Summary:
Objective: To assess the incidence of heterotopic pregnancy after infertility treatment using the
technology of assisted reproduction.
Design: A prospective study of 618 women who became clinically pregnant following assisted
reproduction technology (ART) procedures.
Setting: Sanatorium Pronatal, Na dlouhé mezi 4/12, 147 00 Praha 4 - Hodkovičky.
Methods: Study group consists of clinical pregnancies conceived after ART procedures within the
period from January 1, 1997 untill June 30, 1998. A condition to be included in survey group was
that there was a gestation sac detected by ultrasound or histological confirmation of ectopic
pregnancy.
Results: Six-hundred-eighteen clinical pregnancies resulted and 23 of the pregnancies were ecto-
pic gestations (3.7%). Seven out of the 23 (30.5%) ectopic pregnancies were heterotopic. Thus
heterotopic pregnancy rate after ART was, 1.14% (1 in 88).
Conclusion: The incidence of heterotopic pregnancy following assisted reproduction technique is
relatively frequent. This condition represents a live-threatening complications of pregnancy. The
prognosis for intrauterine gestation in case of heterotopic pregnancy is usually good. About 78%
delivered living child at term.
Key words:
assisted reproduction technology, ectopic pregnancy, heterotopic pregnancy
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