Temporal trend in the frequency of ectopic pregnancies in Lombardy, Italy

In recent years, epidemiological data showed that the incidence of ectopic pregnancies (EP) is decreasing, but few data are available on the time trend in Southern European populations.

Using data from the Lombardy Region Database, we calculated and standardized the EP rates/10,000 resident women and the ratios/1,000 pregnancies.

Data regarding 1,777,011 pregnancies and 17,028 cases of EP were recorded among women resident in Lombardy between 1996 and 2010, aged 15-50 years old. The age-adjusted EP rates increased from 4.4 in 1996 to 5.8 in 2010. The age-adjusted EP ratio was 9.4/1,000 pregnancies in 1996 and 9.8 in 2010. Medical treatment increased over the period; the proportion of laparoscopic treatment increased from 25.9% in 1996 to 36.3% in 2010.

The age-adjusted EP rate and ratio increased between 1996 and 2010, suggesting that the significance of EP as a public health problem has increased in the last years.