[Expectant management in extrauterine pregnancy is possible]

Twenty-nine patients with presumed ectopic pregnancies, who visited the Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis outpatient clinic in Amsterdam between January 1990 and July 1991, received expectant management because of mildness of the symptoms. Five patients were shown to have a non-intact intrauterine pregnancy. Only three of the remaining 24 patients needed surgery because of increasing serum HCG concentrations and (or) complaints. Our results therefore indicate that with declining HCG levels and mild symptoms, regardless of the HCG level at presentation, expectant management is justified.