Ectopic pregnancies in Greenland 1981-1990 verified by histology.

From 1981 to 1990 503 cases of ectopic pregnancy (EP) among Greenlandic females were confirmed by histologic examination. The yearly number more than tripled from 26 in 1981 to 89 in 1990. When correction for age distribution and the total number of conceptions were made the increase in incidence rates for the population age 15-44 as a whole, was statistically significant. The rate of EP/100,000 females increased from 223 in 1981 to 581 in 1990 (slope 34/yr, p < 0.01, degrees of freedom 8, t = 4.996). EP/100 pregnancies increased from 2.08 in 1981 to 4.51 in 1990 (slope 0.22/yr., p < 0.01, degrees of freedom 8, t = 4.784). However, we did not find a significant increase in rates for females aged 15-24 years. Possible etiological factors behind the high and increasing incidence are discussed. The incidence rates of ectopic pregnancy in Greenland found in this study are among the highest ever reported.