Extrauterine pregnancy (EUG) can have different causes. What causes ectopic pregnancy and other forms of ectopic pregnancy? By what symptoms can the presence of extrauterine pregnancy be recognized? You can find out here.
How does extrauterine pregnancy occur?
Numerous pre-existing conditions and other factors increase the risk of EUG. These include inflammation of the ovary and fallopian tubes (adnexitis), for example, from STDs such as chlamydia, which may cause damage to the fine cilia (which “propel” the egg in the fallopian tube) or adhesions in the fallopian tubes. This can cause the egg to get “caught” in the folds or get stuck – due to a narrowing.
Other causes of extrauterine pregnancy
Sometimes the fallopian tubes are too long, have some other congenital malformation, or their muscles do not work properly, so the fertilized egg also has difficulty reaching the uterus in time. Previous miscarriages, abortions or operations on the uterus or abdomen also make it difficult for the egg to migrate, especially due to adhesions.
It is also discussed that the egg itself may have a regulatory disorder and thus migrate particularly slowly or, conversely, very quickly and thus not remain in the uterus, but instead explore the other fallopian tube from there.
In addition, hormone disorders or treatments as well as an intrauterine device (“IUD”) are possible causes for pregnancies outside the uterus. In addition, smoking, frequent use of vaginal douches, early sexual intercourse and frequently changing sexual partners are suspected of increasing the risk of EUG.
If extrauterine pregnancy has already occurred once, the risk of recurrence increases to 10 to 15 percent.
Heterotopic pregnancy
In addition, so-called heterotopic pregnancy, in which a normal pregnancy and an extrauterine pregnancy are present at the same time, may also occur. In this case, the risk that the latter will not be recognized and that complications will therefore arise is particularly high. The frequency is quite low, but has increased in recent years in the train of reproductive medicine as an aid in unfulfilled desire for children.
Tubal abortion and tubal rupture
Many tubal pregnancies perish at an early stage and the fruit is rejected unnoticed. In other cases, the embryo dies after about two weeks. Then there are two possibilities:
- In tubal abortion (90 percent of cases), the embryo is rejected into the free abdominal cavity where it is resorbed.
- In tubal rupture (10 percent of cases), the growing fruit causes a rupture of the fallopian tube with life-threatening internal bleeding.
Even if the egg has nested in other places, anything from unnoticed departure to dangerous bleeding can occur.
Symptoms: How to recognize extrauterine pregnancy?
Carrying the pregnancy to term in undetected cases is possible, but very rare. Signs that indicate extrauterine pregnancy (in known or still undetected pregnancy) are:
- Possible spotting, rare heavier bleeding from the vagina (usually after the period has initially stopped).
- Rather unilateral, usually increasing abdominal pain that is cramp or contraction-like (in tubal abortion) or sudden onset of pain that resembles the sensation of something tearing (in tubal rupture).
- Sudden abdominal pain, abdomen sensitive to touch and hard, nausea, feeling of weakness, rapid pulse, severely impaired general condition and other complaints indicating acute abdomen, as a sign that bleeding into the abdominal cavity has occurred (for example, due to tubal rupture). This may also cause irritation of the diaphragm, resulting in shoulder pain.
