Article Text
Summary
Abdominal pregnancies represent 1.4% of extrauterine pregnancies. A literature search of six cases involving bowel ectopic pregnancies provided anecdotal treatment options. This case involves a woman admitted at 6 weeks gestation with right iliac fossa and shoulder tip pain. An ultrasound scan revealed an empty uterus with free fluid in both adnexa and a 31×21 mm heterogenous mass adjacent to the right ovary. At laparoscopy, an ectopic pregnancy was identified at the hepatic flexure. The patient received two doses of methotrexate and monitored until the beta human chorionic gonadotropin reduced. The decision to manage with methotrexate was balanced against reported cases of bowel perforation and the possibility that a section of bowel may need removal if the pregnancy showed signs of invasion. Maternal mortality rate with abdominal pregnancy is 20% due to the risk of massive haemorrhage from placental separation or invasion of bowel vasculature. Medical treatment here was successful and avoided extensive surgery.
- pregnancy
- gastrointestinal surgery
- ectopic
- laparoscopy
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Footnotes
Contributors The patient in the case was under the care of AJW when she was admitted to hospital. AJW performed the laproscopy and formulated the management plan. AMS was informed about the case as a point of interest. CET wrote several drafts of the case report which were edited by AMS. Feedback was given and further drafts rewritten. AMS supervised and supported the main author in writing up the case.
Funding This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
Competing interests None declared.
Patient consent Obtained.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.