Spontaneous partial chorioamniotic membrane separation followed by the formation of amniotic bands: a case report

Chorioamniotic membrane separation (CMS) is associated with various adverse pregnancy outcomes, including miscarriage, preterm labor, stillbirth, amniotic band syndrome, etc. Spontaneous CMS is extremely rare, especially followed by the formation of amniotic bands. At present, there is no standardized monitoring and treatment protocols for CMS. We present an unusual case of spontaneous partial CMS with amniotic bands at 27+6weeks of gestation in a 34-year-old woman. About one month later, an emergency cesarean section was performed because of unavoidable preterm labor and fetal transverse presentation. The partial CMS with amniotic bands was confirmed by the examination for the placenta. There were no congenital anomalies for the infant. The infant received systemic treatment for 40 days for neonatal respiratory distress syndrome(NRDS). The infant underwent a 10 months of follow-up period and currently is in good health despite experiencing two respiratory infections. Based on our experience and combined with previous research, we think that etiological screening is the primary priority for CMS cases. The management depends on the presence of fetal amniotic band syndrome (ABS), preterm labor, or PPROM, and it may be beneficial for neonatal prognosis that continuation of pregnancy under close ultrasonographic scans and prolonging gestational age as much as possible if none of these conditions exist.