Laparoscopic therapy for tubal pregnancy using prostaglandins

Nineteen patients with confirmed tubal pregnancy and constant or rising plasma beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) levels were treated with laparoscopically guided injection of prostaglandin F2 alpha into the oviduct. Fifteen patients received additional prostaglandin E2 during three consecutive postoperative days. One patient was excluded from the study. The treatment was defined as successful when plasma beta-hCG levels declined below the lower detection limit and no further intervention other than prostaglandin application was required. The treatment was successful in 12 patients (66.7%). Given a beta-hCG level greater than 2,500 mU/mL as an exclusion criterion for treatment with prostaglandin, the success rate was 84.6%. Six patients underwent salpingotomy because of rising beta-hCG levels following treatment. The outcome was not related to the postoperative treatment with prostaglandin E2. None of the treated patients displayed any adverse reactions following prostaglandin F2 alpha application. Postoperative hysterosalpingography was performed on six successfully treated patients, demonstrating bilaterally patent fallopian tubes in all of them. Prostaglandin therapy in tubal pregnancy has been proven effective in selected cases.