Risk of surgery after use of potassium chloride for treatment of tubal heterotopic pregnancy

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous heterotopic pregnancies are rare, but with assisted reproductive techniques the incidence may approach 1:100. With the widespread use of transvaginal ultrasonography, physicians have attempted treatment of heterotopic pregnancies with minimally invasive procedures such as transvaginal guided potassium chloride (KCI) injection. However, there are few data on the success of this treatment. CASE: A 30-year-old primigravida presented with a desired pregnancy and was found to have a tubal pregnancy in addition to an intrauterine pregnancy. Ultrasound-guided KCI injection into the heterotopic pregnancy was complicated by abdominal pain, surgical abdomen, and hemoperitoneum requiring salpingectomy. CONCLUSION: A review of the literature revealed that 55% of tubal heterotopic pregnancies treated by KCI injection required subsequent salpingectomy. This raises concerns about the advisability of this treatment.