Plasma progesterone kinetics following surgical treatment of ectopic pregnancies.
OBJECTIVE
Comparative study of plasma progesterone and betaHCG kinetics following surgical treatment of ectopic pregnancy.


METHODS
Prospective study involving 62 patients with tubal ectopic pregnancies. Study of the kinetics of plasma progesterone and betaHCG, and the correlation coefficient between plasma progesterone and betaHCG levels during post-operative follow-up.


RESULTS
Thirty-nine patients were treated by salpingostomy and 23 by salpingectomy. Analyzing the betaHCG kinetics according to treatment revealed that both curves were convergent on day 2. Progesterone kinetics differed greatly in that they appeared "parallel and confused". Analyzing the correlation between betaHCG and progesterone levels proved the absence of a significant link.


CONCLUSIONS
Studying the kinetics of plasma progesterone after surgical treatment of ectopic pregnancies revealed a fast decrease in progesterone. Statistical analysis of the progesterone concentration showed that post-operative kinetics is fully independent from that of betaHCG. Progesterone therefore cannot be substituted to betaHCG for post-operative follow-up.
Gravier
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A
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pavillon Mère et enfant, Hôpital Charles Nicolle, 1 rue de Germont, 76031, Rouen Cedex, France.
Descargues
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Voisin
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Mantel
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Legrand
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Lemoine
J P
JP
Marpeau
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D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000097:blood; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D011247:Pregnancy; D011274:Pregnancy, Tubal / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017211:Treatment Failure
D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human; D011374:Progesterone