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. 2024 Jan-Dec:20:17455057241290424.
doi: 10.1177/17455057241290424.

Conservative treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy with the combination of methotrexate and mifepristone: A systematic review

Guglielmo Stabile  1 , Laura Vona  1 , Stefania Carlucci  1 , Francesco Zullo  1 , Antonio Simone Laganà  2 , Andrea Etrusco  2 , Stefano Restaino  3 , Luigi Nappi  1
Affiliations

Conservative treatment of cesarean scar pregnancy with the combination of methotrexate and mifepristone: A systematic review

Guglielmo Stabile et al. Womens Health (Lond). 2024 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

Background: Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) has become more frequent as a direct consequence of the increased number of cesarean deliveries and the advances in imaging. Although some cases are characterized by spontaneous resolution, unrecognized or mishandled CSP has the potential to cause both fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality. However, due to its infrequency, there is no agreement on the best management.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety, the risks and effectiveness of medical therapy with methotrexate and mifepristone to better understand its role in CSP therapy.

Design: This study is a systematic review.

Data sources and methods: The electronic databases PubMed, Medline, and Scopus were comprehensively searched until December 2023. Medical Subject Headings terms (Cesarean scar pregnancy) AND (Methotrexate) AND (Mifepristone) AND (Medical Therapy) were used to identify the relevant records. Due to the rarity of this pathology, the studies included are all case reports or case series. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for case reports.

Results: We included in our review a total of seven cases reported in five manuscripts at the end of the screening process. Our review suggests that this type of combination treatment can be considered. The success rate is 71.4%. Treatment seems to be most effective when beta human chorionic gonadotropin (B-hCG) is below 5,000 mUi/ml and when the gestational sac is less than 20 mm. The absence of fetal heartbeat seems to be a positive prognostic factor for a positive outcome.

Conclusion: Methotrexate and mifepristone administration can be considered as an alternative first-line effective treatment, especially in case of pregnancy with B-hCG <5,000 mUi/ml and when the gestational sac is less than 20 mm. It is important to individualize the management and treatment according to the clinical condition, the patient's age, number of previous cesarean deliveries, willingness to have other children, and the physicians' experience.

Keywords: ectopic pregnancy; medical treatment; methotrexate; mifepristone; scar pregnancy.

Plain language summary

Unrecognized Cesarean Scar Pregnancy has the potential to cause both fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality. Methotrexate (MTX) and Mifepristone administration can be considered as an alternative first-line effective treatment especially in case of pregnancy with a low BHCG and when the gestational sac is less than 20 mmCesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) has become more frequent as a direct consequence of the increased number of Cesarean deliveries and the advances in imaging. Unrecognized CSP has the potential to cause both fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality. However, there is no agreement on the best management. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety, the risks, and effectiveness of medical therapy with methotrexate and mifepristone. The electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were comprehensively searched until December 2023. We included in our review a total of seven cases reported in five5 manuscripts at the end of the screening process. Our review suggests that this type of combination treatment can be considered. The success rate is 71.4%. Treatment seems to be most effective when B-hCG is below 5000 mUi/ml and when the gestational sac is less than 20 mm. methotrexate (MTX) and mifepristone administration can be considered as an alternative first-line effective treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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