Huang WJ, Zhao XR, Cao YQ, Huang XZ, Lai WL, Xi Y, Wu HY. Subhepatic ectopic pregnancy in Müllerian anomaly localized by large-field-of-view magnetic resonance imaging: A case report. World J Clin Cases 2026; 14(8): 117957 [DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v14.i8.117957]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Hui-Ying Wu, Professor, Department of Radiology, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Jinsui Road, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong Province, China. huiying1980@126.com
Research Domain of This Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Article-Type of This Article
Case Report
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This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Mar 16, 2026 (publication date) through Mar 27, 2026
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Journal Information of This Article
Publication Name
World Journal of Clinical Cases
ISSN
2307-8960
Publisher of This Article
Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Huang WJ, Zhao XR, Cao YQ, Huang XZ, Lai WL, Xi Y, Wu HY. Subhepatic ectopic pregnancy in Müllerian anomaly localized by large-field-of-view magnetic resonance imaging: A case report. World J Clin Cases 2026; 14(8): 117957 [DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v14.i8.117957]
Wen-Jing Huang, Xiao-Rui Zhao, Yu-Qing Cao, Xiao-Zhu Huang, Wen-Li Lai, Yue Xi, Hui-Ying Wu, Department of Radiology, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong Province, China
Co-first authors: Wen-Jing Huang and Xiao-Rui Zhao.
Author contributions: Huang WJ, Zhao XR, and Lai WL contributed to manuscript writing and editing; Huang WJ and Zhao XR contributed equally to this manuscript as co-first authors; Huang XZ and Xi Y contributed to collect and edit images and pathology; Wu HY contributed to conceptualization and supervision; All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Corresponding author: Hui-Ying Wu, Professor, Department of Radiology, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Jinsui Road, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong Province, China. huiying1980@126.com
Received: December 23, 2025 Revised: January 9, 2026 Accepted: February 27, 2026 Published online: March 16, 2026 Processing time: 84 Days and 6.9 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is rarely associated with congenital Müllerian anomalies, such as unicornuate uterus and undescended fallopian tube pregnancy. When EP occurs in extra-pelvic locations like the subhepatic space, diagnosis is often challenging, particularly when initial pelvic imaging is inconclusive.
CASE SUMMARY
We report a rare case of a 28-year-old woman presenting with subhepatic EP. Symptoms included amenorrhea, intermittent right upper abdominal pain, and elevated serum beta human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) level (4087.42 mIU/mL). Transvaginal ultrasound was non-diagnostic, failing to locate the gestational sac or right adnexa. Crucially, large-field-of-view (LFOV) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) localized the ectopic sac between the inferior hepatic edge and right iliac fossa. Laparoscopy confirmed tubal EP within an undescended right fallopian tube, along with a left unicornuate uterus and contralateral rudimentary horn.
CONCLUSION
This case underscores the critical diagnostic utility of LFOV MRI in accurately pinpointing extra-pelvic EP when pelvic ultrasound is negative and β-hCG is high, particularly essential in complex cases involving congenital Müllerian anomalies, thereby facilitating timely, life-saving intervention.
Core Tip: Large-field-of-view magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a necessary problem-solving tool for rare extra-pelvic ectopic pregnancy (e.g., subhepatic) when transvaginal ultrasound is inconclusive in patients with Müllerian anomalies. MRI’s comprehensive anatomical coverage is crucial for early and accurate localization.
