An inguinal hernia that suddenly becomes irreducible may be secondary to a variety of other underlying conditions which can occasionally mislead the attending surgeon. Benign, inflammatory or neoplastic processes, as well as surgical emergencies such as intraperitoneal or retroperitoneal haemorrhage, have all been previously reported to mimic an inguinal hernia that suddenly becomes irreducible with or without clinical features of strangulation. We add an additional interesting presentation to this list in the form of a ruptured ectopic pregnancy, which is the first such case reported in the literature. A swelling in the groin may be much more complicated than it seems on superficial consideration and good clinical acumen is constantly required in managing such cases if a satisfactory outcome without any morbidity is to be expected.
Diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy prior to rupture is an arduous task even with the availability of many new investigative methods and imaging modalities. Above all, a high index of suspicion is necessary when dealing with women who present in early pregnancy with abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. With the increased use of ovulation induction agents, the probability of heterotropic pregnancy should be kept in mind. The use of transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) will help in earlier diagnosis because of its advantages over transabdominal ultrasonography (TAS).
Appendicitis in pregnancy has a well documented high morbidity due to the difficulty in diagnosis. However, synchronous ectopic pregnancy and appendicitis is a rare event. This report describes the case of a 22-year-old lady of Bangladeshi origin who presented with both these conditions. The importance of prompt diagnosis and early surgical intervention, the inherent difficulties in diagnosis and the possible interrelated aetiological factors are discussed.
Ruptured pregnancy in the rudimentary horn of women who have had a vaginal delivery is rare and unpredictable. However, when undiagnosed, this condition could lead to maternal morbidity and mortality. We report a pregnancy at 19 weeks gestation presented with acute abdomen and hypovolemic shock. She was initially thought to have an intrauterine pregnancy with the provisional diagnosis of a ruptured uterus. Intraoperatively, a ruptured non-communicating right rudimentary horn with ex utero pregnancy was discovered.
Intramyometrial ectopic pregnancy (IMEP) is a rare form of ectopic pregnancy. It is defined as a conceptus implanted within the myometrium and is completely surrounded by myometrium with clear separation from both the uterine cavity and tubes. IMEP possesses not only diagnostic but also therapeutic challenge. The majority of reported cases were managed by hysterectomy. Early management of unruptured IMEP using methotrexate may help to preserve fertility. We, for the first time, report a case of ruptured IMEP managed successfully using suction and curettage followed by Bakri balloon tamponade and avoiding hysterectomy. Post-procedure, the patient received two doses of intramuscular methotrexate 50 mg/m2 due to plateauing serial beta human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) levels and subsequently achieved undetectable level 10 weeks post-methotrexate. She also had complete resolution of the ectopic intramyometrial mass.