Menstrual irregularity as a biological limit to early pregnancy awareness

US state legislatures have proposed laws to prohibit abortion once the earliest embryonic electrical activity is detectable (fetal “heartbeat”). On average, this occurs roughly 6 wk after the last menstrual period. To be eligible for abortion, people must recognize pregnancy very early in gestation. The earliest symptom of pregnancy is a missed period, and irregular menstrual cycles—which occur frequently—can delay pregnancy detection past the point of fetal cardiac activity. In our analysis of 1.6 million prospectively recorded menstrual cycles, cycle irregularity was more common among young women, Hispanic women, and women with common health conditions, such as diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome. These groups face physiological limitations in detecting pregnancy before fetal cardiac activity. Restriction of abortion this early in gestation differentially affects specific population subgroups, for reasons outside of individual control.

Predictive factors of treatment success in two-dose methotrexate regimen in ectopic tubal pregnancy: A retrospective study

Objectives: To investigate the predictive factors of success or failure in treating ectopic tubal pregnancies with two-dose methotrexate (MTX). Methods: The records of patients treated for tubal EP with two-dose MTX were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups; the Group-I (failure) consisted of patients who did not respond to MTX therapy and the Group-II (success) included patients who were successfully treated with MTX. Parameters, including the week of gestation, presence or absence of fetal cardiac activity, gestational sac size, serum β-hCG levels, and adverse effects were compared. Results: Fifty patients were included in this study, 8 (16%) were in Group-I and 42 (84%) were in Group-II. Patients in Group-I required surgery after a mean duration of 6.7±3 days after administering the initial dose of MTX. There was no difference between the groups in terms of the week of gestation, presence or absence of fetal cardiac activity, gestational sac size, serum β-hCG levels, and adverse effects. The average time to β-hCG negativization was 31 days in Group-II. Conclusions: The two-dose MTX protocol has a reasonable success rate, which seems to be dependent on serum β-hCG levels. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4299 How to cite this:Helvacioglu C, Dogan K. Predictive factors of treatment success in two-dose methotrexate regimen in ectopic tubal pregnancy: A retrospective study. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):---------. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4299 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Ovulation Induction in Patients with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) & Hyperprolactinemia (HPRL): Efficacy of Letrozole (LE) Combined with Cabergoline (CE) in Comparison to (LE) Alone

Objectives: (PCOS) is the most common cause of anovulatory infertility, with majority of patients having mild (HPRL). (CE), a dopamine receptor agonist, inhibits prolactin secretion, leading to better ovulatory response. (LE), an aromatase inhibitor, without adverse effects on endometrium & induces fewer mature follicles with less risk of OHSS. Our aim was to investigate effects of combined (LE) & (CE) in comparison to (LE) alone on ovulation & clinical pregnancy rates in (PCOS) patients with (HPRL). Patients & Methods: 180 women with (PCOS) and of 22-38 years old, were enrolled in a hospital based clinical trial. Patients randomly allocated into 2 groups, (A&B). All with a serum prolactin > 32 ng/ml. Patients in (A): (92) were given (LE), 5mg for 5days: (3 – 7 of the cycle)/3 cycles and (CE), 0.5mg weekly for 12 weeks. Those in (B): (88) received only (LE), same dose & duration as in (A). All patients were matched for their age and BMI. Exclusion criteria: other causes of (HPRL). Outcome measure: ovulation rate & detection of both chemical & clinical pregnancies by βhCG and ultrasound of fetal cardiac activity, 2-4 weeks after missed period. Follow-up for 6 months. Data analysis by using SPSS version for windows, P-value significant if (< 0.05). Results: 3 patients from (A) & 5 from (B) had drug side effects and were excluded. None of patients were lost during the follow-up period. In (A), difference between mean serum prolactin level before & after treatment was statistically significant (P<0.001): 48.3±4.2ng/ml and 8.1±5.2ng/ml, respectively. No significant decrease of prolactin level in (B) (P >0.05). After treatment, BMI in (A) 24.1± 3.2, & 24.2 ± 3.6 in (B) (P=0.567). (56.2%) of women in (A) became regularly menstruating but only (30.1%) in (B) (P< 0.05). Ovulation rate was higher in (A) (50.6%) in comparison to (B) (26.5%), (P<0.05). Clinical pregnancy rate in (A) (41.6%) and (21.6%) in (B) (P<0.05). Neither twin pregnancy, nor OHSS were recorded in both groups. Conclusions: The combination of (LE) & (CE) is superior to (LE) alone in management of anovulatory patients with (PCOS) and should be used as the first-line treatment for them

Ovulation Induction in Patients with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) & Hyperprolactinemia (HPRL): Efficacy of Letrozole (LE) Combined with Cabergoline (CE) in Comparison to (LE) Alone

Objectives: (PCOS) is the most common cause of anovulatory infertility, with majority of patients having mild (HPRL). (CE), a dopamine receptor agonist, inhibits prolactin secretion, leading to better ovulatory response. (LE), an aromatase inhibitor, without adverse effects on endometrium & induces fewer mature follicles with less risk of OHSS. Our aim was to investigate effects of combined (LE) & (CE) in comparison to (LE) alone on ovulation & clinical pregnancy rates in (PCOS) patients with (HPRL). Patients & Methods: 180 women with (PCOS) and of 22-38 years old, were enrolled in a hospital based clinical trial. Patients randomly allocated into 2 groups, (A&B). All with a serum prolactin > 32 ng/ml. Patients in (A): (92) were given (LE), 5mg for 5days: (3 – 7 of the cycle)/3 cycles and (CE), 0.5mg weekly for 12 weeks. Those in (B): (88) received only (LE), same dose & duration as in (A). All patients were matched for their age and BMI. Exclusion criteria: other causes of (HPRL). Outcome measure: ovulation rate & detection of both chemical & clinical pregnancies by βhCG and ultrasound of fetal cardiac activity, 2-4 weeks after missed period. Follow-up for 6 months. Data analysis by using SPSS version for windows, P-value significant if (< 0.05). Results: 3 patients from (A) & 5 from (B) had drug side effects and were excluded. None of patients were lost during the follow-up period. In (A), difference between mean serum prolactin level before & after treatment was statistically significant (P<0.001): 48.3±4.2ng/ml and 8.1±5.2ng/ml, respectively. No significant decrease of prolactin level in (B) (P >0.05). After treatment, BMI in (A) 24.1± 3.2, & 24.2 ± 3.6 in (B) (P=0.567). (56.2%) of women in (A) became regularly menstruating but only (30.1%) in (B) (P< 0.05). Ovulation rate was higher in (A) (50.6%) in comparison to (B) (26.5%), (P<0.05). Clinical pregnancy rate in (A) (41.6%) and (21.6%) in (B) (P<0.05). Neither twin pregnancy, nor OHSS were recorded in both groups. Conclusions: The combination of (LE) & (CE) is superior to (LE) alone in management of anovulatory patients with (PCOS) and should be used as the first-line treatment for them.

Laparoscopic Management in Interstitial Pregnancy Observed with an Intrauterine Device

Interstitial pregnancy is located in the interstitial part of the fallopian tube and is a rare type of ectopic pregnancy. Interstitial pregnancies are observed in 2-4% of all ectopic pregnancies. They may remain asymptomatic until later in pregnancy and cause massive bleeding and hypovolemic shock if ruptured. Therefore, mortality and morbidity rates are high. Studies have shown that the rates of interstitial pregnancy are low among ectopic pregnancies observed with an intrauterine device. Since it is a rare pathology, there is no consensus on the optimal treatment approach in interstitial pregnancies. In this case report, we present an interstitial pregnancy case with no fetal cardiac activity who applied to our clinic in the early period of pregnancy. The diagnosis, follow up and treatment are presented with the review of the literature.

GnRH Agonist versus hCG Trigger in Ovulation Induction with Intrauterine Insemination: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study is aimed at comparing clinical pregnancy rates (CPRs) in patients who are administered either gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) for ovulation trigger in intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycles. A prospective randomized comparative study was conducted at Hue University Hospital in Vietnam. A total of 197 infertile women were randomly assigned to receive either GnRHa trigger (n=98 cycles) or hCG trigger (n=99 cycles) for ovulation trigger. Patients returned for ultrasound monitoring 24 hours after IUI to confirm ovulation. A clinical pregnancy was defined as the presence of gestational sac with fetal cardiac activity. There was no difference in ovulation rates in either group receiving GnRHa or hCG trigger for ovulation. Biochemical and CPR were higher in patients who received hCG (28.3% and 23.2%) versus GnRHa (14.3% and 13.3%) (p=0.023, OR 0.42, 95%CI=0.21−0.86 and p=0.096, OR 0.51, 95%CI=0.24−1.07, respectively). After adjusting for body mass index (BMI) and infertility duration, there was no difference in CPR between the two groups (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.27-1.25, p=0.163). In conclusion, the use of the GnRHa to trigger ovulation in patients undergoing ovulation induction may be considered in patients treated with IUI.

Methotrexate Therapy for Ectopic Pregnancies: A Tertiary Center Experience

Objective Our aim is to demonstrate the importance of methotrexate (MTX) therapy for the treatment of ectopic pregnancy (EP). Methods This retrospective study consisted of 99 patients (72 tubal EPs, 20 pregnancies of unknown location (PUL), 4 cesarean section (CS) scar EPs and 3 cervical EPs) treated with MTX. Results Methotrexate therapy was successful in 68.5% of EPs. There were statistically significant differences between the MTX success and failure groups based on ultrasonographic findings, patient complaints, gestational week and serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) values. The MTX success rates in PUL and tubal pregnancies were 95% and 61.1%, respectively. The MTX success rates in single-dose, two-dose and multi-dose protocol groups were 86.9%, 28.6% and 40%, respectively. All cervical and CS scar ectopic pregnancies were treated successfully with MTX therapy. Conclusion Methotrexate might be the first-line treatment option for EPs under certain conditions. Physicians must be more cautious in cases with higher hCG values, the presence of abdominal-pelvic pain, the presence of fetal cardiac activity, larger gestational sac (GS) diameters, and more advanced gestational weeks according to the last menstrual period.

Comparison of Four Methods of Treating Ectopic Pregnancy: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective To compare the results of expectant management, single and multidose methotrexate (MTX) and surgical management of ectopic pregnancy (EP). Materials and Methods In this retrospective cohort study, the original files of 233 patients who were treated for EP between May 2009 and December 2016 were analyzed. The patients were assigned to the following groups based on the applied treatment methods: Group 1, expectant management (n = 24), Group 2, single-dose MTX (n = 144), Group 3, multiple-dose MTX (n = 25), and Group 4, surgical intervention (n = 40). The following parameters were recorded and assessed: sociodemographic characteristics, pelvic ultrasonography findings (gestational sac, ectopic mass appearance, positive fetal cardiac activity), serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) levels on Day 0, Day 4, and Day 7, and surgical procedures in women that underwent surgical interventions. Results The sociodemographic characteristics were similar in all four groups. The percentage of ectopic mass and positive fetal cardiac activity was greater and the diameter of the mass was larger in Group 4 than in the other groups. The β-hCG values on Day 0, Day 4, and Day 7 were statistically different between the groups (p < 0.001). The cutoff value for the β-hCG change for EP resolution was 18% between Day 0 and Day 4 (AUC = 0.726, p < 0.001) and 15% between Day 4 and Day 7 (AUC = 0.874, p < 0.001). The probability of the requirement for an additional dose of MTX was 0.78 (95% CI 0.71 – 0.87; p < 0.001) times lower in patients who had a > 18% decrease in β-hCG levels from Day 0 to Day 4 in comparison to those who had a decrease < 18% from Day 0 to Day 4. The probability of the requirement for an additional dose of MTX was 1.64 (95% CI 1.25 – 2.16; p < 0.001) times greater in patients whose reduction in β-hCG levels from Day 4 to Day 7 was < 15% in comparison to those who had > 15% reduction from Day 4 to Day 7. Conclusions Additional dose requirements for patients with EP may be predicted early in the changes in β-hCG levels between Day 0 and Day 4. Further prospective studies are required to elucidate this issue.

A rare case of secondary live advanced abdominal pregnancy

A 25-year-old gravida 2 para one with a history of 8 months lactational amenorrhoea presented to labour room with pain in abdomen since, 20 days in shock. Fundal height of uterus corresponded to 34 weeks size with unstable lie and uterus was relaxed. Fetal parts were palpable more easily than usual. Fetal heart sound was good. Pelvic examination revealed uneffaced and undilated cervix. Antenatal ultrasonography showed a single, viable fetus with gestational age of 33 weeks 6 days with oblique lie with head in right lower quadrant. Placenta was located in lower uterine segment covering internal os with AFI – nil with normal fetal cardiac activity and fetal movement. On opening the abdomen there was a boggy mass in the lower pelvic cavity with fetus with intact membrane lying in the abdominal cavity. Baby was delivered by breech extraction Baby weighed 2.2kg with no congenital anomaly. Placenta with membrane was in the left non-communicating horn of uterus with feeding vessels from omentum which were clamped, cut and ligated. The non-communicating horn with placenta was resected and left salpingo oophorectomy was done. Examination of intraabdominal viscera confirmed no injury. There was no torrential haemorrhage intraoperatively and abdomen was closed in layers after achieving proper hemostasis.