Twin tubal pregnancy: a rising complication?

Abstract

Objective: To present four cases of twin tubal pregnancies and discuss possible etiologies. Twin tubal pregnancies are a rare event, with incidence rates estimated as 1 out of 725-1,580 of tubal pregnancies.

Design: Case series.

Setting: Department of obstetrics and gynecology at a tertiary health care facility.

Patient(s): All women with twin tubal pregnancy diagnosed and treated in the department during the years 2007-2009, according to electronic files and histologic reports.

Intervention(s): None.

Main outcome measure(s): Artificial reproductive technique preceding twin tubal pregnancies

Result(s): We diagnosed four twin pregnancies of 163 tubal pregnancies, an incidence of 2.4%. Of the four cases, two conceived after gonadotropin stimulation and intrauterine insemination. The third conceived following in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection. The fourth was a spontaneous conception diagnosed as monochorial monoamniotic twin tubal pregnancy.

Conclusion(s): Twin tubal pregnancies may not be as rare as previously thought. Three of the four cases identified during a 2-year period followed artificial reproductive technique. We hope that this report will promote the study of the epidemiology of this event, improve diagnosis, and encourage the development of treatment modalities.