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Diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy: endovaginal vs transabdominal sonography. AJR Am J Roentgenol 1990 Aug;155(2):307-10

Date

08/01/1990

Pubmed ID

2115257

DOI

10.2214/ajr.155.2.2115257

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0025287494 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   52 Citations

Abstract

During a 25-month period, 193 women with the clinical diagnosis of suspected ectopic pregnancy had transabdominal and endovaginal sonograms. Most had quantitative determinations of serum human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). Endovaginal sonography was diagnostic of ectopic pregnancy in 23 (38%) of the 60 patients with surgically proved ectopic pregnancies: transabdominal sonography was diagnostic in 13 patients (22%). All 83 intrauterine pregnancies were identified with endovaginal sonography, compared with 34 identified with transabdominal sonography. Endovaginal sonography was somewhat more helpful in the diagnosis of missed abortion and blighted ovum. Eighty endovaginal sonograms were classified as indeterminate as compared with 141 transabdominal studies. This indeterminate group included patients with complete abortions, ectopic pregnancies without sonographic evidence of an extrauterine gestation, incomplete abortions, and patients with subsequent negative serum levels. As in prior reports, endovaginal sonography was superior to transabdominal sonography in the evaluation of suspected ectopic pregnancies. Overall, endovaginal sonography was diagnostic in 113 patients, whereas transabdominal sonography was diagnostic in 52 patients. The finding of an extrauterine fetal pole or embryo was diagnostic for an ectopic pregnancy. Pelvic fluid, the appearance of the endometrium, and a single positive serum HCG determination were not helpful in making the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy.

Author List

Thorsen MK, Lawson TL, Aiman EJ, Miller DP, McAsey ME, Erickson SJ, Quiroz F, Perret RS

Authors

Scott J. Erickson MD Professor in the Radiology department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Francisco Quiroz MD Emeritus Professor in the Radiology department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Abdomen
Chorionic Gonadotropin
Female
Humans
Pregnancy
Pregnancy, Ectopic
Ultrasonography
Vagina