On this page
Learn More
See, Play and Learn
- No links available
Research
Resources
For You
Summary
The uterus, or womb, is the place where a baby grows when a woman is pregnant. If you have an ectopic pregnancy, the fertilized egg grows in the wrong place, outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tubes. The result is usually a miscarriage.
Ectopic pregnancy can be a medical emergency if it ruptures. Signs of ectopic pregnancy include
- Abdominal pain
- Shoulder pain
- Vaginal bleeding
- Feeling dizzy or faint
Get medical care right away if you have these signs. Doctors use drugs or surgery to remove the ectopic tissue so it doesn't damage your organs. Many women who have had ectopic pregnancies go on to have healthy pregnancies later.
Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health
Symptoms
- Abnormal Uterine Bleeding FAQ (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - PDF Also in Spanish
- Common Discomforts of Pregnancy (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
Diagnosis and Tests
- Obstetrical Ultrasound (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
-
Pregnancy Test
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
-
Progesterone Test
(National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
- Dilation and Curettage (D&C) (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) Also in Spanish
Related Issues
-
Diethylstilbestrol (DES) and Cancer
(National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
- Pregnancy Loss: How to Cope (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Pregnancy, Abdominal
(National Institutes of Health)
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Pregnancy, Ectopic
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage: diagnosis and initial management: summary of updated...
- Article: Efficacy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound for diagnosis of cesarean scar pregnancy type.
- Article: Ectopic pregnancy in Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital Lafia Nigeria - A...
- Ectopic Pregnancy -- see more articles
Find an Expert
-
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish
- March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation Also in Spanish
Teenagers
- Ectopic/Tubal Pregnancy (Children's Hospital Boston)
Patient Handouts
- D and C (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Ectopic pregnancy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- HCG blood test - quantitative (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish