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Maternal (Expert Forum)
Ectopic Pregnancy resolved itself?
Patient medical question and answer from The Maternal and Child Health Forum. Health topic area and articles about newborn care
Ectopic Pregnancy resolved itself?
by Lindsey__0, Jun 18, 1998 12:00AM
Is it possible for an ectopic pregnancy to "resolve" itself? I was
pregnant and miscarried early (6 weeks) without ever having normally high
hcg levels. Vaginal ultrasound (while still pregnant) showed no pregnancy
anywhere and there was no evidence of conception from an endometrial
biopsy. I never had any bleeding--could this have been an ectopic?
My doctor thought so--also--would it be dangerous to try again? Thanks
so much for responding to this.
Dear Lindsey:
It is possible for an ectopic pregnancy to resolve by itself. Many years ago, a study was done in Scandinavia: patients believed to have an ectopic pregnancy were brought into hospital and observed rather than undergoing surgery, the standard treatment of the time. Twenty-five percent (25%) had resolution of their symptoms without treatment.
Ectopic pregnancy can resolve in two common ways: the pregnancy can "abort" from the end of the tube into the abdominal cavity and be resorbed by the body defense systems or it can "die" within the tube and be resorbed by the body's defense systems. The same mechanisms apply to uterine pregnancy: it can miscarry into the vagina or be gradually resorbed by the body defenses.
Patients who have had one ectopic pregnancy are at greater risk for a second ectopic pregnancy. Nonetheless, it is more likely that a second pregnancy will be in the uterus than in the tube. Thus, there is no reason to avoid pregnancy. There is reason for early pregnancy blood tests to follow hCG levels and for an early ultrasound study to locate the pregnancy.
This material is provided for information purposes only and should not be considered a formal medical consultation. If you have specific questions, Please contact your primary physician.
Keyword: ectopic pregnancy
