[Diagnosis of ovum viability: comparative analysis between ultrasound and chorionic gonadotropin hormone]

In a retrospective study carried out in the Hospital de Gineco-Obstetricia del Centro Médico León, Gto., Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, 61 patients were studied in order to compare the sensitivity and specificity values and the correlation coefficient between the hormonal assays (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, HCG) and the ultrasound scanning. The qualitative concentrations of HCG had a sensitivity of 37.5% and a specificity of 100%. The levels of subunit beta of HCG had sensitivity of 25% and specificity of 100%. The whole correlation coefficient of the hormonal method (HCG) was R = 0.51 (P less than 0.01). The ultrasound monitoring had a sensitivity of 855 and specificity of 100%, with a correlation coefficient R = 0.88 (P less than 0.01). It was concluded that ultrasound scanning has a better sensitivity and higher correlation than human chorionic gonadotropin assays in the diagnosis of ovum vitality.