Medical /Non-surgical Management of Ectopic Pregnancy: Case Report and Review of Literature

Ectopic pregnancy is a cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. Management options are surgical, medical and expectant management. Medical management also known as the non-surgical approach is not widely practiced in our environment despite its several advantages over the traditional open salpingectomy including its less invasiveness, reduced cost and absence of anaesthetic risk, surgical risk and need for hospital admission. It however requires early presentation and diagnosis before tubal rupture, a well motivated patient and fulfilment of strict criteria in well selected patients.
Aim. To present this rare case report of the medical/non-surgical management of unruptured ectopic pregnancy and a review of the literature.
Case report: Mrs AW, Para 3+0 (2 alive) who presented with lower abdominal pains and abnormal scanty vaginal bleeding following 6 weeks of amenorrhoea.
Her physical examination revealed a stable cardiovascular state. There were no significant abdominal findings. Vaginal examination revealed positive cervical motion tenderness.  A diagnosis unruptured ectopic pregnancy was made.
Pelvic ultrasound scan revealed a cystic left adnexial mass measuring 1.94 cm by 1.7 cm with thickened, well circumscribed margins and it contained an echogenic mass (fetal pole) with cardiac pulsation (145/min). The crown-rump length was 0.76cm which corresponded to 6 weeks plus 5 days of gestation. Her serum β hCG was 3625.8miu/ml.
She expressed her aversion for a surgical intervention having had 3 previous surgeries. She gave an informed consent for medical/non-surgical management with intramuscular Methotrexate. She subsequently received 3 doses of weekly 100mg intramuscular methotrexate. Each dose of Methotrexate was preceded by re-evaluation of liver/renal function test, full blood count and serum β hCG. By the 4th week of treatment the success of her treatment was confirmed by the insignificant level of β hCG and findings at TVS. She was counselled on the need for prompt localization of any subsequent pregnancy.
Conclusion: We presented Mrs AW who was successfully managed for unruptured ectopic pregnancy using the medical/non-surgical approach on out-patient basis. Proper patient selection and follow-up is required for a favourable outcome,