Gray-scale findings in ectopic pregnancy resembling molar pregnancy and missed abortion
✍ Scribed by Nicholas Kadar; Roberto Romero
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1982
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 326 KB
- Volume
- 10
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0091-2751
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✦ Synopsis
The sonographic appearance of the uterus in ectopic pregnancy has received much attention in the literature recently, and the occurrence of sonolucent areas and pseudogestational sacs which can mimic early intrauterine gestation has been emphasized.'-' In this report, we present two cases of ectopic pregnancy which could not be distinguished from missed or threatened abortions and early molar pregnancies.
CASE 1
CR is a 24-yr-old secunda-gravid woman who came to the emergency room complaining of abdominal pain and was treated for pelvic inflammatory disease. She gave no history of vaginal bleeding or amenorrhea. Three days later, a serum pregnancy test was requested when she returned without improvement in her symptoms, but culdocentesis was not performed. The patient was admitted to the hospital and an ultrasound study was obtained when the serum human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) level was found to be 5073 mIU/ml. Ultrasound examination showed an enlarged uterus filled with amorphous echogenic material (Fig 1) but no adnexal masses or fluid in the cul-de-sac. The findings were interpreted by an experienced sonographer as being compatible with a n incomplete abortion, a degenerating fibroid, or a molar pregnancy. Since little tissue was obtained at dilatation and curettage (D&C), laparoscopy was performed and a ruptured left tubal pregnancy found.