Ectopic Pregnancy

Summary

The uterus, or womb, is the place where a baby grows when a woman is pregnant. If you have an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilized egg grows in the wrong place, outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tubes. The result is usually a miscarriage.

Ectopic pregnancy can be a medical emergency if it ruptures. Signs of ectopic pregnancy include:

• Abdominal pain
• Shoulder pain
• Vaginal bleeding
• Feeling dizzy or faint

Get medical care right away if you have these signs. Doctors use drugs or surgery to remove the ectopic tissue so it doesn’t damage your organs. Many women who have had ectopic pregnancies go on to have healthy pregnancies later.

Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Pregnancy, Abdominal National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Pregnancy, Ectopic National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Pregnancy, Tubal National Institutes of Health

Symptoms

• Common Discomforts of Pregnancy March of Dimes Foundation

Patient Handouts

• D and C Medical Encyclopedia
• Ectopic pregnancy Medical Encyclopedia
• HCG blood test – quantitative Medical Encyclopedia

Encyclopedia

• D and C – series — Normal anatomy Medical Encyclopedia

Related Issues

• Diethylstilbestrol (DES) Exposure and Cancer National Cancer Institute

Treatments and Therapies

• Dilation and curettage (D&C) Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Start Here

• Ectopic Pregnancy American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• Ectopic Pregnancy Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Ectopic Pregnancy Nemours Foundation

Teenagers

• Ectopic/Tubal Pregnancy and Miscarriage Boston Children’s Hospital

Find an Expert

• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• Find an Ob-Gyn American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• March of Dimes Foundation March of Dimes Foundation

Diagnosis and Tests

• Obstetric Ultrasound Radiological Society of North America
• Pregnancy Test National Library of Medicine
• Progesterone Test National Library of Medicine

Journal Articles

• Ectopic pregnancy