OBJECTIVE: To investigate serum creatine kinase (CK) levels in pregnant women with ectopic pregnancy (EP), spontaneous abortion, and normal pregnancy with comparable serum hCG concentrations. DESIGN: A retrospective, case-controlled study. SETTING: Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. PATIENTS: Forty-four patients with a suspicion of EP of which 15 had laparoscopically confirmed tubal pregnancies; 15 had a spontaneous abortion, a blighted ovum, or a missed abortion; and 14 patients a normal intrauterine pregnancy. INTERVENTIONS: The diagnosis was made by transvaginal sonography and serum hCG determinations either at admission or after repeated examinations. Ectopic pregnancy was confirmed and treated by laparoscopy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum CK and hCG levels. RESULTS: No significant differences in CK levels were observed between the groups by one-way analysis of variance and no correlation was found between serum CK and hCG levels within any group. CONCLUSIONS: Creatine kinase does not appear to be useful in the diagnosis of early EP.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate serum creatine kinase (CK) levels in pregnant women with ectopic pregnancy (EP), spontaneous abortion, and normal pregnancy with comparable serum hCG concentrations. DESIGN: A retrospective, case-controlled study. SETTING: Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. PATIENTS: Forty-four patients with a suspicion of EP of which 15 had laparoscopically confirmed tubal pregnancies; 15 had a spontaneous abortion, a blighted ovum, or a missed abortion; and 14 patients a normal intrauterine pregnancy. INTERVENTIONS: The diagnosis was made by transvaginal sonography and serum hCG determinations either at admission or after repeated examinations. Ectopic pregnancy was confirmed and treated by laparoscopy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum CK and hCG levels. RESULTS: No significant differences in CK levels were observed between the groups by one-way analysis of variance and no correlation was found between serum CK and hCG levels within any group. CONCLUSIONS: Creatine kinase does not appear to be useful in the diagnosis of early EP.