Placenta accreta spectrum disorders: Challenges, risks, and management strategies

Abstract

The worldwide incidence of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is rapidly increas-ing, following the trend of rising cesarean delivery. PAS is an heterogeneous condition associated with a high maternal morbidity and mortality rate, presenting unique challenges in its diagnosis and management. So far, the rarity of this condition, together with the absence of high quality evidence and the lack of a standardized approach in reporting PAS cases for the ultrasound, clinical, and pathologic diagnosis, represented the main challenges for a deep understanding of this condition. The study of the available management strategies of PAS has been hampered by the heterogeneity of the available epidemiological data on this condition. The aim of this review is to provide a critical view of the current available evidence on the screening, the diagnosis, and the management options for PAS disorders, with a special focus on the challenges we foresee for the near future.