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Chapter 18 - Tubal Ectopic Pregnancy and Pregnancy of Unknown Location

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2025

By
Emma Kirk
Edited by
Roy G. Farquharson ,
Mary D. Stephenson  and
Mariëtte Goddijn
Roy G. Farquharson
Affiliation:
Liverpool Women’s Hospital
Mary D. Stephenson
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Chicago
Mariëtte Goddijn
Affiliation:
Amsterdam University Medical Centers
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Summary

More than 10 000 ectopic pregnancies are diagnosed annually in the United Kingdom [1]. Although women may still present with the classic triad of symptoms – pain, vaginal bleeding and a period of amenorrhea, more women are now asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis. This has led to changes in the diagnosis and management of ectopic pregnancy in recent years. Historically, ectopic pregnancies were diagnosed and managed surgically in symptomatic women. The majority of ectopic pregnancies are now diagnosed nonsurgically often in asymptomatic women, with the majority visualized on ultrasound prior to treatment. Management has also changed to reflect this, with expectant and medical management now recognizing alternatives to surgical management in appropriately selected women.

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Early Pregnancy , pp. 179 - 188
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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