Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF )
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (15)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Stern, J. J.
Right arrow Articles by Coulam, C.B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Stern, J. J.
Right arrow Articles by Coulam, C.B.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Human Reproduction, Vol. 8, No. 5, pp. 775-779, 1993
© 1993 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

other

Early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy using receiver — operator characteristic curves of serum progesterone concentrations

J. Jaroslav Stern, F. Voss and C.B. Coulam1

Immunology Center for Reproduction and Transplantation Indianapolis, IN, USA

Correspondence: 1To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Genetics and IVF Institute, 3020 Javier Road, Fairfax, VA 22031, USA

The objective was to assess the usefulness of serum progesterone concentrations in the differentiation of intrauterine (viable and non-viable) and extra-uterine pregnancies. Progesterone concentrations were prospectively measured at 4, 5 and 6 weeks gestation in 338 pregnancies which resulted in 242 viable births, 81 abortions and 15 ectopic pregnancies. Progesterone threshold analysis was performed using receiver—operator characteristic curves. The progesterone threshold value for ectopic pregnancy at 4 weeks was 5 ng/ml, at 5 weeks 10 ng/ml and at 6 weeks 20 ng/ml. A significant difference was observed between all intra-uterine versus ectopic pregnancies (P = 0.0005), but not between viable versus non-viable intra-uterine pregnancies (P = 0.37). The differences were most clearly defined at 4 weeks and decreased with increasing gestation. We conclude that serum progesterone and gestational age taken together can differentiate intra-uterine from extra-uterine pregnancies with a very high sensitivity and specificity at 4 weeks gestation, a time when ectopic pregnancies are not evident on ultrasound examination.

Key words: ectopic pregnancies/receiver—operator characteristic curves/serum progesterone


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.