{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]],"date-time":"2026-03-20T18:07:49Z","timestamp":1774030069532,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":9,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]],"date-time":"2026-03-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773964800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Ectopic pregnancy occurs in about 1\u20132% of all pregnancies, with 95% implanting in the fallopian tubes. Hepatic implantation is one of the rarest and most dangerous forms of abdominal ectopic pregnancy. Its diagnosis is often delayed because of nonspecific symptoms, and it is also often difficult for routine ultrasound imaging to visualize ectopic pregnancy sites that are not in the pelvis. Since this type of pregnancy carries a risk of severe hemorrhage, early identification is crucial. Case: A 30-year-old woman, gravida 3 para 2, presented with a serum \u03b2-hCG of 66,408 mIU\/mL, but no intrauterine pregnancy was detected on ultrasound imaging. At an outside facility, a laparoscopy was performed, which also failed to show a pelvic ectopic pregnancy. The patient then received her first dose of methotrexate and was subsequently transferred to a tertiary care center for further evaluation. MRI and liver ultrasound showed a 2.3 cm subcapsular lesion in segment 5 of the liver that was suspicious for a hepatic ectopic pregnancy. However, these imaging studies could not exclude a gestational trophoblastic disease or hepatic neoplasm. A dilation and curettage revealed no trophoblastic tissue. The patient next received two additional doses of methotrexate on hospital days 4 and 7 due to an inadequate decline in interval \u03b2-hCG; \u03b2-hCG levels declined gradually but steadily over several months until they became undetectable and indicated a successful medical treatment of her hepatic ectopic pregnancy. Conclusions: This case highlights the complex diagnostic and treatment challenges presented by a hepatic ectopic pregnancy. Multimodal imaging, serial monitoring of \u03b2-hCG levels, and the engagement of a multidisciplinary team were essential factors in achieving a safe, nonsurgical, and successful resolution of this condition. When a pregnancy of unknown location is suspected, extended imaging studies are critical tools for patient evaluation after initial imaging studies and laparoscopy are inconclusive.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15062388","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]],"date-time":"2026-03-20T17:02:43Z","timestamp":1774026163000},"page":"2388","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Hepatic Ectopic Pregnancy: A Diagnostic Challenge Highlighted by Multimodal Imaging"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-0488-6345","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Puja","family":"Punukollu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-5086-4498","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lindsey","family":"Grater","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-5984-5635","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Claudia","family":"Szlek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rebecca","family":"Joseph","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"John","family":"Lue","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6226-4082","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"James","family":"Maher","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1026-8388","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lawrence","family":"Devoe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Vadakekut, E.S. (2025, August 23). Ectopic Pregnancy. StatPearls. 27 March 2025, Available online: https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK539860\/."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Committee on Practice Bulletins\u2014Gynecology (2018). This Practice Bulletin was developed by the Committee on Practice Bulletins\u2014Gynecology in collaboration with Kurt T. Barnhart. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 191: Tubal ectopic pregnancy. Obstet. Gynecol., 131, e65\u2013e77.","DOI":"10.1097\/AOG.0000000000002464"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hailu, F.G., Yihunie, G.T., Essa, A.A., and Tsega, W.K. (2017). Advanced abdominal pregnancy, with live fetus and severe preeclampsia, case report. 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Physician"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"84","DOI":"10.1007\/s44337-024-00109-4","article-title":"Ultrasonic diagnosis of hepatic ectopic pregnancy: A case report","volume":"1","author":"Cheng","year":"2024","journal-title":"Discov. Med."},{"key":"ref_8","first-page":"778","article-title":"The medical management of ectopic pregnancy: A meta-analysis comparing \u201csingle dose\u201d and \u201cmultidose\u201d regimens","volume":"101","author":"Barnhart","year":"2003","journal-title":"Obstet. Gynecol."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"78","DOI":"10.1002\/ijgo.70275","article-title":"Diagnosis and management of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia","volume":"171","author":"Ngan","year":"2025","journal-title":"Int. J. Gynecol. Obstet."}],"container-title":["Journal of Clinical Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/15\/6\/2388\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]],"date-time":"2026-03-20T17:09:53Z","timestamp":1774026593000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/15\/6\/2388"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]]},"references-count":9,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]}},"alternative-id":["jcm15062388"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jcm15062388","relation":{},"ISSN":["2077-0383"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2077-0383","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]]}}}