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Ectopic pregnancy

Overview Symptoms Treatment Prevention

Alternative Names:

Tubal pregnancy; Cervical pregnancy; Abdominal pregnancy

Symptoms:

Lower abdominal or pelvic pain
Mild cramping on one side of the pelvis
Amenorrhea (cessation of regular menstrual cycle)
Abnormal vaginal bleeding (usually scant amounts, spotting)
Breast tenderness
Nausea
Low back pain

If rupture and hemorrhaging occurs before successfully treating the pregnancy, symptoms may worsen and include:

Severe, sharp, and sudden pain in the lower abdominal area
Feeling faint or actually fainting
Referred pain to the shoulder area

Signs and tests:

A pelvic examination may reveal uterine adnexal (Fallopian tube or ovary region) tenderness.

There is usually a positive pregnancy test.
- Urine HCG (qualitative) tests may be falsely negative in up to 17.5% of them.
- In contrast, serum HCG (quantitative) tests have only a 2% incidence of false-negative results.
A hematocrit test may be normal or decreased.
The white blood count may be normal or increased.
A culdocentesis may be performed to determine if free blood is present in the abdomen.
An ultrasound (transvaginal ultrasound or pregnancy ultrasound) illustrates an empty uterus. Products of conception may be evident elsewhere.
A laparoscopy or a laparotomy may be necessary for adequate diagnosis.
A D and C may be indicated to rule out a nonviable intrauterine pregnancy.

This disease may also alter the results of the following tests:

Serum progesterone -- a value of 25ng/mL or more is, 98% of the time, associated with a normal pregnancy in the uterus, while a value of less than 5ng/mL indicates that the pregnancy, regardless of location, is not going to be successful.

Pelvic laparoscopy	Ultrasound in pregnancy	Female reproductive anatomy	Uterus
Ultrasound, normal fetus - foot	Ectopic pregnancy

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