Upper genital tract changes and pregnancy outcome in offspring exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol

Hysterosalpingography (HSG) was performed on 267 diethylstilbestrol (DES)-exposed women. One hundred eighty-five (69%) of these women demonstrated an abnormality and 82 women had normal findings. A relationship between abnormal x-ray findings and structural abnormalities of the cervix and vaginal epithelial changes was noted. Ninety-three women on whom roentgenography was performed had a total of 144 pregnancies. The pregnancy outcome in this group of women was significantly worse than that found in a control population of 87 women who had 147 pregnancies. In addition, women with abnormal x-ray films were found to have a poorer pregnancy outcome than the group of women with normal findings. The women with abnormal x-ray films had more ectopic pregnancies, spontaneous abortions, and premature deliveries than women with normal x-ray films although these differences were not statistically significant. Significantly fewer women with abnormal findings than women with normal x-rays were delivered of term infants.