Differential diagnosis of early human pregnancies: impact of different diagnostic measures.

A total of 261 women in early pregnancy, either with mild symptoms of ectopic pregnancy (EP) or being at an increased risk for this condition, were included in a longitudinal study. The effectiveness of different diagnostic measures in obtaining correct final diagnoses was analyzed. In addition to clinical findings and symptoms, the use of serum human chorionic gonadotropin, serum progesterone, endovaginal sonography and a risk score for EP were all proven to be valuable in distinguishing normal intrauterine pregnancies from pathological pregnancies.