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ectopic pregnancy |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.04 sec. |
ectopic pregnancyor extrauterine pregnancyCondition in which a fertilized egg is imbedded outside the uterus (see fertilization). Early on, it may resemble a normal pregnancy, with hormonal changes, amenorrhea, and development of a placenta. Later, most patients have pain as the growing embryo stretches the structure it is attached to. Rupture may cause life-threatening bleeding. A tubal pregnancy may result from obstruction of the egg's passage through the fallopian tube. In an ovarian pregnancy, the egg is fertilized before it leaves the ovary. Implantation elsewhere in the abdomen is an abdominal pregnancy. ectopic pregnancy [ek¦täp·ik ′preg·nən·sē] (medicine) Embryonic development outside the uterus, usually within the Fallopian tube. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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| Tubal pregnancy, which is potentially lethal and which can be dealt with by removing the tube even though it will foreseeably, though not intentionally, kill the fetus, is a classic instance of invoking the principle. A tubal pregnancy is a type of ectopic pregnancy in which a fertilized egg grows inside the fallopian tube, rather than in the uterus; it is often caused when a fallopian tube becomes scarred or blocked, preventing the egg from reaching its final destination in the uterine wall. A simple, reliable blood test for the protein-specific antibodies might help physicians fine-tune predictions of tubal pregnancy risk among such women and simplify the diagnosis of chlamydia-caused infertility, Stephens says. |
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