Meaning of ECTOPIC PREGNANCY

Pronunciation:			ek'tâpik 'pregnunsee
WordNet Dictionary
	Definition:		[n]  pregnancy resulting from gestation elsewhere than in the uterus
	Synonyms:		eccyesis, ectopic gestation, extrauterine gestation, extrauterine pregnancy, metacyesis
	See Also:		abdominal pregnancy, gestation, ovarian pregnancy, pregnancy, tubal pregnancy
Biology Dictionary
	Definition:		Implantation of an embryo and its subsequent development outside the uterus, most commonly in a fallopian tube. Ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy implanted at a site which does not permit development of the embryo. 98 percent of ectopic pregnancies are implanted in one of the fallopian tubes. The incidence of ectopic pregnancy is increased in the following conditions: pelvic inflammatory disease; the use of an intrauterine device as birth control; the use of progestin-only oral contraceptives. Aside from the fallopian tubes, ectopic pregnancies can occur in an ovary, the abdominal cavity, and in the broad ligament. Ectopic pregnancy is a medical emergency as a ruptured ectopic pregnancy can often result in severe hemorrhage leading to death. Other complications are: chronic salpingitis, sterility, intestinal obstruction and fistulae formation.