Review article: Late post-hysterectomy ectopic pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy after hysterectomy is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition requiring prompt diagnosis to prevent the increased mortality associated with rupture. Twenty-seven cases of late post-hysterectomy ectopic pregnancy reported in the English literature since 1918 were reviewed and analysed for presenting symptoms, missed diagnosis rate at initial presentation, location of ectopic and rupture rate at diagnosis. The presenting symptoms were found to be non-specific. The diagnosis in this population is twice more likely to be missed than in women with intact uteri. The rupture rate is 63%, compared with 37% in women with intact uteri. The majority of late post-hysterectomy ectopic pregnancies (62%) were located in the fallopian tubes. Because of the potential risk of mortality, emergency physicians should always consider the possibility of ectopic pregnancy in childbearing women whose surgical history includes hysterectomy without oophorectomy. Evaluation of abdominal pain in this population should include a pregnancy test to ensure prompt diagnosis when the possibility of pregnancy exists clinically.