The commonest location of ectopic pregnancy is the fallopian tube.
Once the egg has been fertilized by sperm it is possible that it implants anywhere outside the uterus.
Sometimes it is possible that the egg leaves the uterus and the fallopian tube and implants itself in the abdominal cavity.
These types of ectopic pregnancies can be classified as early or late.
The early abdominal ectopic pregnancies occur below 13 weeks gestation whilst the late happen after this time and can present as a term pregnancy.
The danger with these pregnancies is that the placenta that maintains the pregnancy can implant on any vital organ within the abdominal cavity and can result in serious bleeding if interfered with.
With the early ectopic pregnancies, the signs and symptoms are usually the same as with other ectopic pregnancies, the only difference is that there is usually lack of vaginal bleeding with pain being the predominant presenting symptom.
The diagnosis of these ectopic pregnancies can be difficult with ultrasound scan though experienced ultrasonographers are able to make the diagnosis pre-operatively.
Most abdominal ectopic pregnancies are diagnosed at surgery. As previously mentioned because of the placentation they can bleed profusely.
Most are still managed by open surgery but laparoscopic surgery is becoming the modality of choice for the management of these rarer pregnancies.