Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Volume 45, Issue 1 , Pages 48-52, March 2006

Monitoring Medical Abortion Using Mifepristone/Misoprostol Combination with Ultrasonogram and Serum Human Chorionic Gonadotropin

  • Szu-Yuan Chou

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Medical University-Wan Fang Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Chih-Yen Chen

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Huihua Kenny Chiang

      Affiliations

    • Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Pui-Ki Chow

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Medical University-Wan Fang Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Ching-Chiung Wang

      Affiliations

    • Graduate Institute of Pharmacognosy Science, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Chun-Sen Hsu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Medical University-Wan Fang Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr. Chun-Sen Hsu, 111 Hsing-Lung Road, Section 3, Taipei 116, Taiwan

Received 19 August 2005; received in revised form 29 August 2005; accepted 30 August 2005.

Article Outline

Summary 

Objective

The oral mifepristone/misoprostol combination (MMC) is safe for medical abortion in early pregnancy. The abortion status in MMC-treated pregnancies at Taipei Medical University-Wan Fang Medical Center was determined by ultrasonography, serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-HCG), and histopathology.

Methods

All women at less than 49 days since the last menstruation who asked for legal abortion were evaluated by ultrasonography. They then received 600 mg of oral mifepristone followed 48 hours later by 600 μg of misoprostol. Women who had vaginal spotting or bleeding after 14 days were included in this study and underwent transvaginal ultrasonography, serum β-HCG measurement and vacuum aspiration or therapeutic dilatation and curettage (D&C) on day 14. Specimens were identified by histopathology. Abortion status was determined from linear regression of serum β-HCG and endometrial thickness.

Results

Of 35 women who underwent vacuum aspiration or therapeutic D&C, histopathology showed that 20 had decidual tissue and 15 had gestational tissue. Logistic regression showed that the distance measurement to the logistic regression line differed significantly between complete and incomplete abortion (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

In this study, serum β-HCG assays in addition to ultrasonographic evaluation helped to discriminate abortion status after oral MMC.

Key Words:  early pregnancy , incomplete abortion , mifepristone , misoprostol

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PII: S1028-4559(09)60190-X

doi:10.1016/S1028-4559(09)60190-X

Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Volume 45, Issue 1 , Pages 48-52, March 2006

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