Successful Surgical and Medical Management of Cesarean Scar Pregnancy in 2 Patients

Abstract

Background: Cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP), once a rare entity, is on the rise due because of an increase in the cesarean section rate worldwide. Currently, there is no standard protocol available for managing CSP. To contribute to the existing literature, this article presents the current authors' experience with 2 cases of CSP that were treated successfully with two different modalities. Cases:Case 1: A 34-year-old, gravida 2, para 1, was diagnosed with a CSP on initial transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) scan at 6 weeks of gestation. Aspiration of the gestational sac and a local injection of methotrexate was performed. After 2 weeks, the gestational sac increased in size with thinning of the CS scar (1 mm), and plateauing of the ß–human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-hCG) occurred. Laparoscopic excision of the CSP and myometrial repair resulted in resolution. Case 2: A 31-year-old, gravida 3, para 1, achieved pregnancy after a frozen–thawed embryo transfer cycle. A TVUS scan, performed at 6 weeks of gestation showed a CSP. The patient's ß-hCG level was 310 mIU/mL. Systemic methotrexate was administered intramuscularly. The patient's ß-hCG on days 4 and 7 was 260 and 252, respectively. A repeat TVUS on day 7 showed a resolving gestational sac. A second dose of methotrexate resulted in complete resolution of the CSP. Results: The treatments (aspiration, methotrexate, and laparoscopic excision for Case 1, and methotrexate for Case 2) enabled resolution of the CSPs of these 2 patients. Conclusions: Various treatment modalities have been described for managing CSP with varied levels of success. When local injection of methotrexate into the gestational sac of CSP is unsuccessful, laparoscopic removal is safe and effective. Moreover, in the presence of low levels of β-hCG, treatment with systemic methotrexate is usually successful. (J GYNECOL SURG 30:168)