Pseudogestational sac
Updates to Article Attributes
A pseudogestational sac is the idea that a small amount of intrauterine fluid in the setting of a positive pregnancy test and abdominal pain could be could be erroneously interpreted as a truegestational sac inectopic pregnancy.
The sign was originally reported before the use of endovaginal ultrasound imaging imaging and caution caution should be exercised if considering diagnosing a pseudogestational sac with modern ultrasound equipment. In a woman with a postive beta-hCG, any intrauterine sac-like fluid collection seen on ultrasound is highly likely to be a gestational sac6.
Radiographic features
Ultrasound
- generally irregularly-shaped with pointed edges and/or filled with debris
- centrally located, rather than eccentrically located
- does not demonstrate ayolk sac
- a double decidual layer is compatible with intrauterine pregnancy, but lack of this sign is not specific for pseudogestational sac
- may be surrounded by a thick decidual layer
It should be distinguished from an intra-decidual sign, which is also a sign of an early pregnancy.
The idea of beta-hCG "discriminatory levels" has also undergone revision since this sign was formulated. Caution should be exercised in making a diagnosis of pseudogestational sac because an intrauterine fluid collection does not show a yolk sac at a beta-HCG level >2000 7. Therapy should not be initiated in a hemodynamically stable woman on the basis of a a single beta-hCG level.
-<p>A<strong> pseudogestational sac</strong> is the idea that a small amount of intrauterine fluid in the setting of a positive pregnancy test and abdominal pain could be erroneously interpreted as a true <a href="/articles/gestational-sac">gestational sac</a> in <a href="/articles/ectopic-pregnancy">ectopic pregnancy</a>.</p><p>The sign was originally reported before the use of endovaginal ultrasound imaging and caution should be exercised if considering diagnosing a pseudogestational sac with modern ultrasound equipment. In a woman with a postive beta-hCG, any intrauterine sac-like fluid collection seen on ultrasound is highly likely to be a gestational sac <sup>6</sup>.</p><h4>Radiographic features</h4><h5>Ultrasound</h5><ul>- +<p>A<strong> pseudogestational sac</strong> is the idea that a small amount of intrauterine fluid in the setting of a positive pregnancy test and abdominal pain could be erroneously interpreted as a true <a href="/articles/gestational-sac">gestational sac</a> in <a href="/articles/ectopic-pregnancy">ectopic pregnancy</a>.</p><p>The sign was originally reported before the use of endovaginal ultrasound imaging and caution should be exercised if considering diagnosing a pseudogestational sac with modern ultrasound equipment. In a woman with a postive beta-hCG, any intrauterine sac-like fluid collection seen on ultrasound is highly likely to be a gestational sac <sup>6</sup>.</p><h4>Radiographic features</h4><h5>Ultrasound</h5><ul>
-<li>does not demonstrate a <a href="/articles/yolk-sac">yolk sac</a>- +<li>does not demonstrate a <a href="/articles/yolk-sac">yolk sac</a>
-<li>a <a title="Double decidual sac sign (DDDS)" href="/articles/double-decidual-sac-sign-1">double decidual layer</a> is compatible with intrauterine pregnancy, but lack of this sign is not specific for pseudogestational sac<ul><li>may be surrounded by a thick decidual layer</li></ul>- +<li>a <a href="/articles/double-decidual-sac-sign-1">double decidual layer</a> is compatible with intrauterine pregnancy, but lack of this sign is not specific for pseudogestational sac<ul><li>may be surrounded by a thick decidual layer</li></ul>
-</ul><p>It should be distinguished from an <a href="/articles/intradecidual-sac-sign-1">intra-decidual sign</a>, which is also a sign of an <a href="/articles/early-pregnancy">early pregnancy</a>.</p><p>The idea of beta-hCG "discriminatory levels" has also undergone revision since this sign was formulated. Caution should be exercised in making a diagnosis of pseudogestational sac because an intrauterine fluid collection does not show a yolk sac at a beta-HCG level >2000 <sup>7</sup>. Therapy should not be initiated in a hemodynamically stable woman on the basis of a single beta-hCG level.</p>- +</ul><p>It should be distinguished from an <a href="/articles/intradecidual-sac-sign-1">intra-decidual sign</a>, which is also a sign of an <a href="/articles/early-pregnancy">early pregnancy</a>.</p><p>The idea of beta-hCG "discriminatory levels" has also undergone revision since this sign was formulated. Caution should be exercised in making a diagnosis of pseudogestational sac because an intrauterine fluid collection does not show a yolk sac at a beta-HCG level >2000 <sup>7</sup>. Therapy should not be initiated in a hemodynamically stable woman on the basis of a single beta-hCG level.</p>