamentous insertion of the umbilical cord is vasa previa, a dangerous condition in which the velamentous umbilical vessels traverse the fetal membranes in the lower uterine segment below the presenting part. In 6% of singleton pregnancies with a velamentous insertion, vasa previa is a coexisting condition. These unprotected vessels may rupture at any time during pregnancy, causing fetal exsanguination and death. Although spontaneous rupture has been reported before labor and with or without intact membranes, this accident occurs most often during amniotomy. In our manuscript, we will present a case of vasa previa and wil dicuss different aspects of this pathology.