Yes, it is possible Beta-hCG is positive and the woman is not pregnant. This is called a test. false positive and occurs in cases of germinal tumors (ovarian or testicular - that is, Beta-hCG may be positive even in men, who obviously will not be pregnant). It may also occur in ectopic pregnancy (in which the embryo is not implanted in the correct place, usually implanting in the uterine tubes). In these cases, pregnancy will certainly not go to term and it is a condition of urgency that must be treated surgically.
Samples of patients with trophoblastic diseases such as choriocarcinoma or hydatidiform mole which secrete hCG may also produce positive results in the absence of pregnancy. Finally, even healthy women not pregnant, when in menopause, may be false positive for pregnancy. Serial determinations may be used in the suspected abnormal pregnancy when the rate of elevation in hCG concentration is lower than expected.
It is important to remember that the diagnosis of pregnancy should not be based solely on the result of the laboratory examination, but rather on the correlation of the test result with the clinical signs and symptoms. In addition, a negative result should not be considered in isolation for pregnancy exclusion, suggesting that a new sample test be performed after 7 days (false negative). When the result is undetermined, special attention in evolution, with repetition after 72 hours.
The diagnosis of pregnancy can be made from the second day of menstrual delay and in normal pregnancy the concentration doubles every 2 days from the 2nd to the 5th week of evolution.
The interpretation of the results of the examination should be performed by the doctor who requested it, together with the history and clinical examination. For more information, consult a general practitioner or preferably a gynecologist.
