Hemorrhagic Contents Within Uterine Sac Mimicking Intrauterine Pregnancy on Point-of-Care Ultrasound: A Case Report of a Ruptured Ectopic Pregnancy

Abstract

We present a case of a female patient who presented to the emergency department (ED) with lower abdominal pain and was found to have a ruptured ectopic pregnancy with hemorrhagic uterine contents mimicking a fetal pole on bedside transabdominal point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). The case reinforces the importance of accurately interpreting the transabdominal pelvic POCUS for potential mimics of an intrauterine pregnancy. In addition, the case also emphasizes the performance of an abdominal ultrasound for free fluid assessment in the right and left upper quadrants to evaluate for free fluid in patients with concerns for a ruptured ectopic pregnancy.