Unusually Large, Unruptured Tubal Ectopic Pregnancy Mass in a Woman With Bilateral Tubal Obstruction Treated by Laparoscopy: A Case Report

Abstract

A tubal ectopic pregnancy mass usually measures 1.5 - 3.5 cm, and ruptures if it grows beyond this size. The author encountered a case of an unruptured, tubal ectopic pregnancy mass measuring up to 7.3 cm, containing an embryo with a crown-rump length (CRL) of 2.02 cm, corresponding to 8 weeks, 4 days. To the author’s knowledge, this is the largest reported singleton tubal ectopic pregnancy mass. A 36-year-old gravida 0, para 0 woman presented with a history of mild vaginal bleeding, lower abdominal pain, and 8 weeks of amenorrhea. Vaginal bleeding started 3 weeks before, but she mistook this for menstruation. Her menstrual cycle ranged between 28 and 30 days and lasted 6 days. Her last menstrual period was about 8 weeks prior. She had an appendectomy 22 years prior. She was diagnosed with infertility due to tubal obstruction and underwent laparoscopic fimbrioplasty at another general hospital 13 years prior. She was told that her Fallopian tubes were still obstructed on hysterosalpingography after fimbrioplasty. She had not used contraception. On arrival in the emergency room, her serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) level was 15,944 mIU/mL. The transvaginal ultrasound scan (TVUS) demonstrated an ectopic pregnancy mass measuring 7.3 × 4.0 cm in the left adnexa. An embryo with CRL of 2.02 cm corresponding to 8 weeks, 4 days was noted in the ectopic pregnancy mass. Upon entering the pelvic cavity, a dark reddish-colored unruptured tubal ectopic pregnancy mass was noted. Laparoscopic salpingectomy was carried out. The right Fallopian tube was adherent to the right pelvic wall. Even though the Fallopian tubes are obstructed, pregnancy is still possible. Laboratory studies should always include a pregnancy test. A large tubal ectopic pregnancy mass could have developed when a blastocyst was implanted in a fused Fallopian tube that was adherent to the pelvic peritoneum and uterus. J Med Cases. 2016;7(9):396-398 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2613w