title: Empty gestational sacs diagnosed by abdominal real-time ultrasonography.
abstract: 310 patients with threatened abortion were examined by ultrasound. 86 cases showed empty gestational sacs of which 14 (16%) completed their pregnancy. All sacs were evaluated (and scored) with respect to size, shape, wall definition, trophoblastic reaction and position inside the uterus. Prediction of a non-viable pregnancy from a single ultrasound examination was achieved in some cases. However, this prediction could not be made in other cases before a follow-up ultrasound examination was performed. The proposed scoring system proved to be very helpful in identifying empty gestational sacs in which serial ultrasound examinations are highly required before termination of pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine Alexandria University, Egypt.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kishk
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D000650:Amnion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002823:Chorion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal