This describes the ultrasound findings in various types of ectopic pregnancies. This also goes on to integrate Beta hCG into the diagnostic algorithm of ectopic pregnancy. The lecture also briefly introduces the use of progesterone levels in the diagnostic work-up of ectopic pregnancy.
3. General
โข Mortality is decreasing
o 90% decrease in mortality but there still a ~ 9%
mortality rate 1, 2
โข Incidence is increasing (better diagnosis?)
o 6 fold increase in last 25 years (almost 2% of
pregnancies can be ectopic) 2
1 Lozeau AM, Potter B. Diagnosis and management of ectopic pregnancy. Am Fam Physician
2005;72: 1707โ1714.
2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Ectopic pregnancy: United States, 990โ
1992. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 1995;44:46โ48.
4. Risk Factors
(Disturbed tubal physiology)
โข Age
โข Previous ectopic
โข PID
โข Endometriosis
โข Tubal surgery
โข Adhesions
โข IUCD
โข In vitro fertilization
โข Ovulation induction
8. Why is it Difficult to Diagnose?
โข Up to 50% patients do not have the โtriadโ
โข Up to 50% no vaginal bleeding
โข Up to 50% no adenxal mass
โข 25% no tenderness
9. Why is it Difficult to Diagnose?
โข Up to 50% patients do not have the โtriadโ
โข Of those who had a ruptured ectopic:
o All had tachycardia
o 30% had no abdominal pain
o 49% had no rebound tenderness
o 38% had no cervical movement tenderness
o 3.1% had a negative pregnancy test
o 2.6% had negative ๏ข-hCG
10. Why is it Difficult to Diagnose?
โข Many will have vague symptoms or
symptoms common to early pregnancy:
o Nausea
o Breast fullness
o Fatigue
o Cramping
o Shoulder pain
o Dyspareunia
11. How then Should We Go About?
โข High index of suspicion
โข Screen any woman of reproductive age
with:
o Pain
o Cramping
o Bleeding
13. Ultrasound
โข The most important imaging modality
โข Confirm ectopic
โข Exclude ectopic
โข Suspect ectopic
14. Ectopic is Confirmed
โข When a live (or recognizable dead) embryo
is seen outside the uterus (seen in up to 30%
cases with TVS)
โข Trophoblastic ring and yolk sac outside the
uterus
17. Ectopic is Excluded (or is very
unlikely)
โข If an intrauterine pregnancy is seen
o Live embryo in the uterus
o Recognizable dead embryo in the uterus
o Gestational sac with a yolk sac in the uterus
o Double decidual sign
18. Ectopic is Excluded (or is very
unlikely)
โข If an intrauterine pregnancy is seen
o Live embryo in the uterus
o Recognizable dead embryo in the uterus
o Gestational sac with a yolk sac in the uterus
o Double decidual sign
โข Heterotopic pregnancy is seen in ART and
ovulation induction, otherwise it is very
very rare (1: 4000 โ 1: 30,000 spontaneous
pregnancies)
21. Endometrial features of ectopic
pregnancy
โข Pseudosac
โข Decicual cyst, thin walled a the junction of
the endometrium/myometrium
โข Persistent trilaminar endometrium during
amenorrhoea
22. Gestational Sac vs. Pseudosac
โข Thick line
โข Eccentric location
under the endometrial
line
โข Rounded inferior
border
โข Thin line
โข Collection within the
endometrial canal
โข Beaked inferior
border
GS Pseudo GS
24. Adnexal features of ectopic
pregnancy
โข Thick walled ring outside the uterus
โข Complex non-ovarian pelvic mass
โข Free peritoneal fluid
โข Extra-uterine โring of fireโ on Doppler
25. Ectopic Should be Suspected
โข Thick walled ring outside the uterus
โข Complex non-ovarian pelvic mass
โข Free peritoneal fluid
โข Extra-uterine โring of fireโ on Doppler
29. Ectopic Should be Suspected
โข Thick walled ring outside the uterus
โข Complex non-ovarian pelvic mass
โข Free peritoneal fluid
โข Extra-uterine โring of fireโ on Doppler
31. Ectopic Should be Suspected
โข Thick walled ring outside the uterus
โข Complex non-ovarian pelvic mass
โข Free peritoneal fluid
โข Extra-uterine โring of fireโ on Doppler
33. Ectopic Should be Suspected
โข Thick walled ring outside the uterus
โข Complex non-ovarian pelvic mass
โข Free peritoneal fluid
โข Extra-uterine โring of fireโ on Doppler
38. Scanning Technique
โข Start with a trans-abdominal scan to look
for masses outside the TV probeโs reach
โข Follow by TVS
โข Add Doppler to look for trophoblastic flow
(high diastolic, low resistance flow) and
โring of fire signโ and flow to the embryo
โข Beware of corpus luteum flow which can
have similar findings, corpus luteum is in
the ovary, ectopic mass is usually outside
the ovary
43. Abdominal pregnancy
โข Implantation occurs within the peritoneal
cavity
โข High risk of life threatening haemorrhage
and maternal mortality (7.7 times other
ectopics)
โข Usually follows tubal rupture with re-
implantation on an intraperitoneal structure
โข Live birth has been reported, 80%survival
after 30 weeks, 90% with serious
malformations
44. Abdominal pregnancy
โข Ultrasound can miss if this pathology is not
kept in mind
โข Empty uterine cavity with an abdominal
mass that includes fetus but shows no liquor
or myometrium around the fetus
โข Placenta can be seen outside the uterus
โข Fetal parts intermingle with maternal
abdominal viscera
52. Interstitial pregnancy
โข Implantation in the intramyometrial portion
of the tube
โข Risk factors, prior salpingectomy and IVF
โข Can progress to a late stage without rupture
(~16 weeks)
โข Rupture is life-threatening
53. Interstitial pregnancy
โข Eccentrically located gestational sac, > 1cm from
the lateral edge of the endometrial cavity.
โข Surrounding layer of myometrium is <5mm.
โข โInterstitial lineโ, echogenic line that extends from
the upper region of the uterine horn up to the
gestational sac
โข This might be the interstitial
portion of the fallopian tube
and has a 98% specificity
56. Interstitial vs. Cornual
โข Although cornual is often used
interchangeably with interstitial pregnancy,
cornual pregnancy specifically refers to the
implantation of a blastocyst within the
cornua of a bicornuate or septate uterus, in
a unicornuate uterusor in a didelphys uterus
Challenges in the diagnosis and management of interstitial and cornual ectopic pregnancies.
Botros R; Holliday CP, AbuZaid M. Middle East Fertility Society Journal. Volume 18, Issue 4,
December 2013, Pages 235โ240
57. Cervical pregnancy
โข Implantation within the endocervical canal
โข Risk factors; D&C, IVF, generally no
history of C-section
โข Uterus can have an hourglass shape as the
cervix expands
โข Cardiac activity below the internal os
โข Differentiate from abortion in progress by
demonstrating sliding within the canal in
abortion and adherence in ectopic
60. Ovarian ectopic
โข Ovum is fertilized and retained within the
ovary
โข Gestational sac, hyperechoic ring within the
ovary along with normal fallopian tube
62. Ovarian ectopic
โข Thick walled,
somewhat echogenic
cyst in the ovary
showing ring of fire
sign.
โข Need to differentiate
from CL
โข Very close follow-up
by hCG and
ultrasound are needed
63. Scar Pregnancy
โข Implantation in a scar of a previous C-
section, separate from the endometrial
cavity
โข GS visualized within the anterior wall of
the lower part of the uterus, below the level
of the bladder
โข Overlying myometrium thinned
โข Very close to the bladder
โข Vascularity anteriorly (towards bladder)
64. Scar Pregnancy
โข Before 7 weeks gestational sac is elongated
and conforms to the shape of the scar cavity
โข After 7 W it extends into the uterine cavity
and can appear normally implanted
โข Vascularity remains intense in the scar
region
68. Ultrasound diagnosis of ectopic
โข Can be very difficult
โข Clinical presentation and ultrasound alone
might not give a clue to the actual
pathology
โข We need to add ฮฒ-hCG to ultrasound to
make diagnosis more accurate and sensitive
69. Combine US with ๏ข-hCG
โข Normally ๏ข hCG doubles every two days,
should increase by at least 66%
โข If increase is <50%, it is always a nonviable
pregnancy, be it intrauterine or ectopic
โข 20% ectopics can show normal ๏ข hCG
levels
โข Normally ๏ข hCG plateaus at 9-11 weeks,
and starts to decline at 20 weeks, an early
plateau suggests ectopic
70. Pregnancy of Unknown Location
โข Positive pregnancy test but with no
ultrasound evidence of IUP or ectopic
pregnancy or RPOC
โข 5-42% in early pregnancy evaluation
โข Could be:
o Early pregnancy loss
o Normal pregnancy
o Ectopic pregnancy
73. For Abdominal Ultrasound
โข Intrauterine pregnancy should be visible
by the time ๏ข-hCG has achieved a value of
6000-6500mIU/ml (Third International
Standard)
๏ข-hCG
74. For Transvaginal Ultrasound
โข Intrauterine pregnancy should be visible by
the time ๏ข-hCG level has reached 1500-
2000mIU/ml (3rd International Standard)
๏ข-hCG
75. Beware of multiple gestations
that can have high ๏ข-hCG levels
before any gestational sac is
seen!
๏ข-hCG
76. โข For a gestational sac diameter > 16mm,
(TVS) an embryo should always be visible
โข For a gestational sac diameter of > 25 mm,
(TAUS) an embryo should always be
visible
US
77. โข For an embryonic length of >5 mm, cardiac
flicker should always be visible (TVS)
โข For an embryonic length of >9 mm, cardiac
flicker should always be visible (TAUS)
US
81. Ultrasound
GS Empty uterus
<16mm >16mm
No
Embryo
Embryo No
Embryo
๏ข-hCG
<2000mIU
๏ข-hCG
>2000mIU
FU
US + ๏ข-hCG
Ectopic/
Recent
abortion
82. Ultrasound
GS Empty uterus
<16mm >16mm
No
Embryo
Embryo No
Embryo
FH+ FH-
Blighted
ovumFU
๏ข-hCG
<2000mIU
๏ข-hCG
>2000mIU
FU
US + ๏ข-hCG
Ectopic/
Recent
abortion
83. Ultrasound
GS Empty uterus
<16mm >16mm
No
Embryo
Embryo No
Embryo
FH+ FH-
CRL<5
FU
CRL>5
Dead
Embryo
Blighted
ovum
FU
FU
๏ข-hCG
<2000mIU
๏ข-hCG
>2000mIU
FU
US + ๏ข-hCG
Ectopic/
Recent
abortion
84. If
โข ๏ข-hCG plateaus or increases very slowly
โข No IUP or EP can be seen even after 5-7
days the DD is between incomplete abortion
and ectopic
โข D&C to look for chorionic villi (Incomplete
abortion)
86. Sr. Progesterone
โข Add serum progesterone
o Normal pregnancy has progesterone >25ng/ml,
if >60 ng/ml, high probability of an ongoing
IUP
o Low progesterone (<20ng/ml) and rising
ฮฒ-hCG is almost always due to a nonviable
pregnancy
87. Prepare the patient and referring
doctor for multiple visits
โข Median number of visits = 3
โข Median number of days = 5
โข Single visit strategy is unsafe as up to 67%
women with ectopic pregnancies might be
discharged without follow-up
A prospective evaluation of a single-visit strategy to manage pregnancies of unknown location.
Condous G, Okaro E, Khalid A, Lu C, Van Huffel S, Timmerman D et al Hum Reprod 2005 20 1398โ403
doi:10.1093/humrep/deh746.
88. Risk of rupture
Low risk High risk
Age (Weeks) <8 > 8
๏ข-hCG IU/ml 1500-5000 >5000 *
Size <3cm >3cm
* Variable data
Risk factors for rupture in tubal ectopic pregnancy: definition of the clinical findings.
Goksedef, BPC , Et al .European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive
Biology .Volume 154, Issue 1, January 2011, Pages 96โ99
Ectopic pregnancy grows at a rate of 1.1mm/day
89. Review
Ectopic pregnancy, Ultrasound features (not all might be present)
Tubal Empty uterus, pseudo sac, extra-ovarian mass, echogenic ring, ring-of-
fire, pelvic hematoma, complex ascites. ฮฒ-hCG >1000 mIU/ml but
rising slowly or plateau
Interstitial Eccentric GS, surrounding myometrium <5mm
Ovarian ฮฒ-hCG >1000 mIU/ml; Gestational sac or atypical thick walled cyst
within ovary
Scar pregnancy GS in anterior wall below the level of bladder, flow seen in anterior
wall adjacent to bladder
Cervical pregnancy Hourglass shaped uterus, GS in cervical canal, trophoblastic flow
around it, cardiac flicker might be present and seen below internal os
Abdominal
pregnancy
Empty uterus, gestational sac/fetus outside the uterus, no liquor or
visible myometrium around fetus; placenta can be seen attached to the
outside of the uterus. Fetal parts mingle with maternal abdominal
viscera
Heterotopic Intrauterine pregnancy and ectopic pregnancy seen together
Modified from: Diagnostic clues to ectopic pregnancy. Lin EP, Bhatt S, Dogra VS.
Radiographics. 2008 Oct;28(6):1661-71. doi: 10.1148/rg.286085506.