Retroperitoneal Ectopic Pregnancy

Abstract

BACKGROUND:Retroperitoneal ectopic pregnancies are rare and have a tendency to implant along major vessels of the abdomen and pelvis. Clinical manifestations can vary from no symptoms to hypovolemic shock and death.CASE:A 30-year-old woman presented in hypovolemic shock with left flank and abdominal pain after attempting to medically terminate her first-trimester pregnancy. Intraoperative findings revealed normal pelvic organs with a massive retroperitoneal hematoma containing chorionic villi confirmed on histopathology.CONCLUSIONS:In a woman with a pregnancy of unknown location presenting with worsening flank pain, a retroperitoneal ectopic pregnancy must be considered. Prompt diagnosis and management in a low-resource setting presents additional challenges.