ABSTRACT
Inordertobeabletodiscussthetopicofrecurrentmiscarriageandtointer-
pretliteraturepublishedonthistopic,clinicalversusbiochemicalpregnan-
ciesandearlyversuslatemiscarriageshavetobeclearlydifferentiated.
Studiesindicatethatthemajorityofbiochemicalpregnancies,i.e.sub-
clinicalpregnancieswithapositiveserumorurineconcentrationofhuman
chorionicgonadotropin(hCG),areabortedspontaneously1.Clinicallyrec-
ognizedpregnancies,i.e.thosediagnosedwithtransvaginalultrasonography,
willendinamiscarriageinapproximately15-20%ofcasesandthususually remainasingleeventinawoman'sreproductivelife.Recurrentmiscarriage
(RM),definedasthreeormoreconsecutivepregnancylossesbefore20 weeks'gestation,affects0.5-1%ofwomen2•MostwomenwithRMhave
recurrentpre-embryonicorembryoniclosses.Recurrentfetallossisless
common,andrecurrentfetallossatorbeyond14weeksofgestationisinfre-
quent.WhetherRMrepresentsthecommonendpointofindependentetio-
logicalfactorsoradistinctpathophysiologicalentity,isunknown.
