Patient's question:
Doctor, hello:I would like to ask, my friend (female) is 22 years old. Her last menstrual period was on October 1st, and now it's November 19th, and she hasn't had her period yet. A few days ago, she took a pregnancy test, and all the results were positive. On November 16th, she went to the hospital for a check-up, but no fetus was found in her uterus. The doctor asked us to come back for another check-up in a week. My friend's condition is as follows: no menstrual period, pain when the breasts are pressed (no pain when not pressed), no feeling of breast fullness, no nausea so far, and no discomfort in the abdomen.
I would like to ask
Doctor's answer:
Hello: According to the situation of your friend, it cannot be confirmed as an ectopic pregnancy yet. Ectopic pregnancy, also known as tubal pregnancy, refers to the implantation and development of a fertilized egg in locations outside the uterine cavity, such as the fallopian tubes, uterine angles, abdomen, ovaries, etc., due to certain influencing factors. Because the implantation site is narrow and the wall is thin, 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 has a sudden onset and severe symptoms. If not handled properly, it can be life-threatening. Therefore, women of childbearing age should pay attention to distinguishing the following conditions:Menstrual delay: Most patients have a brief history of menstrual delay before the onset of symptoms, usually around 6 weeks. However, some patients may not have a clear menstrual delay history because the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) produced by the trophoblast tissue may not be sufficient to maintain the endometrium, or due to early onset, the pathological bleeding may be mistaken for menstruation.
Abdominal pain: This is the main symptom when the fallopian tube pregnancy is ruptured, 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. When the diaphragm is stimulated, it may cause radiating pain in the shoulder blades. When there is fluid accumulation in the pelvis, there may be a sensation of fullness and 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 bleeding from the fallopian tube being discharged into the uterine cavity. When abdominal pain is accompanied by vaginal bleeding, it often indicates damage to the embryo. When there is abdominal pain but no vaginal bleeding, it may indicate that the embryo is still surviving or there is an abdominal pregnancy, which should be taken with caution.