The treatment of cervical pregnancy with high-intensity focused ultrasound followed by suction curettage: report of three cases

Objective: Cervical pregnancy (CP) is a rare type of ectopic pregnancy and is considered to be a life-threatening condition due to the risk of severe hemorrhage. Unfortunately, no consensus on standard conservative treatment for CP has been established. The study objective was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) followed by suction curettage for cervical pregnancy. Method: Three patients with cervical pregnancy undergoing high-intensity focused ultrasound followed by suction curettage were analyzed. Patient age, gestational age, endocervical mass, serum human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) level, blood loss, and time for normal menstruation recovery were recorded. Results: Three patients with cervical pregnancy were successfully treated with HIFU followed by suction curettage. After HIFU treatment, the fetal cardiac activity disappeared or the blood flow in the pregnancy tissue significantly decreased. The termination of the cervical pregnancy of all three patients was performed successfully without heavy bleeding. The estimated blood loss was 10-20 ml. The time for menstruation recovery was 30-45 days. No obvious complications of HIFU were observed in these cases. Conclusion: High-intensity focused ultrasound followed by suction curettage seems to be considered as conservative management for patients who desire to preserve their uterus.