Chronic ectopic pregnancy. A survey of 54 cases.

The diagnosis of chronic ectopic pregnancy is very often difficult. The subtle and long-standing symptoms, the relative paucity of clinical signs and the high incidence of false-negative results of relevant investigations contribute to the mimicry of many other intraabdominal conditions by chronic ectopic pregnancy. Surgery for chronic ectopic implantation is frequently difficult since chronic inflammatory changes involving the bladder, bowel and ureters distort the normal anatomy, and the incidence of postoperative complications is high. There is a surprising shortage of literature in which this disease is recognized as an entity separate from the condition of acute ectopic pregnancy.