Single-dose methotrexate for the treatment of ectopic pregnancy: Our experience from 2010 to 2015


TAŞ E. E., Akcay G. F. Y., Avsar A. F.

Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, cilt.33, sa.1, ss.13-17, 2017 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 33 Sayı: 1
  • Basım Tarihi: 2017
  • Doi Numarası: 10.12669/pjms.331.11238
  • Dergi Adı: Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.13-17
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Ectopic pregnancy, beta-human chorionic gonadotropin, Methotrexate, Single injection, MEDICAL-TREATMENT, MANAGEMENT, SUCCESS, MULTIDOSE, REGIMENS, WOMEN
  • Lokman Hekim Üniversitesi Adresli: Hayır

Özet

© 2017 Professional Medical Publications. All rights reserved.Objective: To evaluate the success of systemic single-dose methotrexate (MTX) treatment in patients with ectopic pregnancy (EP) and to investigate factors related to treatment success. Methods: This retrospective study had been performed in Yildirim Beyazit University between January 2010 and December 2015. Demographic and clinical characteristics, ultrasonografic findings, pretreatment serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) and progesterone levels of 58 patients with EP were retrieved from hospital records retrospectively. The patients were grouped according to MTX treatment success (response vs. failure). Results: Single-dose MTX-treatment was successful in 72.4% (42/58) of patients. The mean pretreatment β-hCG level was significantly lower in responders than in failures (2080 ± 2322 vs. 5707 ± 3885 IU/L, p = 0.001), and 2678 IU/L was the most suitable cutoff to predict success (75% sensitivity, 73.8% specificity). Moreover, failure rate was 8.45 times more in group of patients whose β-hCG values were determined above the cutoff. The presence of fetal cardiac activity adversely affected treatment success (odds ratio = 12, p = 0.004). Treatment success was not affected by past history of ectopic pregnancy, thickness of endometrium, progesterone value or presences of pseudosac and free pelvic fluid. Conclusion: The success rate of single dose MTX in this study was 72.8%, and we found that failure rate of MTX treatment was 8.45 times more in group of patients whose initial serum β‑hCG values were above 2678 IU/L and 12 times more in patients with fetal cardiac activity.