[Gynaecological emergencies].

Any primary care doctor should be prepared to encounter and to handle gynaecological emergencies in patients, even those in critically ill states. We want to present a concentrated review on some of the "hard" gynaecological emergencies like extrauterine pregnancy, abortion, and malignancy associated hemorrhage. Moreover, there is another group of patients with "soft" gynaecological emergencies, as for instance the distressing symptoms caused by a vulvovaginal infection. Despite most advanced strategies for early detection, emergency situations caused by ectopic pregnancies still happen. Ectopic pregnancies are most frequently located in the fallopian tubes. Tubal abortion and tubal rupture are very demanding situations in the course of a tubal pregnancy that need immediate assessment and treatment, and maybe emergency life support. Of all the different types of abortion, incomplete abortion is most likely to provoke life-threatening situations. Incomplete expulsion of the products of conception may lead to severe bleeding from the uterus. Immediate uterine curettage is required in this case. Advanced stages of cervical cancer may cause life-threatening hemorrhages as a result of vascular arrosion. Ovarian torsion is a gynaecological emergency characterised by acute abdominal pain.