Ectopic pregnancy following emergency contraception with ethinyloestradiol-levonorgestrel: a case report

Emergency contraception with ethinyloestradiol-levonorgestrel is effective, and ectopic pregnancy following its failure is rare.

A 21-year-old nulligravid Japanese woman with regular menstrual periods took ethinyloestradiol-levonorgestrel pills for emergency contraception (EC) 36 and 48 hours after a coitus complicated by retention of the condom in the vagina. She started bleeding vaginally 24 days after that intercourse. As the bleeding continued for three weeks she consulted a gynaecologist. The pregnancy test was positive. Two weeks later she complained of lower abdominal pain, and transvaginal ultrasonography suggested a pelvic blood collection. At emergency surgery, she was found to have a left tubal pregnancy.

Although ectopic pregnancy after failure of EC is rare, one should be alert to its possible occurrence.