Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, Vol 18, Issue 2 117-122, Copyright © 1999 by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
Lack of sensitivity of endometrial thickness in predicting the presence of an ectopic pregnancy
T. S. Mehta, D. Levine and C. R. McArdle
Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether endometrial thickness
measurements can be used to differentiate between patients with ectopic
pregnancy and spontaneous abortion. Of 676 patients with clinical suspicion
of ectopic pregnancy, no intrauterine pregnancy was seen in 128. Of these,
42 (33%) had ectopic pregnancy, 52 (40%) had spontaneous abortion, and 34
(27%) had intrauterine pregnancy. No significant difference was found in
endometrial thickness between women with ectopic pregnancy (mean, 9.0 mm;
range, 2 to 20 mm) and those with spontaneous abortion (mean, 8.4 mm;
range, 2 to 18 mm). A thin endometrium seen on transvaginal sonography
cannot be used to exclude the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy.
