Misdiagnosis of a Term Abdominal Ectopic Pregnancy: A Case Report

Abdominal ectopic pregnancy is a rare and life-threatening condition, often misdiagnosed due to its nonspecific clinical presentation and imaging challenges. We present a case of a 20-year-old primigravida at 39+6 weeks of gestation that was initially misdiagnosed as complete placenta previa with transverse lie and was only identified as abdominal ectopic pregnancy intraoperatively. An emergency cesarean section was planned for suspected placenta previa, during which an intact amniotic sac was found in the peritoneal cavity, with placental attachment to the greater omentum, left ovary, and fallopian tube for which cesarean section was converted to the laparotomy. The baby was live at birth but succumbed to respiratory distress on the third day of life. A multidisciplinary team helped in optimizing maternal outcomes. Early recognition, appropriate imaging, and surgical expertise are essential to reduce morbidity and mortality.