What is a Mullerian duct anomaly?
During typical fetal development, two tube-like structures called the Müllerian ducts fuse together to create the uterus, fallopian tubes and majority of the vagina. When one of these structures does not fully develop, a malformation of the uterus or vagina occurs, and this is referred to as a Müllerian anomaly.
What is the most common Mullerian anomaly?
Bicornuate uterus (BU): This is the most common form of müllerian anomaly. Described as a womb with two horns. The womb is not pear-shaped, instead it is shaped like a heart, with a deep indentation at the top. This means that the baby has less space to grow than in a normally shaped womb.
What is Mullerian disease?
Collapse Section. Persistent Müllerian duct syndrome is a disorder of sexual development that affects males. Males with this disorder have normal male reproductive organs , though they also have a uterus and fallopian tubes, which are female reproductive organs .
What is Mullerian duct in female?
The Müllerian duct (MD) is the embryonic structure that develops into the female reproductive tract (FRT), including the oviduct, uterus, cervix and upper vagina. The FRT has essential functions in mammals, providing the site of fertilization, embryo implantation and fetal development.
What is another name of Mullerian duct?
The Müllerian ducts (or paramesonephric ducts) are paired ducts of mesodermal origin in the embryo. They run laterally down the side of the urogenital ridge and terminate at the Müllerian eminence in the primitive urogenital sinus.
How is uterine anomaly diagnosed?
Multiple imaging modalities exist to diagnose the presence of uterine anomalies. These include 2-dimensional (2D) ultrasound, 3D transvaginal ultrasound, saline infusion sonohysterography (SIS), hysterosalpingography (HSG), diagnostic hysteroscopy, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
What causes uterine malformations?
What are the causes of uterine malformations? Uterine malformations develop during pregnancy, and the main factors have a genetic cause or prenatal environmental factors.
Where does the Mullerian duct come from?
The müllerian ducts originate as longitudinal invaginations of coelomic epithelium on the anterolateral surface of the urogenital ridge. They elongate at week 9, with 3 recognizable regions: cranial vertical, horizontal, and caudal vertical.
What kind of uterus problems cause miscarriage?
Submucous fibroids (those that project into the uterine cavity and change its shape) and intracavitary fibroids (those within the uterine cavity) are more likely to cause a miscarriage than intramural fibroids (fibroids within the uterine wall) or subserosal fibroids (fibroids outside the uterine wall).
What are the different types of Mullerian anomalies?
There is not one cause of müllerian anomalies. Some may be hereditary, others may be attributed to a random gene mutation or developmental defect. There are several different forms of müllerian anomalies ranging from the absence of a uterus to the formation of a half uterus or a double uterus to a uterus divided by a septum.
Is the fallopian tube a Mullerian duct anomalies?
The fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, and superior aspect of the vagina originate from the Mullerian ducts; therefore, Mullerian duct anomalies (MDAs) can present with a wide range of anatomical disruptions in any of these reproductive organs.
What are the Class VII anomalies of Mullerian ducts?
Class VII anomalies are malformations caused by Diethylstilbestrol (DES). Mayer–Rokitansky–Kuster–Hauser (MRKH) syndrome is a class I developmental disorder of the mullerian ducts where the vagina and uterus are underdeveloped or absent.
Why is MRI used to diagnose Mullerian duct anomalies?
At this time, MRI is the modality of choice because of its high accuracy in detecting and accurately characterising Müllerian duct anomalies.