Contemporary evaluation of suspected ectopic pregnancy

A retrospective review of the 119 patients with suspected ectopic pregnancy presenting to Duke University Medical Center during the two-year period ending June 30, 1983, was conducted. In order to determine significant differences between patients with and without ectopic pregnancy, the presenting complaints and physical signs were reviewed and analyzed. Significant findings in women with ectopic pregnancy were: (1) vaginal bleeding lasted longer, (2) abdominal rebound tenderness was more prevalent, and (3) abdominal pain was more prevalent in patients with ruptured ectopic pregnancy than in those with unruptured. There were no other significant differences among the signs and symptoms. Patients with and without ectopic pregnancy cannot be easily distinguished on the basis of presenting signs and symptoms. A combination of culdocentesis and quantitative human chorionic gonadotropin provides the maximal discriminative capacity when considering diagnostic laparoscopy for suspected ectopic pregnancy.