title: Diagnostic Methods of Ectopic Pregnancy and Early Pregnancy Loss: a Review of the Literature.
abstract: This review article presents recent evidence on early pregnancy loss and ectopic pregnancy. In the light of recent evidence, the β-hCG discriminatory zone may be extended in clinically stable cases without evidence of bleeding. A possible cut-off is 4300 mIU/ml, which corresponds to when a sonographer should detect an intrauterine pregnancy. Embryonic demise can be confirmed when a transvaginal ultrasound finding shows no heartbeat in an embryo of more than 7 mm CRL, no embryo in a gestational sac having a mean sac diameter of more than 25 mm, or no appearance of an embryo within 7-10 days after the primary examination. These are considered definitive signs of embryonic demise. Suggestive signs of embryonic demise require closer monitoring of the pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Homburg University Medical Centre, Homburg.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamza
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Homburg University Medical Centre, Homburg.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Meyberg-Solomayer
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Homburg University Medical Centre, Homburg.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Juhasz-Böss
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Homburg University Medical Centre, Homburg.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Joukhadar
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Homburg University Medical Centre, Homburg.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Takacs
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Homburg University Medical Centre, Homburg.
authors.forename: E-F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Solomayer
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Homburg University Medical Centre, Homburg.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baum
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Homburg University Medical Centre, Homburg.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Radosa
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Homburg University Medical Centre, Homburg.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mavrova
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Würzburg University Medical Centre, Würzburg.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Herr
keywords: early pregnancy loss; ectopic pregnancy; fetal demise; ultrasound; β-hCG