[Effectiveness of local prostaglandin instillations in tubal pregnancy in relation to preoperative beta-HCG level]

Abstract

33 patients with tubal pregnancy and beta-HCG level less than 2500 mIU/ml were treated with local, laparoscopic Prostaglandin-injection. Re-operation was not necessary and beta-HCG fell to undetectable levels in 73% (p = 0.05). Serial beta-HCG correlated poorly with outcome. In patients with an increasing beta-HCG success was limited to 55% (p = 0.59). In contrast patients with falling or stable beta-HCG values had success rates of 85.7% (p = 0.22) and 83.5% (p = 0.30) respectively. Our data suggests there may be a clinical advantage to the use of prostaglandin-injection for the conservative management of early ectopic pregnancy. However the utility of preoperative serial beta-HCG values in predicting success showed a trend, without reaching statistical significance.