The incidence has been reported to be about 1:3,000 to 1:7,000 deliveries. History
In 1614 Mercier (also shown as Mercerus) described ovarian pregnancy for the first time, as a condition separate from a tubal pregnancy. Once the study of physiology emerged, Boehmer classified extra-uterine pregnancy into three classes: abdominal, ovarian, and tubal. There were many doubters that such a condition existed, particularly Mayer, who wrote an essay not only denying the existence of ovarian pregnancy, but demonstrating that recorded cases to that time were other conditions. Then Cohnstein proposed four criteria that would need to be present for ovarian pregnancy exist. His requirements were: 1) absence of the ovary on the side in which the alleged pregnancy was located; 2) connection of the uterus and sac via an ovarian ligament; 3) cylindrical tissue must line the layers of the sac with direct connection between the tunica albuginea and sac wall; and 4) evidence of the amniotic cavity connection to the ovarian follicle or corpus luteum. These were replaced by Otto Spiegelbergs criteria in 1878, which have been used into the 20th century with additions and modifications.Up to 1845, about 80 cases of ovarian pregnancy were proposed. With Mayers 1845 denial that ovarian pregnancy could exist, physicians began taking more care in their descriptions and analysis of cases. Though numerous cases were evaluated, some failed to provide microscopic evidence and others failed to show the necessary histological changes of pregnancy, or failed on one or more of the criteria.
In 1899, Catharine van Tussenbroek finally settled the question of the existence of ovarian pregnancy, by providing the first accurate clinical and histological description of a case. Though doubted, her results were confirmed three years later in a case by Thompson. References
Citations
Sources
Jacobson, Sidney D. (1908). "True Primary Ovarian Pregnancy: Operation; Recovery". In Brooks, Henry T. (ed.). Contributions to the Science of Medicine and Surgery: In celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary, 1882-1907, of the founding of the New York Post-Graduate Medical School and Hospital. New York: Jacobson New York Post-graduate Medical School and Hospital Faculty / Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. McDonald, Ellice (1914). Studies in gynecology and obstetrics. New York: American Medical Publishing Co. OCLC 11339026. Ray, Henry M. (June 1921). "Primary Ovarian and Primary Abdominal Pregnancy: Their Morphological Possibility". Surgery, Gynecology & Obstetrics. Chicago: Journal of the American College of Surgeons / Franklin H. Martin Memorial Foundation. 32. Retrieved 21 March 2016. Rizk, Botros R. M. B. (2010). Ultrasonography in Reproductive Medicine and Infertility. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-139-48457-2. Thorek, Max (February 1926). "Case of Ovarian Pregnancy with Histological Findings". The Illinois Medical Journal. Chicago: Illinois State Medical Society. 49: 106–111. Retrieved 6 April 2016. "Obstetrical Society of London". The British Medical Journal. London: Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society. 2 (2081): 1442. 17 November 1900. PMC 2463948.