Unexpected pregnancies after tubal recanalization failure with selective catheterization.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate selective salpingography sensitivity.

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

SETTING

Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, University of Genoa, Italy.

PATIENTS

One hundred seventeen patients previously submitted to selective salpingography because of unilateral or bilateral proximal tubal injection failure.

RESULTS

Seven pregnancies, one of which was ectopic, were obtained in 17 patients who had only recanalized tubes available for conception; 15 pregnancies were obtained in 39 patients who had one tube recanalized and one already patent; 3 tubal pregnancies were obtained in 12 patients who had only one tube already patent; 4 pregnancies, one of which was ectopic, were obtained in 19 patients who had neither patent nor recanalized tubes.

CONCLUSIONS

Selective salpingography can give false-positive results; therefore, it is possible to obtain a pregnancy even after selective salpingography failure.