How to Diagnose Ectopic Pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy, medically termed as extrauterine pregnancy, refers to the implantation and development of a fertilized egg outside the uterine cavity. Its diagnosis mainly relies on medical history, physical signs, laboratory tests, and imaging examinations.

1. Physical examination: Assess whether the patient's vital signs are stable, particularly noting signs such as decreased blood pressure and increased pulse rate that may occur during ectopic pregnancy rupture. Gynecological examination may reveal abnormal findings such as cervical motion tenderness.

2. Medical history and clinical signs: Patients often have a history of amenorrhea, followed by irregular vaginal bleeding and lower abdominal pain. The pain may present as sudden severe pain or persistent dull ache, often accompanied by symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. Physical examination may reveal abdominal tenderness, rebound tenderness, and significant cervical motion tenderness.

3. Ancillary tests: Serum testing can monitor the level of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the pregnant woman's blood. In ectopic pregnancies, hCG levels rise more slowly. Ultrasound examination, either transvaginal or abdominal, can detect whether an embryo sac is present within the uterine cavity and identify any abnormalities in the adnexal region. If hCG levels are elevated but no intrauterine embryo sac is detected and abnormalities are found in the adnexal region, ectopic pregnancy should be suspected.

4. Laparoscopic examination: For patients with atypical clinical presentations or inconclusive results from the above tests, laparoscopy can not only help confirm the diagnosis but also allow for simultaneous treatment.