Endometrial stripe thickness in tubal and intrauterine pregnancies

Objective: To evaluate endometrial stripe thickness (EST) among patients wi th tubal pregnancy (TP) and intrauterine pregnancy (IUP). Design: Historical cohort. Setting: City hospital. Patient(s): Ninety-four women suspected to have TP. Intervention(s): Serum beta HCG and sonographic EST measurements. Main Outcome Measure(s): Comparison of age, gestational age (GA), EST, and log beta HCG. Result(s): The two groups of women, 65 with TP and 29 with IUP, had similar mean ages (+/-SD) of 28.6 +/- 5.7 and 28.6 +/- 6.1, respectively. The medi an values of GA in the 2 groups were similar, 46.6 and 44.6 d, respectively . The mean values for EST (+/-SD), adjusted for GA, were significantly diff erent: 9.9 +/- 5.9 mm in the TP group and 12.6 +/- 5.3 mm in the IUP group. The mean values (I SD) of log beta HCG in the 2 groups also differed signi ficantly: 6.90 +/- 1.29 and 7.52 +/- 0.97, respectively. No correlation was found between EST and CIA or log beta HCG within either group. Conclusion(s): The mean EST in women with TP was significantly smaller than in women with IUP. The wide range of EST values and their overlap preclude s the utilization of EST as a single feature in the diagnosis of a tubal pr egnancy. (Fertil Steril(R) 2000;74.889-91. (C) 2000 by American Society fur Reproductive Medicine.)