A Live 13 Weeks Ruptured Ectopic Pregnancy: A Case Report

Cureus. 2020 Oct 16;12(10):e10993. doi: 10.7759/cureus.10993.

Abstract

Ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that occurs outside the uterus, most commonly in the fallopian tube. It is usually suspected if a pregnant woman experiences any of these symptoms during the first trimester: vaginal bleeding, lower abdominal pain, and amenorrhea. An elevated BhCG level above the discriminatory zone (2000 mIU/ml) with an empty uterus on a transvaginal ultrasound is essential for confirming ectopic pregnancy diagnosis. Such pregnancy can be managed medically with methotrexate or surgically via laparoscopy or laparotomy depending on the hemodynamic stability of the patient and the size of the ectopic mass. In this case study, we report on a 38-year-old woman, G3P2+0 who presented to King Abdulaziz University Hospital's emergency department with a history of amenorrhea for three months. She was unsure of her last menstrual period and her main complaint was generalized abdominal pain. Upon examination, she was clinically unstable and her abdomen was tender on palpation and diffusely distended. Her BhCG level measured 113000 IU/ml and a bedside pelvic ultrasound showed an empty uterine cavity, as well as a live 13 weeks fetus (measured by CRL). The fetus was seen floating in the abdominal cavity and surrounded by a moderate amount of free fluid, suggestive of ruptured tubal ectopic pregnancy. The patient's final diagnosis was live ruptured 13 weeks tubal ectopic pregnancy which was managed successfully through an emergency laparotomy with a salpingectomy.

Keywords: ectopic pregnancy; ruptured ectopic pregnancy; tubal pregnancy.

Publication types

  • Case Reports