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The discriminatory zone of βhyphen;hCG for vaginal probes

1990; Wiley; Volume: 18; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1002/jcu.1870180411

1097-0096

David B. Peisner, Ilan E. Timor‐Tritsch,

Ectopic Pregnancy Diagnosis and Management

Abstract Recent developments in both laboratory measurements and ultrasound technology have revolutionized the management of early pregnancy. The discriminatory zone concept is a direct result of these developments. By correlating the serum βhyphen;hCG values to the size of an intrauterine gestational sac, a value can be chosen that corresponds to the threshold of visualization of the sac. If the βhyphen;hCG is above this value, a sac must be seen, and if it is not, aggressive steps should be taken to determine whether the pregnancy is abnormal or ectopic. The discriminatory zone may vary among institutions due to different equipment and assays. Thus, its value should be calculated individually at each institution. A proper discriminatory zone and a management protocol such as the one above can eliminate much of the uncertainty in the management of suspected ectopic and early pregnancies.