Ectopic pregnancy: outcome of 152 cases

Ectopic pregnancy is a common gynecological condition which usually presents with symptoms of acute abdomen. During the period 1976 to 1978, 152 cases of ectopic pregnancy were treated in our department. About one ectopic pregnancy was treated for every 100 infants delivered. Most of the cases were seen during summer time. Of the patients 43% were between 26 to 30 years of age. From their previous history, 47% reported one or more terminations of pregnancy and 33% recurrence of acute salpingitis. The majority of the ectopic pregnancies were located in the tube. Abdominal pregnancy was observed in three women, one of whom delivered, with the aid of laparotomy, a live infant. All the women reported pelvic pain, whereas shock appeared in only 23% of the cases. Culdocentesis gave false negative results in 14.15% of the cases. Preoperative diagnosis was based on laparoscopy in 28 cases. Dilatation and curettage (D and C) with endometrial biopsy disclosed decidual endometrium without chorionic villi in 37% and Arias-Stella cells in 68% of cases. Salpingectomy was performed in 52% of the cases, and plastic surgery of the tube in 16%.