Pregnancy: Analysis of the risk factors with regard to the occurrence of ectopic pregnancy after medically assisted procreation

In a retrospective study (1985–1989) based on data fromthe Centre for Reproductive Medicine in Brussels, a total of23 ectopic pregnancies (2.24%) occurred after 3800 embryo, zygoteor gamete transfers. This number was low compared with the datapublished elsewhere. Tubal damage was a major risk factor towardsdeveloping an ectopic pregnancy after in-vitro fertilizationand embryo transfer. The number of ectopic pregnancies afterthe association of clomiphene citrate and human menopausal gonadotrophin(HMG) was significantly higher in patients with tubal (7.8%)and non-tubal indications (2.1%) compared with those stimulatedwith gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and HMG (2.18% and0.84%, respectively). The number of replaced embryos was notassociated with the rate of ectopic pregnancy and neither didtransfer technique (intra-uterine or intra-Fallopian transfer)influence the ectopic pregnancy rate.