Abstract
Methotrexate is cytotoxic to trophoblast and, in low doses, has minimal side effects. It is used to treat gestational trophoblastic neoplasia and ectopic pregnancy and has recently been shown to have similar effects on intrauterine trophoblast. A prior study suggested that methotrexate may successfully cause abortion of an early pregnancy without prostaglandin. To test this hypothesis, ten pregnant women at ≤42 days gestation were treated with methotrexate 50 mg/m2 intramuscularly. Vaginal bleeding started 24 ± 10 (mean ± standard deviation) days after the injection and lasted 10 ± 3 days. Methotrexate side effects occurred in 4 patients and were limited to the first 4 days after the injection. Methotrexate alone appears sufficient to abort a very early intrauterine pregnancy.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 519-525 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Contraception |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1993 |
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Keywords
- Medical abortion
- methotrexate
- vaginal ultrasound
- β-hCG
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
Cite this
Methotrexate for abortion at ≤42 days gestation. / Creinin, Mitchell D.
In: Contraception, Vol. 48, No. 6, 1993, p. 519-525.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Methotrexate for abortion at ≤42 days gestation
AU - Creinin, Mitchell D
PY - 1993
Y1 - 1993
N2 - Methotrexate is cytotoxic to trophoblast and, in low doses, has minimal side effects. It is used to treat gestational trophoblastic neoplasia and ectopic pregnancy and has recently been shown to have similar effects on intrauterine trophoblast. A prior study suggested that methotrexate may successfully cause abortion of an early pregnancy without prostaglandin. To test this hypothesis, ten pregnant women at ≤42 days gestation were treated with methotrexate 50 mg/m2 intramuscularly. Vaginal bleeding started 24 ± 10 (mean ± standard deviation) days after the injection and lasted 10 ± 3 days. Methotrexate side effects occurred in 4 patients and were limited to the first 4 days after the injection. Methotrexate alone appears sufficient to abort a very early intrauterine pregnancy.
AB - Methotrexate is cytotoxic to trophoblast and, in low doses, has minimal side effects. It is used to treat gestational trophoblastic neoplasia and ectopic pregnancy and has recently been shown to have similar effects on intrauterine trophoblast. A prior study suggested that methotrexate may successfully cause abortion of an early pregnancy without prostaglandin. To test this hypothesis, ten pregnant women at ≤42 days gestation were treated with methotrexate 50 mg/m2 intramuscularly. Vaginal bleeding started 24 ± 10 (mean ± standard deviation) days after the injection and lasted 10 ± 3 days. Methotrexate side effects occurred in 4 patients and were limited to the first 4 days after the injection. Methotrexate alone appears sufficient to abort a very early intrauterine pregnancy.
KW - Medical abortion
KW - methotrexate
KW - vaginal ultrasound
KW - β-hCG
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0027725964&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0027725964&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0010-7824(93)90114-M
DO - 10.1016/0010-7824(93)90114-M
M3 - Article
C2 - 8131393
AN - SCOPUS:0027725964
VL - 48
SP - 519
EP - 525
JO - Contraception
JF - Contraception
SN - 0010-7824
IS - 6
ER -