Ectopic pregnancy - Diagnosing ectopic pregnancy

It's difficult to diagnose an ectopic pregnancy from the symptoms alone, as they can be similar to other conditions.

Your GP may examine you and offer a pregnancy test. If you have the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy and a positive pregnancy test, you may be referred to a an early pregnancy assessment service for further testing.

Some of these tests are outlined below.

Blood tests

If you start to have symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy a few weeks into your pregnancy, you may be offered a blood test to measure blood levels of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which is produced by placental tissue.

The hCG levels are usually lower than normal if your pregnancy is ectopic, or you're going to have a miscarriage.

Read more information about blood tests.

Vaginal ultrasound

An ectopic pregnancy is usually diagnosed by carrying out a transvaginal ultrasound scan.

This uses high-frequency sound waves to create an image of your reproductive system.

A small probe is inserted into your vagina, to take a close-up image of your womb and surrounding areas. It will usually show the location of your pregnancy.

Laparoscopy

If a diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy has still not been confirmed, a laparoscopy may be performed.

This is a direct examination of the womb and fallopian tubes using a viewing tube (a laparoscope), which is passed through a small opening in the wall of your abdomen.

The procedure is done under general anaesthetic (meaning you are put to sleep).

Scan

Ultrasound scans are a way of producing pictures of inside the body using sound waves.