SONOGRAPHIC APPEARANCE OF THE BROAD LIGAMENT IN SMALL ECTOPIC PREGNANCY.

During the past year, 70 patients were studied by sonography to rule out tubal pregnancy. Significant over-distension of the urinary bladder was attempted by rapid oral hydration or instillation of saline into the bladder. The normal ligament appeared as a linear, hypoechoic structure with thin walls. In 15 patients with surgically proven ectopic pregnancy there was unilateral thickening (localized or generalized) of ligament (on the side of tubal pregnancy) with focal, marked increase in echogenicity. When the extrauterine pregnancy is small with only minimal amount of hemorrhage surrounding it, the sonographic visualization becomes difficult by conventional sonographic methods. With the maneuver described above, we are now able to visualize the broad ligament and the tube.