Conclusion

EP is the leading cause of maternal death in the first trimester of pregnancy. This can be avoided because this condition can be diag­nosed and treated easily. This depends on the healthcare provider and the woman considering the diagnosis and being aware of the overlap of EP symptoms with those of healthy pregnancy and other unrelated medical conditions.

Once the diagnosis is made, laparoscopy is appropriate in the vast majority of cases, and surgery can be avoided entirely in selected women. Careful counselling of women and close monitoring as an outpatient are effective and safe where there is recourse to emer­gency surgery as the need arises or the woman wishes.

Future research is being directed at identification of a serum marker to diagnose EP at the initial presentation to aid earlier diag­nosis (40-42). The combination of methotrexate with gefitinib (an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor) is currently being tested in a clinical trial to improve the resolution time and efficacy of med­ical treatment (43, 44).