Performance et vulgarisation de l’écho-Doppler par couplage sus-pubien et endovaginal dans le diagnostic précoce des grossesses extra-utérines en Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

Objective The aim of our study was to describe the epidemiological profile of ectopic pregnancies (EP) in Côte d’Ivoire and to show the utility of ultrasound Doppler in the early diagnosis of EP. Patients and method Our prospective study had been carried out for 24 months (from February 2006 to January 2008). It concerned 32 cases of ectopic pregnancy discovered at the suprapubic or endovaginal ultrasound scan with or without Doppler use. Results The frequency of ectopic pregnancies was estimated at 1.7%. Patients’ mean age was 26.2 years. The personal history was dominated by abortions (32%) and adnexal infections (20%). Most of the patients were nulliparous (52.5%). Requests for ultrasound scans were motivated for most of them by metrorrhagia. The ectopic pregnancy was diagnosed at the ruptured stage in 65.6% of the cases (21 patients) and at the nonruptured stage in 34.4 % of the cases (11 patients). In six cases of nonruptured stage, we used the Doppler. The elementary lesions found were hematosalpinx in 40.6% of the cases, embryonate ectopic gestational sac (31.3%) and nonembryonate ectopic gestational sac (18.7%). In three cases (9.4%), no elementary lesions were found. Conclusion in Côte d’Ivoire, the ectopic pregnancy concerns a very young nulliparous population with abortion and adnexal history. The use of color signal of Doppler added to the endovaginal ultrasound scan, allows establishing the diagnosis at the early stage.