Retroperitoneal Ectopic Pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Retroperitoneal ectopic pregnancies are rare and have a tendency to implant along major vessels of the abdomen and pelvis. Clinical manifestations can vary from no symptoms to hypovolemic shock and death.

CASE: A 30-year-old woman presented in hypovolemic shock with left flank and abdominal pain after attempting to medically terminate her first-trimester pregnancy. Intraoperative findings revealed normal pelvic organs with a massive retroperitoneal hematoma containing chorionic villi confirmed on histopathology.

CONCLUSIONS: In a woman with a pregnancy of unknown location presenting with worsening flank pain, a retroperitoneal ectopic pregnancy must be considered. Prompt diagnosis and management in a low-resource setting presents additional challenges.