An
ectopic pregnancy is a very dangerous condition where a woman's fertilised
egg lodges in the
fallopian tube rather than in the
uterus. In a normal healthy
pregnancy the fertilised egg moves down to the uterus and settles into the prepared uterine lining, where it has plenty of room to divide and grow. In an ectopic pregnancy it attaches itself to the wall of the fallopian tube instead. As the embryo grows, the tube becomes stretched and inflamed and extremely painful. An ectopic pregnancy must be terminated as soon as it is detected or the fallopian tube will burst and death from blood loss and infection will ensue.
It is also possible but extremely rare for ectopic pregnancies to occur in other locations, such as the cervix.