ABSTRACT
Abdominal swellings may present at any stage of pregnancy. In early pregnancy the diagnosis would be similar to that of a non-pregnant female. However, as pregnancy advances, any abdominal mass may be displaced upwards and laterally, a fact that must be borne in mind when making a diagnosis. Lumps can arise from the skin and its appendages. Skin swellings are diagnosed by the fact that they do not move independently of the overlying skin. A punctum may be visible in sebaceous cysts, which may be tender and erythematous if they become infected. Swellings arising from the peritoneal cavity may cause generalised or localised abdominal swelling. The 5 Fs – Fluid, Faeces, Fetus, Flatus, and Fat, as well as large fibroids and ovarian cysts – should be considered when there is generalised abdominal distension. In the later stages of pregnancy, the conditions may be suspected when the abdominal enlargement is greater than would be expected for the gestational age.
