Patient's question:
My girlfriend's menstrual cycle has been irregular this month: (It's always intermittent, and the flow is very light, with dark red blood.) We bought early pregnancy tests and the results were positive. However, after an ultrasound at the hospital, the results showed everything was normal, and she was not pregnant. My girlfriend suspects it might be an ectopic pregnancy and is very scared. Please help us clarify this doubt. What should we do next? If it really is an ectopic pregnancy, what should we do? Thank you so much!!! What is this disease? Can any expert give me some advice?Doctor's answer:
Hello: Ectopic pregnancy, also known as tubal pregnancy, refers to a condition where a fertilized egg, influenced by certain factors, implants and develops outside the uterine cavity, such as in the fallopian tubes, uterine cornua, abdomen, ovaries, etc. Due to the narrow and thin implantation site, it cannot fully expand to accommodate the growth and development of the embryo, making it easy for the embryo to penetrate the wall and cause severe bleeding by damaging blood vessels. Ectopic pregnancy often occurs suddenly and is a serious condition; improper treatment can be life-threatening. Therefore, women of childbearing age should pay attention to distinguishing the following conditions:Menstrual delay: Most patients have a brief menstrual delay before onset, usually around 6 weeks. However, some patients may mistake pathological bleeding for menstruation due to insufficient human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) produced by the trophoblast tissue or because the condition was detected early.
Abdominal pain: This is the main symptom when the fallopian tube is damaged, with an incidence rate of 95%. It is often sudden, sharp, tearing, or intermittent pain on one side of the lower abdomen, accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Stimulation of the diaphragm may cause radiating pain in the shoulder blades. When fluid accumulates in the pelvis, there may be a sensation of fullness or the need to defecate, which is very helpful for diagnosing ectopic pregnancy.
Irregular vaginal bleeding: This is usually light, dark brown, and less than the amount of a normal menstrual period. Vaginal bleeding occurs due to the shedding of the endometrium or the discharge of blood from the fallopian tube into the uterine cavity. Abdominal pain accompanied by vaginal bleeding often indicates damage to the embryo. Abdominal pain without vaginal bleeding may suggest that the embryo is still viable or that there is an abdominal pregnancy, requiring increased vigilance.
Fainting and shock: These are symptoms of acute abdominal bleeding