Making the Diagnosis
The doctor will do a pelvic examination, blood tests, and ultrasound to
check for an ectopic pregnancy. If your blood or urine tests show you're
pregnant, but your uterus isn't getting bigger, you may have an ectopic pregnancy.
Blood tests that show low levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)
or a slower than usual rise in hCG can point to an ectopic pregnancy. An ultrasound
scan will then be done to see if the uterus is empty. The scan can also show
blood in the abdominal or pelvic cavities. A fiber-optic tube attached to a
camera called a laparascope can be inserted through the abdomen to allow
the doctor to look inside the uterus. Rarely, a procedure called culdocentesis
may also be done to look for unusual fluid in the area behind the uterus.