Pregnancies that Occur Outside the Uterus

QUESTION: How do they detect pregnancies that occur outside the uterus? How
are these pregnancies dealt with?
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ANSWER: Pregnancies that occur outside the uterus are called "ectopic," or
"tubal" pregnancies. If they are undetected, they can cause a
life-threatening emergency when the growing embryo ruptures a Fallopian tube
and causes dramatic hemorrhage inside the abdomen. Early diagnosis and
treatment are important not only to the life of the pregnant woman, but also
to her future fertility. About half the time, however, the ectopic pregnancy
is not diagnosed until it ruptures.
History and physical examination are important to diagnosis. A pregnancy
test is positive with ectopic pregnancy, but menstrual bleeding may be spotty
or irregular. Abdominal pain is usually present. Blood tests to determine
hormone levels in the blood and sonograms are helpful.
Ectopic pregnancies are not healthy pregnancies, and they cannot be
allowed to continue. They are usually surgically removed, either by
laparoscopic surgery (which is done through a small incision below the navel)
or laparotomy, which is through a larger incision in the abdomen. In some
larger research centers, studies are being done on eliminating the pregnancies
by administering drugs instead of doing surgery.