Objective: The aim of our retrospective study was to assess the etiology of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) in Saudi couples attending a specialized RPL clinic at King Fahad Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia.
Patients and methods: A total of 59 couples attending the RPL clinic between January 2010 and December 2013 and who had completed their workup and investigations for RPL were included in the study. Data were collected from patients' charts and computer-based laboratory results.
Results: Protein S deficiency was found in 47% of patients, a chromosomal abnormality in 6.7%, uterine abnormality in 12%, antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) in 12%, and antithrombin III and Protein C deficiency in 1.7%. However, no patient had Factor V Leiden mutation. In 39% of the patients, there was no identifiable cause, and therefore, they had been diagnosed as unexplained RPL.
Conclusion: The most common cause of RPL was Protein S deficiency followed by congenital uterine anomalies and APS. Almost 40% of couples with RPL remain with unknown etiology.
ملخص البحث: هدفت هذه الدراسة لمعرفة أسباب حدوث الاجهاض المتكرر لدى الزوجات السعوديات واللاتي يراجعن العيادات المتخصصة في مستشفى الملك فهد الجامعي بالخبر. شملت الدراسة الزوجات السعوديات اللاتي استكملن الفحوصات اللازمة لمعرفة أسباب الاجهاضات المتكررة في الفترة ما بين يناير 2010 إلى ديسمبر 2013. بينت مراجعة التحاليل والفحوصات الشاملة أن أكثر الأسباب هو نقص بروتين (%47) S بينما لم تبين سبب واضح لدى (%39) من الحالات. يوصي الباحثون بالكشف عن بروتين S مبكراً لدى السيدات السعوديات ممن يعانين من الاجهاض المتكرر.
Keywords: Loss; Saudi; pregnancy; recurrent; thrombophilia; uterine anomaly.