What does the ultrasound report say indicates an ectopic pregnancy?

Ectopic pregnancy is a very harmful physiological phenomenon in modern life. Although it is one of the manifestations of pregnancy, this type of pregnancy is a very normal phenomenon and will bring devastating harm to women's health. Therefore, ectopic pregnancy is a nightmare for women, and the examination and diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy is also a relatively difficult task. The commonly used examination method is B-ultrasound. Let’s take a look at what is written on the ultrasound report that indicates an ectopic pregnancy?

What is ectopic pregnancy written on B ultrasound

The most common ectopic pregnancy is fallopian tube pregnancy. B-ultrasound will show no gestational sac in the uterus, but a large mass can be seen in the left or right adnexal area. If the blood progesterone level is low, HCG has not doubled or even decreased, the pregnant woman may have a small amount of vaginal bleeding or abdominal pain on one side. This is likely an ectopic pregnancy and requires immediate hospitalization.

How to diagnose ectopic pregnancy

1. hCG determination

Urine or blood hCG is very important for the early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy. The hCG level in ectopic pregnancy is lower than that in intrauterine pregnancy. The blood hCG level can be measured continuously. If the doubling time is greater than 7 days, the possibility of ectopic pregnancy is greater; if the doubling time is less than 1.4 days, the possibility of ectopic pregnancy is small.

2. Progesterone determination

The determination of serum progesterone helps to determine the development of the embryo in a normal pregnancy. In case of ectopic pregnancy, serum progesterone levels are low, mostly between 10-25 ng/ml. If the serum progesterone value is > 25 ng/ml, the probability of ectopic pregnancy is less than 1.5%; if its value is < 5 ng/ml, intrauterine pregnancy abortion or ectopic pregnancy should be considered.

3. Laparoscopy

The diagnostic rate of ectopic pregnancy is relatively high during laparoscopy. However, about 3%-4% of patients are misdiagnosed because their gestational sac is too small. They may also be misdiagnosed as ectopic pregnancy due to fallopian tube dilation.

4. Ultrasound diagnosis

Although the uterus is enlarged, the uterine cavity is empty and there is a hypoechoic area near the uterus. If an embryo is detected in this area and the pulsation of the primitive heart tube is detected, an ectopic pregnancy can be confirmed. Ultrasound examination is usually required until 7 weeks after menstruation to detect the pulsation of the embryo and primitive heart tube. When diagnosing ectopic pregnancy in the early stages, ultrasound examination alone may result in misdiagnosis. Combining clinical manifestations and β-HCG determination will be of great help in diagnosis.