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Preclinical abortions and endometriosis
D E Pittaway1, C P Ellington, M Klimek
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27103.
Fertility and Sterility
|February 1, 1988
Summary
Preclinical abortions, identified in 0.8% of cycles in infertile women, did not significantly increase in those with endometriosis. This suggests early pregnancy losses are not a primary cause of infertility.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Endocrinology
- Infertility Research
- Pregnancy Loss Studies
Background:
- Infertility affects a significant portion of the population, with various potential contributing factors.
- Preclinical abortions, or very early pregnancy losses, are difficult to quantify and their role in infertility is debated.
- Endometriosis is a common condition associated with infertility, but its specific impact on early pregnancy outcomes requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of preclinical abortions in a cohort of infertile women.
- To investigate whether the rate of preclinical abortions is elevated in infertile women diagnosed with endometriosis.
- To assess the potential contribution of preclinical abortions to overall infertility.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 786 infertile women underwent a single human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) determination during the late luteal phase.
- Pregnancies were identified through hCG levels, and classified as preclinical abortions if they occurred very early.
- Statistical analysis was performed to compare preclinical abortion rates between women with and without endometriosis, and other infertile subgroups.
Main Results:
- A total of 37 pregnancies (4.7% of cycles) were identified.
- Six of these pregnancies (0.8% of cycles) were classified as preclinical abortions.
- The frequency of preclinical abortions in women with endometriosis (0.9%) was not statistically different from other infertile subgroups.
Conclusions:
- Preclinical abortions occur at a low frequency (0.8%) in infertile women.
- Endometriosis does not appear to significantly increase the rate of preclinical abortions in infertile women.
- These findings suggest that preclinical abortions are unlikely to be a primary cause of infertility in the general infertile population or in women with endometriosis.