Ectopic Pregnancy
Medical Author:
Stephen Metz, MD
Coauthor:
Jeff Disney, MD, FAAEM, MD
Medical Editor:
James Quinn, MD
Medical Editor:
Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD
Medical Editor:
Lee P Shulman, MD
Ectopic Pregnancy OverviewAn ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy that develops outside
a woman's uterus (womb). This happens when the fertilized egg from the ovary
does not implant itself normally in the uterus. Instead, the egg develops
somewhere else in the abdomen. The products of this conception are abnormal and cannot develop into fetuses.
Ectopic Pregnancy CausesEctopic pregnancy is caused when a fertilized egg lodges in a fallopian tube instead of continuing its journey to the uterus, where it is supposed to implant. The egg gets stuck when a tube is damaged, scarred, or distorted. Common conditions that increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy include the following:
Viewer Comments & ReviewsEctopic Pregnancy - Symptoms ExperiencedThe eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:Please describe the symptoms and diagnosis with your ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic Pregnancy - SymptomsThe eMedicineHealth physician editors ask:What was the cause of your ectopic pregnancy? |
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Ectopic Pregnancy
Pregnancy Overview
Pregnancy occurs when an egg is fertilized by a sperm, grows inside a woman's uterus (womb), and develops into a baby. In humans, this process takes about 264 days, but the obstetrician will date from the last menstrual period or 280 days (40 weeks).
- The doctor will use certain terms in discussing a woman's pregnancy. Some of the following definitions are useful:
- Intra-uterine pregnancy: A normal pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus (womb) and an embryo grows.
- Embryo: The term used for
the developing fertilized egg during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
- Fetus: The term
used for the developing embryo after 12 weeks of gestation.
- Beta human chorionic gonadotropin (also called beta-hCG): This hormone is secreted by the placenta and can be measured to determine the presence and p...
- Intra-uterine pregnancy: A normal pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus (womb) and an embryo grows.
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Ectopic Pregnancy »
Ectopic pregnancy presents a major health problem for women of childbearing age.
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