A second trimester abdominal ectopic pregnancy visualised using standard and handheld point‐of‐care ultrasound: a case report
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background
A 27-year-old nulliparous woman with a history of subfertility presented to a routine dating scan at 13 + 1 weeks gestation with a history of left-sided abdominal pain.
Key Findings
Both standard transabdominal ultrasound and handheld point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) identified a probable abdominal ectopic pregnancy (AEP), confirmed by MRI. Intraoperative findings revealed a live pregnancy encapsulated by the omentum with associated haemoperitoneum. Active haemorrhage necessitated conversion from laparoscopy to laparotomy, culminating in a left salpingo-oophorectomy.
Discussion
This case highlights the potential role of handheld POCUS in diagnosing a rare and life-threatening condition. The device enabled immediate, bedside imaging and facilitated rapid decision-making. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of an abdominal ectopic pregnancy diagnosed using handheld POCUS, emphasising its potential to improve maternal outcomes through early detection and intervention.
A 27-year-old nulliparous woman with a history of subfertility presented to a routine dating scan at 13 + 1 weeks gestation with a history of left-sided abdominal pain.
Key Findings
Both standard transabdominal ultrasound and handheld point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) identified a probable abdominal ectopic pregnancy (AEP), confirmed by MRI. Intraoperative findings revealed a live pregnancy encapsulated by the omentum with associated haemoperitoneum. Active haemorrhage necessitated conversion from laparoscopy to laparotomy, culminating in a left salpingo-oophorectomy.
Discussion
This case highlights the potential role of handheld POCUS in diagnosing a rare and life-threatening condition. The device enabled immediate, bedside imaging and facilitated rapid decision-making. To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of an abdominal ectopic pregnancy diagnosed using handheld POCUS, emphasising its potential to improve maternal outcomes through early detection and intervention.
Date Issued
2025-08-01
Date Acceptance
2025-04-28
Citation
Australasian Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, 2025, 28 (3)
ISSN
1836-6864
Publisher
Wiley
Journal / Book Title
Australasian Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine
Volume
28
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Author(s). Australasian Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
e70013
Date Publish Online
2025-07-09