Heterotopic pregnancy follwing spontaneous conception: successful pregnancy outcome

ABSTRACT

Heterotopic pregnancy, although rare, is increasing in incidence as a result of the increase in the availability of assisted reproductive methods. It is even rarer for heterotopic pregnancy to follow spontaneous conception. This case is presented to alert the practicing obstetrician to this condition when a patient presents with abdominal pain in early pregnancy. As in our patient, transabdominal ultrasound that confirmed intrauterine pregnancy did not exclude heterotopic pregnancy. It is recommended that a transvaginal ultrasonography be performed in all of these cases to diagnose or exclude the condition. This will prevent the patient from prolonged agonizing pain as a result of difficulty in arriving at a diagnosis and possibly wrong surgery if the diagnosis was missed