MR appearance of ruptured tubal ectopic pregnancy

Abstract

The usual clinical course of ectopic pregnancy is punctuated by the onset of severe abdominal pain when rupture of the Fallopian tube leads to a pelvic haemorrhage [1]. Spontaneous rupture occurs in most patients, although the immediate cause of rupture may be trauma associated with coitus or vigorous bimanual examination [2,3]. The diagnosis is suggested by the typical history and physical examination revealing an overdue menstrual period and a palpable adnexal mass [4]. Torsion of the pedicle of ovarian tumors may simulate ruptured ectopic pregnancy clinically. The serum b-hCG determinations are crucial in diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy. However, imaging examinations make the diagnosis probable while awaiting confirmatory laboratory results. We describe magnetic resonance (MR) findings in a 25-year-old woman with acutely ruptured tubal ectopic pregnancy.