The Efficacy of Methotrexate Administration in the Prevention of Persistent Ectopic Pregnancy After Laparoscopic Salpingostomy in Tubal Pregnancy

Background & Objective: Persistent ectopic pregnancy (PEP) occurs due to incomplete removal of trophoblastic tissue during tubal pregnancy surgery treatment. If PEP is not diagnosed and treated in time, it can have high mortality and morbidity. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of methotrexate (MTX) administration in the prevention of PEP after linear laparoscopic salpingostomy in tubal pregnancy. Materials & Methods: This randomized clinical trial study was conducted on 140 subjects with a diagnosis of unruptured tubal pregnancy, who were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. While the intervention group underwent a prophylactic injection of 50 mg MTX, the control group did not receive any dose of MTX. PEP was considered if there was an increase in serum BHCG levels or a decrease of less than 20% in serum BHCG levels. Results: There was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in terms of baseline variables such as age, severity, parity, and gestational age. While in the intervention group only one patient (1.4%) had PEP, in the control group 11 (15.7%) patients had PEP (P=0.003). Conclusion: MTX administration seems to be an effective method in preventing PEP after linear laparoscopic salpingostomy in tubular pregnancy.