Ultrasonographic differentiation of the gestational sac of early intrauterine pregnancy from the pseudogestational sac of ectopic pregnancy.

Abstract

A retrospective review of 128 consecutively scanned pregnant patients who had either early intrauterine pregnancies (IUP) or ectopic pregnancies was performed to determine the accuracy of the finding of an intrauterine double decidual sac (DDS) in distinguishing between these 2 groups of patients. The presence of a DDA correlated with an IUP in 59 of 60 patients (98.3%). Of 68 patients who lacked a DDS, only 4 had normal IUP; the remaining patients had either ectopic pregnancies or abnormal IUP. The findings of a DDS at ultrasonography is useful in making an early diagnosis of IUP, while its absence strongly suggests either an ectopic pregnancy or an abnormal IUP.