Abdominal pregnancy is a rare, life-threatening condition defined as pregnancy in the peritoneal cavity exclusive of tubal, ovarian, or intraligamentary locations. It can be primarily located in the peritoneal cavity or secondary to a ruptured
ectopic pregnancy or
tubal abortion. We present two cases of
abdominal pregnancy, one primary and another secondary, both diagnosed and successfully managed in our institution. The first patient, a para 2 at 14 weeks gestation, presented with
abdominal pain, distension, and
dizziness, which had started four days prior. The initial radiological scan reported an intrauterine pregnancy with
ascites, but a bedside ultrasound revealed an empty uterus and a viable pregnancy located in the Pouch of Douglas (POD). This was a secondary
abdominal pregnancy managed successfully by
laparotomy. The second patient, a para 3 + 4
miscarriages with seven weeks
amenorrhea was admitted with an initial diagnosis of pregnancy of unknown location. She had a beta
human chorionic gonadotropin level of 14 444 mIU/mL. Diagnostic laparoscopy revealed a
hemoperitoneum, bulky uterus, normal looking right and left adnexa, and a dense irregular
bleeding tissue of around 3 × 4 cm firmly attached to the POD. The histopathology report of the tissue retrieved from the POD confirmed products of conception. This case report supports the importance of awareness and high clinical suspicion for such a life-threatening condition to avoid maternal morbidity and mortality. To the best of our knowledge, no previous cases of
abdominal pregnancy have been reported in the UAE to date.