The sonographic features of intra-abdominal pregnancy

Abstract

The sonographic features of three cases of extrauterine, intra-abdominal pregnancy are presented in conjunction with a brief review of the clinical and radiographic features of the condition. Based on our experience and a review of the literature, we found that the major criteria for the sonographic diagnosis of extrauterine, intra-abdominal pregnancy include: 1) demonstration of a fetus in a gestational sac outside the uterus, or the depiction of an abdominal or pelvic mass identifiable as the uterus separate from the fetus; 2) failure to see a uterine wall between the fetus and urinary bladder; 3) recognition of a close approximation of the fetus to the material abdominal wall; and 4) localization of the placenta outside the confines of the uterine cavity.