title: Pitfalls and tips in the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy.
abstract: Women of reproductive age with pelvic pain, vaginal bleeding, and a positive pregnancy test often require evaluation with pelvic ultrasound. In these situations, the primary role of pelvic ultrasound is to differentiate an ectopic pregnancy from either a normal or abnormal intrauterine pregnancy. While an accurately performed and interpreted pelvic ultrasound results in rapid diagnosis and management, numerous diagnostic pitfalls can lead to negative outcomes. Therefore, familiarity with the appropriate laboratory tests, sonographic technique, and imaging features of ectopic pregnancy is essential for all radiologists. We present a review of ectopic pregnancy cases from our institution with attention to common pitfalls and troubleshooting tips for physicians who perform and interpret pelvic ultrasounds. We also present recently published literature to aid in the management of first trimester pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, NYU Langone Medical Center, 550 1st Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA. evm221@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: E
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6707-0543
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mausner Geffen
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, NYU Langone Medical Center, 550 1st Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Slywotzky
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, NYU Langone Medical Center, 550 1st Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bennett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011271:Pregnancy, Ectopic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Ectopic pregnancy; Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG); Pregnancy of unknown location