Repeat ectopic pregnancy: a 16-year clinical survey

This study includes 347 cases of ectopic pregnancy. A comparison was made between patients having one ectopic pregnancy, those having a repeat ectopic pregnancy, and those whose first pregnancy was an ectopic one. Emphasis was placed on obstetric history and the reproductive future of these patients. Obstetric performance was poor for all groups of patients studied. In the patient whose first pregnancy was ectopic, total reproductive performance was complicated by an increased risk of a repeat ectopic pregnancy. The incidence of repeat ectopic pregnancy was 11.2%. The average interval between ectopic pregnancies was 2.83 years; 80% of the repeat pregnancies occurred within 4 years of the first ectopic episode. Obstetric outcome was likely to be poor after the second ectopic pregnancy.