Unruptured tubal pregnancy at 18 weeks: a case report

Ectopic pregnancy is one of the most common problems in the first trimester of pregnancy. It is rare for a tubal pregnancy to progress into later life. It is a potentially fatal condition for a woman if not detected early. Our case concerns a 33-year-old patient at 18 weeks of pregnancy, seen for abdominal pain, for whom, after evaluation, we evoked an abdominal pregnancy which, on per-op, turned out to be an evolving tubal pregnancy. This case highlights the limitation of ultrasound in distinguishing between abdominal and tubal pregnancies at this stage of pregnancy, and the need to emphasize the importance of prenatal follow-up and early ultrasound in all pregnant women, as a missed ectopic pregnancy can have serious maternal complications.