title: Infected ectopic pregnancy presenting as unilateral tubo-ovarian abscess.
abstract: Ectopic pregnancy may be a dramatic occurrence, such as in the acutely ruptured extrauterine entity, or diagnosis may be delayed in the chronic ectopic gestation. Eight cases of infected ectopic pregnancy simulating tubo-ovarian abscess are reported; the diagnosis may be difficult and misleading. Symptoms and signs include abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding following a period of amenorrhea, usually accompanied by fever. All patients in our series presented with a picture of tubo-ovarian or pelvic abscess; however, the diagnosis of infected ectopic pregnancy was made preoperatively in all due to a positive beta-hCG test. Surgery in our cases included unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in 7, and salpingectomy in one. Attention was drawn to the fact that, in the case of unilateral tubo-ovarian abscess, infected ectopic pregnancy should be suspected whenever preoperative beta-hCG is positive.
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D002369:Castration; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005184:Fallopian Tube Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010049:Ovarian Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D011247:Pregnancy; D011274:Pregnancy, Tubal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery