The Epidemiology and Associated Factors of Ectopic Pregnancy in Saudi Arabia: A Literature Review.
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Family Medicine Ministry of the National Guard Health-Affairs Riyadh Saudi Arabia.
- 2College of Public Health and Health Informatics King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences Riyadh Saudi Arabia ksau-hs.edu.sa.
- 3King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC) Riyadh Saudi Arabia kaimrc.med.sa.
- 4College of Medicine King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences Riyadh Saudi Arabia ksau-hs.edu.sa.
Abstract
Background
Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is a serious maternal complication with a worldwide prevalence of about 2%. It is defined as the implantation of the product of conception outside the uterine cavity. Patients with EP may present with a wide range of clinical symptoms, including abdominal/pelvic pain, vaginal bleeding, missed menstrual cycle, and an empty uterine cavity on ultrasound. After diagnosing EPs, medical and/or surgical treatment options are available based on the patient's hemodynamic status, ectopic location, fetal cardiac activity, size of the gestational sac, level of β-HCG, and patient profile.Objective
This narrative literature review aims to summarize published primary studies on the epidemiology and reported associated factors of EP in Saudi Arabia between 2000 and 2024.Results
A total of 1342 EP cases were reported across the included studies. Reported prevalence estimates ranged from 0.23% to 1.20%. The reviewed studies were from different regions of the Kingdom, including Abha, Khamis Mushait, Yanbu, Makkah, Madina, Jeddah, Khobar, and Majmaah. The prevalence of EPs fluctuated between 2000 and 2019 and had three peaks: 1.13% (2012), 1.14% (2013), and 1.2% (2019). Multiple associated factors linked to EP were reported in this review, including a history of pelvic surgery, C-sections, previous EP, abortions, intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) use, and pelvic inflammatory diseases (PIDs).Conclusions
EP is a serious complication that causes significant maternal morbidity and mortality and has a substantial burden on the healthcare system. In this review, eleven studies were reviewed regarding the epidemiology of EPs in the Kingdom. No clear pattern or trend in prevalence was identified, although the majority of studies reported lower EP rates than the worldwide prevalence. Several associated factors were reported across the included studies; however, these findings should be interpreted cautiously because most studies were retrospective and descriptive in nature.
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BibTeX
@article{alkathiri2026epidemiology,
title = {{The Epidemiology and Associated Factors of Ectopic Pregnancy in Saudi Arabia: A Literature Review.}},
author = {Moath Alkathiri and Abdulrahman Almousa},
journal = {Obstetrics and gynecology international},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1155/ogi/8847352},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42928745},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The Epidemiology and Associated Factors of Ectopic Pregnancy in Saudi Arabia: A Literature Review.
AU - Moath Alkathiri
AU - Abdulrahman Almousa
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/25
JO - Obstetrics and gynecology international
DO - 10.1155/ogi/8847352
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42928745
AB - Background Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is a serious maternal complication with a worldwide prevalence of about 2%. It is defined as the implantation of the product of conception outside the uterine cavity. Patients with EP may present with a wide range of clinical symptoms, including abdominal/pelvic pain, vaginal bleeding, missed menstrual cycle, and an empty uterine cavity on ultrasound. After diagnosing EPs, medical and/or surgical treatment options are available based on the patient's hemodynamic status, ectopic location, fetal cardiac activity, size of the gestational sac, level of β-HCG, and patient profile.Objective This narrative literature review aims to summarize published primary studies on the epidemiology and reported associated factors of EP in Saudi Arabia between 2000 and 2024.Results A total of 1342 EP cases were reported across the included studies. Reported prevalence estimates ranged from 0.23% to 1.20%. The reviewed studies were from different regions of the Kingdom, including Abha, Khamis Mushait, Yanbu, Makkah, Madina, Jeddah, Khobar, and Majmaah. The prevalence of EPs fluctuated between 2000 and 2019 and had three peaks: 1.13% (2012), 1.14% (2013), and 1.2% (2019). Multiple associated factors linked to EP were reported in this review, including a history of pelvic surgery, C-sections, previous EP, abortions, intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) use, and pelvic inflammatory diseases (PIDs).Conclusions EP is a serious complication that causes significant maternal morbidity and mortality and has a substantial burden on the healthcare system. In this review, eleven studies were reviewed regarding the epidemiology of EPs in the Kingdom. No clear pattern or trend in prevalence was identified, although the majority of studies reported lower EP rates than the worldwide prevalence. Several associated factors were reported across the included studies; however, these findings should be interpreted cautiously because most studies were retrospective and descriptive in nature.
SN - 1687-9589
SN - 1687-9597
ER -