An ectopic pregnancy happens when a fertilized egg starts to grow somewhere other than the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube. (It's sometimes called a tubal pregnancy.) It can cause life-threatening bleeding, so it needs to be ended quickly.
Last Revised: September 27, 2012
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine & Rebecca H. Allen, MD, MPH - Obstetrics and Gynecology & Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
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