[Ovarian stimulation with clomiphene is not a risk factor for extrauterine pregnancy]

In a retrospective cohort study of 252 patients with ectopic pregnancies the possible association between use of clomiphene citrate and the occurrence of an ectopic pregnancy was examined. Seventeen out of 252 patients had been treated with clomiphene. Epidemiologic data and animal experiments suggest, that there may be a role of clomiphene in the etiology of ectopic pregnancy. Marchbanks et al. [6] reported that patients who used clomiphene were found to have a relative risk of 10.0 for ectopic pregnancy. The analysis of our own data show an accumulation of classic risk factors as history of pelvic inflammatory disease or of microsurgery for treatment of tubal disease in the clomiphene group. The higher rate of ectopic pregnancies in patients who have been treated with clomiphene is more likely associated with the diagnosis of infertility than with the use of ovulatory-inducing agents. Clomiphene treatment is no independent risk factor in the etiology of ectopic pregnancy.