women s health issues
Ectopic Pregnancy
Diagnosis of Ectopic Pregnancy
A pregnancy test Ultrasonography Blood tests Sometimes laparoscopy Because a ruptured ectopic pregnancy can be life-threatening for a pregnant woman, prompt diagnosis is essential. Doctors suspect an ectopic pregnancy in a woman who is pregnant or might be pregnant and if she has lower abdominal pain or vaginal bleeding. If an ectopic pregnancy ruptures, a woman may faint or go into shock. A pregnancy test is done to check if the symptoms are related to pregnancy. If a pregnancy test is positive or, rarely, if the test is negative but symptoms still suggest ectopic pregnancy, ultrasonography is done using a device inserted into the vagina (called transvaginal ultrasonography). For a normal pregnancy, the fetus is in the uterus. If ultrasonography detects a fetus in a location other than the uterus, the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy is confirmed. Early in pregnancy, ultrasonography often does not detect a fetus anywhere, because the pregnancy is too early to be seen. Ultrasonography is then repeated, usually about every 1 to 2 weeks until the location of the pregnancy can be confirmed. In the meantime, doctors monitor women closely to make sure that symptoms are not getting worse. Doctors also do blood tests to measure the level of a hormone produced by the placenta early in pregnancy called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). A diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy cannot be made by measuring hCG just once; hCG is usually measured every 2 days until an ectopic pregnancy can be confirmed or another reason for the symptoms is identified. The hCG level in the blood normally increases fairly rapidly during pregnancy. If hCG levels do not increase as expected or if they decrease, an ectopic pregnancy (or miscarriage) is likely. If needed to confirm the diagnosis, doctors may use a viewing tube called a laparoscope, inserted through a small incision just below the navel. This procedure enables them to view an ectopic pregnancy directly. 