[Heterotopic pregnancy and its occurrence in assisted reproduction]

To assess the incidence of heterotopic pregnancy after infertility treatment using the technology of assisted reproduction.

A prospective study of 618 women who became clinically pregnant following assisted reproduction technology (ART) procedures.

Sanatorium Pronatal, Na dlouhé mezi 4/12, 147 00 Praha 4-Hodkovicky.

Study group consists of clinical pregnancies conceived after ART procedures within the period from January 1, 1997 until June 30, 1998. A condition to be included in survey group was that there was a gestation sac detected by ultrasound or histological confirmation of ectopic pregnancy.

Six-hundred-eighteen clinical pregnancies resulted and 23 of the pregnancies were ectopic gestations (3.7%). Seven out of the 23 (30.5%) ectopic pregnancies were heterotopic. Thus heterotopic pregnancy rate after ART was, 1.14% (1 in 88).

The incidence of heterotopic pregnancy following assisted reproduction technique is relatively frequent. This condition represents a live-threatening complications of pregnancy. The prognosis for intrauterine gestation in case of heterotopic pregnancy is usually good. About 78% delivered living child at term.