Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and discrimination between abnormal intrauterine and ectopic pregnancy.

BACKGROUND This study evaluated serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in women with abnormal intrauterine and ectopic pregnancies (EP) at 6 weeks gestation. METHODS We conducted a prospective case-control study comparing serum VEGF concentrations among 84 women with abnormal intrauterine and EP matched for gestational age (42 women in each group). We analysed whether serum VEGF levels >200 pg/ml would discriminate between abnormal intrauterine pregnancies and EP at 6 weeks gestation, and we calculated sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive values. RESULTS Serum VEGF concentrations did not show statistically significant differences between women with abnormal intrauterine pregnancies (median, 198.5 pg/ml; range, 0-701.6) and EP (median, 211.2 pg/ml; range 0-628.8). When threshold concentrations of a serum VEGF level >200 pg/ml were used, abnormal intrauterine pregnancy could be distinguished from EP with a sensitivity of 56%, a specificity of 51%, and a positive predictive value of 53%. CONCLUSIONS VEGF does not discriminate ectopic from abnormal intrauterine pregnancies at 6 weeks gestation, and thus should not be used in clinical management.