Abdominal pregnancy. Review of current management

Abstract

Two case reports of intraabdominal pregnancy and review of 9 others which have been seen at the Indiana University Hospital are presented. An incidence of one intraabdominal pregnancy in 7931 deliveries at Indiana University is compared to 1 in 3372 deliveries from a large series at another institution. A perinatal mortality of 91% and a maternal mortality of 18% from our series are contrasted to 90% and 6%, respectively, from the world literature. The diagnosis, management, and outcome of this rare form of extrauterine pregnancy are discussed. Recurrent abdominal pain in the gravid patient may signal abdominal pregnancy. The role of ultrasound in diagnosis and the importance of early surgical intervention with minimal disturbance of the placenta are stressed. In cases of intraabdominal pregnancy, the infant rarely survives and congenital malformations are frequent.