Objective:

Report two cases of advanced ectopic abdominal pregnancy with good maternal/perinatal outcomes, and to review the literature available regarding the management of the placenta and the prognosis for this condition.

Materials and methods:

Description of two cases of advanced ectopic abdominal pregnancies with viable fetuses and favourable perinatal outcomes, in which the placenta was removed. The cases were seen at a Level IV institution in the city of Cali, Colombia. Review of the literature registered in the Medline data base via Pubmed using the search terms "abdominal pregnancy", "splenic pregnancy", "hepatic pregnancy", "omental pregnancy" and "peritoneal pregnancy". The search was limited to articles published in English and Spanish during the past 12 years.

Results:

Overall, 228 references were retrieved, of which 42 articles reporting on a total of 74 patients with ectopic abdominal pregnancy met the inclusion criteria. Regarding the management of the placenta, it was removed in 42 cases (58%). There were 4 cases of maternal mortality (4,1%) all of them due to postpartum bleeding. Complications occurred in 60 patients (81%), bleeding being the most frequent in 38 of them (51%). As for perinatal outcome, perinatal mortality was 43.8%. Conclusion: Placental management is the the key determinant factor of the frequency of maternal complications. Prospective studies to assess the safest and most effective management of this condition are required.

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