MedicineNet.com
  MedicineNet home Health news and views Diseases and conditions Symptoms and signs Procedures and tests Medications Health and Living MedTerms medical dictionary  
Font Size
A
A
A


Ectopic Pregnancy

Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

What is an ectopic pregnancy?

An ectopic pregnancy is a condition in which a fertilized egg settles and grows in any location other than the inner lining of the uterus. The vast majority of ectopic pregnancies occur in the Fallopian tube (98%), however, they can occur in other locations, such as the ovary, cervix, and abdominal cavity. An ectopic pregnancy occurs in about one in 50 pregnancies.

The major health risk of ectopic pregnancy is rupture leading to internal bleeding. Before the 19th century, the mortality rate (the death rate) from ectopic pregnancies exceeded 50%. By the end of the 19th century, the mortality rate dropped to five percent because of surgical intervention. With current advances in early detection, the mortality rate has improved to less than five in 10,000. The survival rate from ectopic pregnancies is improving even though the incidence of ectopic pregnancies is also increasing. The major reason for a poor outcome is failure to seek early medical attention. Ectopic pregnancy remains the leading cause of pregnancy-related death in the first trimester of pregnancy.



Next: What are the risk factors for ectopic pregnancy? »



Printer-Friendly Format  |  Email to a Friend


space Related health and medical articles From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com MedicineNet Doctors recommend space
space
MedicineNet Doctors Recommend
  • Vaginal Douche (Douching) - Learn why doctors do not recommend vaginal douching. Douching increases the risk for vaginal infections, ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease, and other conditions. Source:Government
  • Endometriosis - Information on endometriosis, its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and includes treatment of endometriosis implants and scaring, and infertility related to endometriosis. Source:MedicineNet
  • Pelvic Inflammatory Disease - Read about a common STD in women, pelvic inflammatory disease, which symptoms include a foul vaginal odor, vaginal discharge, and irregular vaginal bleeding. Source:Government
  • Read 32 more Ectopic Pregnancy related articles ...
Latest Medical News
space


Last Editorial Review: 3/20/2007





Topics Related to Ectopic Pregnancy

Ectopic Pregnancy
RSS FeedSpecialty RSS       Add to My Yahoo! What is this?

APS and PregnancyAPS and Pregnancy
Up to 15% of recurrent pregnancy failures may be caused by an autoimmune disease called APS. It's treatable - learn more. See more WebMD Videos »

WebMD Daily

Get breaking medical news.










Health categories:

News & Views | Diseases & Conditions | Symptoms & Signs | Procedures & Tests | Medications | Health & Living | Medical Dictionary

Popular health centers:

Allergies | Arthritis | Cancer | Diabetes | Digestion | Healthy Kids | Heart | Men's Health | Mental Health | Women's Health | More...

Publications:

ePublications (PDFs) | XML News via RSS | Audio Podcasts | Email Newsletters

MedicineNet.com:

About Us | Privacy Policy | Search Help | Site Map | WebMD® | Medscape® | eMedicine® | eMedicineHealth® | RxList®

HON Code We comply with the HONcode standard for health trust worthy information:
verify here.

©1996-2008 MedicineNet, Inc. All rights reserved. Notices and Legal Disclaimer.
MedicineNet does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.