title: Heterotopic pregnancy with discordant ultrasonic appearance of fetal cardiac activity.
abstract: In an interesting experiment of nature, we observed the discordant onset of fetal cardiac activity between the two gestations of a heterotopic pregnancy. After initially detecting cardiac activity only in the tubal gestational sac, we later observed cardiac activity in the intrauterine sac 6 days after laparoscopic salpingectomy. This case illustrates the variable onset of cardiac activity. We advise expectant management of the intrauterine pregnancy in a heterotopic gestation when cardiac activity is not detected initially in the intrauterine sac.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Hecht
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011274:Pregnancy, Tubal; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal