Survival analysis of fertility after ectopic pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the reproductive outcome after ectopic pregnancy and to assess the contribution of risk factors to future fertility.


METHODS
Prospective follow-up in a population-based sample.


METHODS
Register of ectopic pregnancies established in an urban area around Lille, France.


METHODS
Three hundred and twenty-eight women treated between April 1994 and March 1997 who had not been using an IUCD at the time of the ectopic pregnancy and were trying to become pregnant.


METHODS
Interviews by telephone every 6 months for 2 years and once yearly thereafter.


METHODS
Cumulative pregnancy rate.


RESULTS
Two hundred fifteen (65.5%) women became pregnant after a mean of 5 months. One hundred eighty-two (84.7%) pregnancies were intrauterine; 22 (10.2%) were recurrent ectopic pregnancies; and in 11 women (5.1%), it was too early to define implantation. The cumulative intrauterine pregnancy rate was 56% at 1 year and 67% at 2 years. After applying Cox regression, three factors associated with fertility seemed to decrease reproductive performance: age > 35 years, history of infertility, and anterior tubal damage .


CONCLUSIONS
More than half of the women treated for ectopic pregnancy spontaneously conceived and had a normally progressive pregnancy at 1 year. Fertility depends more on established patient characteristics than characteristics of ectopic pregnancy itself or treatment thereof.
Clinical Research and Evaluation Unit, Hôpital Jeanne de Flandre, Lille, France. a-ego@chru-lille.fr
A
A
Ego
D
D
Subtil
M
M
Cosson
F
F
Legoueff
V
V
Houfflin-Debarge
D
D
Querleu
D000328:Adult; D005006:Ethnicity; D005184:Fallopian Tube Diseases / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D007435:Intrauterine Devices, Copper; D016015:Logistic Models; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011271:Pregnancy, Ectopic / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects
D008727:Methotrexate