Coexistence of a heterotopic pregnancy associated with a homolateral ovarian cyst in a patient submitted to elective abortion

The authors describe the case of a right tubal pregnancy of delayed diagnos is in a 31-year-old nullipara, who was submitted to voluntary termination d uring the 7th week of pregnancy and who presented a homolateral ovarian cys t, Two weeks later the patient presented pelvic pain and intraperitoneal fl uid layer, while plasma beta-hCG was 1,262 IU/ml, The case history was comp licated by recent termination surgery and presence of an ovarian cyst, but a plasma beta-hCG assay and transvaginal ultrasonography oriented the diagn osis towards a previously un revealed heterotopic pregnancy. The fallopian tu be and the ovarian cyst were removed by laparoscopy. The case points out to the fact that, though rare, heterotopic pregnancy must always be consid ered one of the possible complications of spontaneous pregnancy. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.