Objective: To determine serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and evaluate their capacity to serve as a marker for the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy (EP).
Design: Prospective, case-controlled study.
Setting: A tertiary care center.
Patient(s): Twenty women with EP, 10 women with normal intrauterine pregnancy, and 10 women with abnormal intrauterine pregnancy, all at comparable stages of gestation.
Intervention(s): Serum samples were obtained from all women.
Main Outcome Measure(s): All samples were analyzed for VEGF, progesterone, and beta-hCG by specific methods.
Result(s): Women with EP had higher serum levels of VEGF than women with normal intrauterine pregnancy and women with abnormal intrauterine pregnancy (median levels, 226.8 pg/mL, 24.4 pg/mL, and 59.4 pg/mL, respectively). With a cutoff level of 200 pg/mL, serum VEGF could distinguish intrauterine from extrauterine pregnancy with a sensitivity of 60%, specificity of 90%, and positive predictive value of 86%.
Conclusion(s): The increased serum VEGF levels in women with EP may facilitate this challenging diagnosis and reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.
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