Abdominal ectopic pregnancy following a frozen embryo transfer cycle: a case report

BACKGROUND: Abdominal ectopic pregnancy (AEP) is a rare form of ectopic pregnancy. As the number of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures continues to increase, the incidence of AEP will also rise. However, the rarity and atypical presentation of AEP make early diagnosis challenging. CASE PRESENTATION: Herein, we report an AEP following frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) in an artificial cycle. The patient was misdiagnosed with implantation failure when the serum human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) level was detected as 2.59mIU/ml at fourteenth day after embryo transfer. Therefore, she was suggested to stop luteal phase support. However, a ruptured AEP was developed 33 days following embryo transfer, which was diagnosed by laparoscopic surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The case highlighted the delayed serum β-hCG and massive intraperitoneal hemorrhage may be clues to make early diagnosis of AEP. Clinicians must attach great importance to close monitoring and bear in mind the possibility of abdominal pregnancy.