TREATMENT OF ECTOPIC PREGNANCIES WITH PROSTAGLANDINS

In a study, the clinical use of prostaglandin F2-alpha in local and systemic application in women with ectopic pregnancies were studied (1, 9). Two different treatment schedules were defined and applied. In group A, patients with a diagnosed ectopic and beta-HCG level lower than 850 mIU/ml were treated with prostaglandin F2-alpha i.m. injected only. In group B, prostaglandin F2-alpha were injected in the chorionic cavity of the ectopic by laparoscopy after localisation with a thin needle. In spite of prostaglandin F2-alpha treatment, 6 of 30 patients (20,0 %) had to be operated by microsurgery because of increasing serum beta-HCG levels. A control of tubal patency 6 month later showed one closed tube only (4,5 %). Up to now, 8 spontaneous intrauterine pregnancies occurred in our study groups after successful prostaglandin F2-alpha treatment; one pregnancy was seen in a women with a single fallopian tube. The conserving treatment of one ectopic pregnancy using prostaglandin F2-alpha yields positive results, if serum beta-HCG levels are below 2000 mIU/ml.