A woman at 12 weeks of gestation presents with bleeding and a dilated cervix. What is the most likely diagnosis?

The scenario describes a woman at 12 weeks of gestation experiencing bleeding and a dilated cervix. The most likely diagnosis in this case is inevitable abortion.

Inevitable abortion is characterized by the presence of vaginal bleeding and cervical dilation, signaling that the pregnancy is not viable and that the process of miscarrying is underway. In this instance, the combination of bleeding and a dilated cervix indicates that the woman’s body is preparing to expel the tissue of the pregnancy, which aligns with the definition of an inevitable abortion.

Understanding the context clarifies the distinctions among the other possible diagnoses. For example, threatened abortion typically involves bleeding without cervical dilation, suggesting that the pregnancy may still continue. Incomplete abortion refers to a situation where some tissue has been expelled but not all, often with ongoing bleeding and closed cervix. Finally, complete abortion occurs when all products of conception have been expelled from the uterus, which is usually indicated by the cessation of bleeding and closure of the cervix.

Therefore, in the presence of both vaginal bleeding and a dilated cervix at this stage of pregnancy, the classification of inevitable abortion is the most appropriate diagnosis.