Transvaginal sonographic evaluation of ectopic pregnancy

ABSTRACT

Effectiveness of transvaginal sonography for identification of ectopic pregnancy was studied in 43 pregnant women. Forty patients had tubal, two cornual and one ovarian ectopic pregnancies. The most common sonographic finding was a sac-like adnexal ring which was seen in 27 of the women. This finding was strongly associated with an intact Fallopian tube. In 16 of the women, an adnexal mass with a complex texture was found. Out of these 16 women, 13 had a tubal hematoma and 3 had a ruptured tube. Transvaginal sonography also enabled detection of hemoperitoneum in 38 patients. The results of transvaginal sonography were compared with pregnancy test and surgical findings. This study suggested that the status of an ectopic pregnancy could be predicted reliably on the basis of transvaginal sonographic findings: