Ectopic pregnancy occurs in 1% of pregnancies. This usually presents with vaginal bleeding with or without moderate to severe abdominal pain. This is a medical / surgical emergency.
An ultrasound scan is required if there is vaginal bleeding and / or abdominal pain as it is required to confirm that the fetus is within the uterus (i.e. not an ectopic pregnancy) and the heart beat of the fetus is present.
Treatment for ectopic miscarriages include:
Medical treatment with intramuscular methotrexate may be useful in specific scenarios.
Surgical treatment with laparoscopy to perform salpingotomy (removal of ectopic pregnancy tissue alone without removing the fallopian tube) or salpingectomy (removal of fallopian tube containing the ectopic pregnancy tissue)