Unrecognised Second-Trimester Pregnancy With Fetal Demise Presenting as Acute Abdomen and a Negative Pregnancy Test

A woman in her early 20s presented with abdominal pain and a heavy period, unaware that she was 18 weeks pregnant. Despite a negative urine pregnancy test, imaging revealed intrauterine fetal demise. This rare case highlights the importance of maintaining clinical suspicion and performing early imaging, as pregnancy tests may yield false-negative results in cases of miscarriage and fetal demise. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is produced by the placenta, but when a pregnancy fails to develop normally, such as in miscarriage, hCG levels may be lower than expected or decline, leading to negative test results despite advanced gestation.

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Cureus
Published
2025-12-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.98517
Primary Topic
Ectopic Pregnancy Diagnosis and Management
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Unrecognised Second-Trimester Pregnancy With Fetal Demise Presenting as Acute Abdomen and a Negative Pregnancy Test

Cureus
Ectopic Pregnancy Diagnosis and Management
article

Unrecognised Second-Trimester Pregnancy With Fetal Demise Presenting as Acute Abdomen and a Negative Pregnancy Test

article en

Abstract

A woman in her early 20s presented with abdominal pain and a heavy period, unaware that she was 18 weeks pregnant. Despite a negative urine pregnancy test, imaging revealed intrauterine fetal demise. This rare case highlights the importance of maintaining clinical suspicion and performing early imaging, as pregnancy tests may yield false-negative results in cases of miscarriage and fetal demise. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is produced by the placenta, but when a pregnancy fails to develop normally, such as in miscarriage, hCG levels may be lower than expected or decline, leading to negative test results despite advanced gestation.

CureusVol. 17(12)
Northampton General Hospital (GB)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 32%
Ectopic Pregnancy Diagnosis and Management
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.