Outcome, complications and future fertility in women treated with uterine artery embolization and methotrexate for non-tubal ectopic pregnancy

Abstract

Objective: To determine the effectiveness and safety of uterine artery methotrexate (MTX) infusion and embolization combined with systemic MTX for treatment of non-tubal ectopic pregnancy.

Study design: We retrospectively reviewed the electronic files of all women admitted to a single tertiary, university-affiliated medical center with a diagnosis of non-tubal (cervical, interstitial or cesarean section scar) ectopic pregnancy, who were treated by a combination of uterine artery MTX infusion and embolization and systemic MTX between January 2001 and March 2014. The treatment protocol included a total of 4 MTX injections in doses of 1 mg/kg/day every other day (days 1, 3, 5, 7 of the protocol) alternating with folinic acid 0.1 mg/kg (days 2, 4, 6, 8). The first or second MTX dose was administered by transcatheter intra-arterial injection during the embolization procedure just before injecting Gelfoam for bilateral uterine artery occlusion, and the remaining doses were given intramuscularly.

Results: During the study period, 25 women underwent uterine artery infusion and embolization combined with systemic MTX treatment for non-tubal ectopic pregnancy. Ten of the pregnancies were cervical, 9 were interstitial, and 6 were cesarean scar pregnancies. Mean gestational age and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-HCG) level at admission were 68.6±12.9 days and 14,179 (range 436-61596) IU/L, respectively. Treatment was successful in 24 patients (96%) with mean β-HCG resolution time of 52.6 (6-147) days. Mild immediate side effects were reported including 8 cases (32%) of abdominal discomfort, 3 cases (12%) of groin or leg pain and 3 cases (12%) of puncture-site local skin infection. No serious immediate side effects such as internal vascular bleeding, sepsis or early liver or renal failure were observed. Among 12 women who stated that they tried to conceive and were more than a year from the treatment, 10 (83.3%) had subsequent pregnancy.

Conclusion: A combination of uterine artery MTX infusion and embolization with systemic MTX seems to be an effective and safe treatment for non-tubal ectopic pregnancies in women who try to conceive.

Keywords: Cervical pregnancy; Cesarean scar pregnancy; Interstitial pregnancy; Methotrexate; Uterine artery embolization.