Success and spontaneous pregnancy rates following systemic methotrexate versus laparoscopic surgery for tubal pregnancies: A randomized trial

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

  • Lars Bo Krag Moeller
  • Charlotte Moeller
  • Sten Grove Thomsen
  • Lars Franch Andersen
  • Lene Lundvall
  • Øejvind Lidegaard
  • Jens Joergen Kjer
  • Jens Lindgren Ingemanssen
  • Vibeke Zobbe
  • Charlotte Floridon
  • Bent Ottesen
  • Lars Bo Krag Moeller
  • Christian Holdflod Møller
  • Sten Grove Thomsen
  • Lars Franch Andersen
  • Lene Lundvall
  • Jens Joergen Kjer
  • Jens Lindgren Ingemanssen
  • Vibeke Bahn Zobbe
  • Charlotte Floridon
  • Janne Petersen
  • Bent Ottesen
Objective. To determine which treatment should be offered to women with a non-ruptured tubal pregnancy: a single dose of methotrexate (MTX) or laparoscopic surgery. Design. Prospective, randomized, open multicenter study. Setting. Seven Danish departments of obstetrics and gynecology. Sample. A total of 106 women diagnosed with ectopic pregnancy (EP). Methods. Between March 1997 and September 2000, 1,265 women were diagnosed with EP, 395 (31%) were eligible, 109 (9%) were randomized of whom 106 had an EP. The study was originally powered to a sample size of 422 patients. The women were randomized to either medical (MTX; 53) or surgical (laparoscopic salpingotomy; 53) treatment. Follow-up by questionnaire and through national patient databases for a maximum of 10 years. Main outcome measures. Uneventful decline of plasma-human chorionic gonadotropin to less than 5 IU/L, rates of spontaneous, subsequent intrauterine, and recurrent ectopic pregnancies. Results. The success rates were 74% following MTX treatment and 87% after surgery (n.s.); the subsequent spontaneous intrauterine pregnancy rate was 73% after MTX and 62% after surgery; and the EP rate was 9.6% after MTX and 17.3% following surgery (n.s.). Conclusions. In women with an EP, who are hemodynamically stable and wishing to preserve their fertility, medical treatment with single dose MTX tends to be equal to treatment with laparoscopic surgery regarding success rate, complications, and subsequent fertility. Although the two treatment modalities seemed to be similar in outcome, it is crucial that the diagnosis is based on a high-quality ultrasonographic evaluation, as two patients had intrauterine pregnancies despite fulfilling the diagnostic algorithm for EP.
Original languageEnglish
JournalActa Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica
Volume88
Issue number12
Pages (from-to)1331-7
Number of pages6
ISSN0001-6349
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2009

Bibliographical note

Keywords: Adult; Chorionic Gonadotropin; Female; Humans; Laparoscopy; Methotrexate; Middle Aged; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Tubal; Proportional Hazards Models; Prospective Studies; Questionnaires; Young Adult

ID: 21458672