Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
diagnosis of early pregnancy failure (ectopic pregnancy and missed abortion) still challenging even by using of serial B-HCG and ultrasound. Serum progesterone hormone level value is regarded as one of the important diagnostic tools in the diagnosis of many obstetrical and gynecological conditions; one of these is early pregnancy failure.
OBJECTIVE:
To assess the role of serum progesterone level in early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy and missed abortion.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
The study is conducted at Al-Elwiyah Maternity Teaching Hospital throughout the period between (April 2010 –July 2011). Ninety women participated in the study, they are at their early weeks of gestation (6-10) weeks. Their ages were between 18-40 years. thirty of them served as a control group (normal intrauterine pregnancy) and sixty pregnant women included in the study group and subcategorized into 2 groups. thirty women with suspected sub-acute or chronic cases of ectopic pregnancy according to ultrasound and β-HCG results and 30 women served as suspected missed abortion. blood samples were taken from the three groups followed by another blood samples after two-day interval to measure of serum progesterone levels. the results were compared among the three groups at first and second readings. p-value, standard deviation and 95% confidence interval calculated and statistically analyzed.
RESULTS:
P-value of the serial measurements of serum progesterone levels in two-day interval in the three groups was statistically insignificant. while serum progesterone levels of both ectopic pregnancy and missed abortion were greatly lower than serum progesterone levels of normal intrauterine pregnancy in both first and second readings, with statistically significant
deference, P-value is
CONCLUSION:
Serum progesterone levels has a useful role in diagnosing ectopic pregnancy and missed abortion.