Ectopic pregnancy early diagnosis markers

Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is a high-risk medical condition with an incidence of 1.9% in reported pregnancies, and has proven to be the most common cause of pregnancy-related deaths in the first trimester. The clinical symptoms can mimic non-EP conditions, thus creating a challenge for developing diagnostic criteria and new diagnostic tools. Early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy is essential in order to minimize the morbidity and to assess the need for urgent surgical intervention. Currently, ultrasound and serum biomarkers are used by clinicians for early detection and diagnosis. This review summarizes and comments on the available literature on the various markers including their utility and their statistical parameters.