Treatment of heterotopic cervical pregnancy by ultrasound-guided hysteroscopy: A case report and literature review

Abstract

Heterotopic cervical pregnancy is a rare event of ectopic pregnancy with an incidence rate of < 1%. Herein, we report a rare case of successful treatment of heterotopic pregnancy following an in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer using ultrasound-guided hysteroscopy. In order to choose the best treatment option, we reviewed the clinical treatments and discussion of heterotopic cervical pregnancy over the last 15 years. The heterotopic pregnancy was terminated using ultrasound-guided hysteroscopy; however, the intrauterine pregnancy was maintained. We searched for the keywords "cervical pregnancy combined with intrauterine pregnancy," "compound pregnancy," "assisted reproductive technology," "cervical pregnancy," and "ectopic pregnancy" on PubMed to include articles published in the last 15 years. The patient underwent an emergency cervical cerclage at 22 weeks' gestation for cervical insufficiency and delivered a healthy newborn at 38 weeks' gestation by transvaginal compliance. Twenty-one relevant case reports were selected. After analysis and discussion, we found that assisted reproductive technology is more likely to lead to heterotopic pregnancy than unassisted reproduction. Most women requesting the preservation of intrauterine embryos opted for surgical termination of cervical pregnancy and achieved the ideal outcomes. More attention should be paid to the diagnosis and treatment of heterotopic pregnancies to obtain the most optimal pregnancy outcome and long-term prognosis. Hysteroscopic surgery is a completely feasible cervical pregnancy treatment option with less postoperative impact on the mother and the intrauterine fetus.