Clinical features of extra-uterine pregnancy in Cameroon: a review of 148 cases at the Yaounde Central Hospital

BACKGROUND: Extra-uterine pregnancy (EUP) is frequent in Cameroon but little is known about its clinical features. OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiological, diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic features of extra-uterine EUPs at the Yaounde Central Hospital in Cameroon. METHODS: We carried out a cross-sectional study from the 1 st of January 2015 till January 31 st 2016 at the maternity of the Yaounde Central Hospital. All patients admitted for EUP were included. Data was analysed with Epi info 3.5.4 and SPSS 2.0. RESULTS: In this study, EUPs were diagnosed between 7 and 11 weeks of amenorrhoea including 148 cases (3.14%) out of 4707 deliveries.The mean age of patients was 28.54 ± 5.85 years and participants were mainly single (80.4%), self-employed (48.7%) and for most living in town (80.4%). Half of the patients (50.0%) had history of sexually transmitted infections and 56.8% have had a voluntary abortion. Male condom was the most frequently used contraceptive (54.7%) and EUP was iterative in 8.8% of cases. Most EUPs were ruptured (85%) and some presented haemorrhagic shock (67.5%) with nearly all (93.7%) requiring management by laprotomic salpingectomy. Death occurred in 1.3% (2/148) of cases. CONCLUSION: In Yaounde - Cameroon, diagnosis and medical care of EUP takes place with a cosiderable delay leading to high risk complications. Salpingectomy via laparotomy remains the mainstay for management of EUP.