[Ectopic Lippes' intrauterine devices. Hysterography]. / Dispositivos intrauterinos de Lippes ectópicos. Estudio histerográfico.

PIP: Statistics on the indicence of ectopia (displacement) of Lippes loop vary significantly by author; from .5/1000 to 6.81/1000 insertions. It is not clear whether ectopia occurs as a result of uterine perforation or of progressive migration. In all reported cases, however, hysterography was used to investigate. 50 patients from a control group of 1064 active Lippes D users chosen from the Family Planning Center of the San Camilo Hospital in San Felipe were studied between 1965-1969. Observations were made using x-ray and hysterography at 10 days, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year or more after insertion. Also studied were some of the characteristics of the loop and techniques for its insertion. In the 50 patients the device was found to be out of place in 6 (an ectopia rate of 5.6/1000 insertions), in a normal position in 30, and in an abnormal one in 14 (the distal part near or across the neck). All the ectopia was observed in patients between 20-34 years who had had 2-5 births. Those with 7-13 births did not seem to be prone to the complication. 8 of the 50 had a retroflexed uterus and 2 of those were displacement cases, suggesting that anomaly of position could be a predisposition for ectopia. Incidence of displacement was not found to vary significantly with doctor. None of the ectopic cases had severe side effects (pain or heavy bleeding) after insertion. In each case displacement was found to have occurred between 1 week and 6 months postinsertion, 2 of them within 2 weeks. It is probably that the later diagnosis of the others was due to the patient not having noticed the disappearance of the threads. It is concluded that ectopia is due to uterine perforation and not to progressive migration. The different positions in which the device was found when it was removed by laparotomy indicated that such perforation was due to the structure of the device and the resistance of the uterine cavity. Through modification of the loop this complication could be avoided. Disappearance of the threads did not necessarily mean that ectopia had occurred, but it was an important sign, especially if it occurred early on after insertion. With respect to abnormally positioned devices, it was not thought to be a reason for IUD removal, espcially since the abnormal positioning was found to have occurred in every case in an abnormally positioned uterus.^ieng