[Cervical ripening and induction of labor in term pregnancy using prostaglandin E2. Controlled clinical study comparing the intracervical and intravaginal routes].

106 term pregnant patients with unfavorable local condition (B.S. less than or equal to 5) and indication to induction of labour because of mother or fetus problems, were randomized for a controlled clinical trial. 52 patients (group A) received 0.5 mg. of PGE2 in 2 ml of tylose gel intracervically. 48 patients (group B) received 3.0 mg. of PGE2 in 5 ml of tylose gel intravaginally. 6 patients were excluded because of violation of protocol. The aim of our study was to evaluate the best method of cervical ripening before a classical induction with amniotomy and oxytocin. Our results show that intracervical PGE2 gel seems to have a better effect on the ripening of the cervix than the intravaginal one if we only consider the proposition of softening success (group A 14/52; group B 6/48). If the evaluation of the effect on the cervical ripening is made according to modification of Bishop's score after gel application, the situation seems inverted because the medians values of the modifications have obtained respectively for group A and B a variation of 2.0 and 3.0 points. Moreover the intravaginal way showed a significantly higher incidence of collateral effects.