title: Failure of creatine kinase to predict ectopic pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate serum creatine kinase (CK) levels in pregnant women with ectopic pregnancy (EP), spontaneous abortion, and normal pregnancy with comparable serum hCG concentrations.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective, case-controlled study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-four patients with a suspicion of EP of which 15 had laparoscopically confirmed tubal pregnancies; 15 had a spontaneous abortion, a blighted ovum, or a missed abortion; and 14 patients a normal intrauterine pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The diagnosis was made by transvaginal sonography and serum hCG determinations either at admission or after repeated examinations. Ectopic pregnancy was confirmed and treated by laparoscopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum CK and hCG levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences in CK levels were observed between the groups by one-way analysis of variance and no correlation was found between serum CK and hCG levels within any group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Creatine kinase does not appear to be useful in the diagnosis of early EP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University, Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Korhonen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alfthan
authors.forename: U H
authors.initials: UH
authors.lastname: Stenman
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ylöstalo
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011271:Pregnancy, Ectopic / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D003402:Creatine Kinase