Serum Progesterone Levels as an Aid in the Diagnosis of Ectopic Pregnancy

Abstract

Progesterone levels in 29 women with ectopic pregnancies and 20 women with early intrauterine pregnancies were evaluated using a new direct radioimmunoassay that offers results within four hours. Patients with normal intrauterine pregnancies had serum progesterone levels greater than 20 ng/mL (mean = 30.9 ng/mL) while all patients with ectopic pregnancies had progesterone levels less than 15 ng/mL (mean = 5.7 ng/mL). The incorporation of the progesterone assay into the workup of a patient with suspected ectopic pregnancy can be a useful clinical adjunct to the conventional methods of evaluation.(Obstet Gynecol 68:390, 1986)