(GIST OF SCIENCE REPORTER) ECTOPIC PREGNANCY

(SEPTEMBER-2025)

Recently, the rare case of ectopic pregnancy where the fetus was growing in the liver was detected in Uttar Pradesh.

An ectopic pregnancy happens when the fertilised egg implants outside of the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube, rather than inside.
On rare occasions, the fertilised egg may adhere to the cervix, abdominal cavity, or ovary.
Pregnancies like these cannot develop normally because only the uterus is designed to carry a developing embryo.

Age: The risk of an ectopic pregnancy is highest for women between the ages of 35 and 44.
Abnormalities of the Fallopian tubes: Any alteration to the Fallopian tubes’ typical structure may increase the likelihood of an ectopic pregnancy elsewhere or a tubal pregnancy.
Past gynaecological surgeries: Prior Fallopian tube surgeries, such as reconstructive or tubal sterilisation, might cause scarring, alter the tubes’ natural structure, and raise the chance of an ectopic pregnancy.
Infections: Another risk factor for ectopic pregnancy is pelvic infection, often known as pelvic inflammatory disease. Sexually transmitted organisms like Chlamydia or N. gonorrhoeae, are typically responsible for pelvic infections.
Gynaecological disorders: Similar to pelvic infections, endometriosis, fibroid tumours, or pelvic scar tissue (pelvic adhesions) can cause the Fallopian tubes to constrict and interfere with the movement of eggs, which raises the risk of an ectopic pregnancy.
Cigarette smoking: An increased risk of an ectopic pregnancy has also been linked to cigarette smoking around the time of conception. This risk was found to be dose-dependent, meaning that it depends on the habits of the individual woman and rises as she smokes more cigarettes.

Some women have no visible side effects and spontaneously absorb the fetus from the ectopic pregnancy. In these cases, the woman is observable without medical intervention.

Bleeding: Rupture, the most dreaded consequence of an ectopic pregnancy, can result in internal bleeding, abdominal and pelvic agony, shock, and even death. As a result, bleeding in an ectopic pregnancy can necessitate surgery right away.
Future pregnancies: The creation of scar tissue from the pelvic blood may make it more difficult to conceive in the future. Additionally, the scar tissue may raise the chance of ectopic pregnancies in the future.

While some ectopic pregnancies will end on their own without any help, others will require immediate surgery because of the potentially fatal bleeding.
Methotrexate: The anti-cancer medication methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall) is used in the medical treatment approach. This medication causes the ectopic pregnancy to miscarry by destroying the placenta’s developing cells.
Laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery: Laparoscopic surgery is the gold standard for ectopic pregnancy. Depending on the case, doctors either remove the pregnancy tissue while keeping the fallopian tube or remove the fallopian tube.