3 necessary examination methods to diagnose ectopic pregnancy

In addition to diagnosing the patient's symptoms, the definitive diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy also requires further confirmation through the following examinations.

1. Blood test

Blood tests are mainly used to understand the levels of pregnancy hormones in pregnant women, mainly including two indicators, namely human chorionic gonadotropin level and progesterone level. If the levels of these two hormones are high enough to confirm pregnancy, but the indicators have not reached the level that should be in the normal pregnancy stage, the possibility of ectopic pregnancy can be initially suspected. When the pregnant woman has not yet experienced pain symptoms, it is generally impossible to confirm the diagnosis, and a re-examination is required after 2-3 days. If the indicators of human chorionic gonadotropin and progesterone after the re-examination still do not reach normal levels, an ectopic pregnancy can be preliminarily diagnosed.

2. Vaginal examination

Vaginal examination is an important step in the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy. If the pregnant woman feels abnormal pain during the examination, or if a mass is found in the adnexal area or the fallopian tube is thickened, the possibility of ectopic pregnancy should be highly suspected.

3. Ultrasound examination

If viable embryonic tissue is found in the fallopian tube during B-ultrasound examination, it can be confirmed as an ectopic pregnancy. However, in most cases, the embryo dies and shrinks in the early stages of development, making it difficult to detect under ultrasound. In this case, doctors can diagnose ectopic pregnancy by the degree of swelling of the fallopian tube and the blood clots and residual tissue in the embryo.