CYTOGENETIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ECTOPIC PREGNANCY

During a 12 month period, tissue was collected from 30 surgically mana ged patients presenting with vital ectopic pregnancies, Chorionic vill i of the removed tissue were successfully karyotyped by (semi-) direct chromosome technique in 22 cases. Only one abnormal chromosomal compl ement, a triploidy (69,XXX) was found, As controls, 10 cases of intrau terine pregnancies were investigated, all showing a normal karyotype, These findings do not suggest an important role for chromosome abnorma lities in the aetiology of vital ectopic pregnancies.