Ultrasonographic endometrial features in tubal pregnancy: are they predictive factors of successful medical treatment?

Ultrasound Med Biol. 2007 May;33(5):714-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2006.10.018. Epub 2007 Apr 6.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explain possible relationships in cases of ectopic pregnancy between sonographic endometrial features and treatment outcome following methotrexate (MTX) injection. A total of 157 cases of unruptured tubal pregnancy were diagnosed and treated systemically with MTX. The sonographic endometrial pattern, endometrial thickness and treatment outcome were retrospectively analyzed. There were four types of endometrial patterns: these were trilaminar, homogeneous, heterogeneous and pseudosac. Success rates following MTX treatment were different for each group: these were 64.7%, 78.4%, 50.0% and 46.2%, respectively (p = 0.0129). And the risk of treatment failure was increased 3.64 times (95% CI 1.56 to 8.49) in heterogeneous thick pattern and 4.24 times (95% CI 1.18 to 15.23) in pseudosac pattern. In conclusion, when tubal pregnancy was seen in a pseudogestational sac pattern or a heterogeneous pattern, the failure rate of medical treatment was increased. This can serve as a reference for considering the decision about medical treatment in women with unruptured tubal pregnancy.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal / therapeutic use*
  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / blood
  • Endometrium / diagnostic imaging*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Methotrexate / therapeutic use*
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy, Ectopic / blood
  • Pregnancy, Ectopic / diagnostic imaging*
  • Pregnancy, Ectopic / drug therapy
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Ultrasonography, Prenatal / methods

Substances

  • Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal
  • Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human
  • Methotrexate