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# Infundibulum and fimbriae

The infundibulum is the funnel-shaped outer end of the [uterine tube](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/uterine-tube/), fringed by finger-like fimbriae that sweep over the ovary to catch the egg.

Official name: Infundibulum of uterine tube

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## What it is

The funnel-shaped outer end of the tube, fringed with finger-like fimbriae next to the ovary.

## What it does

Sweeps over the ovary to catch the egg at ovulation.

## Key points

- Its abdominal opening leaves the female peritoneal cavity open to the outside; in the male the peritoneal cavity is closed
- The fimbriae are thought to be where many high-grade serous "ovarian" cancers begin (serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma)
- After infection the fimbriae can stick together and seal the opening (fimbrial phimosis), leading to a hydrosalpinx

## Key facts

**Where**
Funnel-shaped lateral end opening into the peritoneal cavity (abdominal ostium), fringed by fimbriae; one ovarian fimbria attaches to the ovary

**Function**
Sweeps the ovarian surface to capture the oocyte at ovulation

## Relations

**Medial**
[Ampulla of uterine tube](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/ampulla-of-uterine-tube/)

**Below**
[Ovaries](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/ovary/), over whose tubal pole it curves

**Lateral**
Lateral pelvic wall, near the [suspensory ligament of ovary](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/suspensory-ligament-of-ovary/)

## How to find it

At laparoscopy the fringed funnel lies at the free lateral end of the tube, curled over the ovary near the suspensory ligament; in chromopertubation dye should flow out of its opening.

## On imaging

A normal tube is usually not seen on ultrasound unless fluid surrounds it. On hysterosalpingography contrast fills the tube and spills freely from the fimbrial end into the [peritoneum](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/peritoneum/); no spill with a dilated tube means a blocked end. On ultrasound a hydrosalpinx is a sausage-shaped fluid tube with incomplete folds. MRI or CT help with tubo-ovarian abscess or torsion.

## Common problems

- Ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy that implants in the tube).
- Infection (pelvic inflammatory disease) that can scar and block the tubes and cause infertility.

## How it is diagnosed

Ultrasound and a pregnancy hormone (hCG) test for ectopic pregnancy; tests of tubal patency for infertility.

## Treatment

- Tubal ligation or removal of the tubes (salpingectomy) for permanent contraception.
- An ectopic pregnancy is treated with medicine (methotrexate) or surgery.

## Clinical notes

- Risk-reducing surgery for inherited ovarian cancer risk always removes the tubes with their fimbriae, not only the ovaries
- The fimbrial end can twist on its own (isolated tubal torsion), a rare cause of acute pelvic pain

## Anatomical variants

- Hydatid of Morgagni: a small cyst on a stalk hanging from the fimbriae, a paramesonephric remnant, usually found by chance

## Development

The opening is the original cranial opening of the paramesonephric duct into the coelom, which is why it stays open to the peritoneal cavity.

## Related conditions

- [Ovarian cancer](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/ovarian-cancer/)

## Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

## Why is the female peritoneal cavity open to the outside, unlike the male?

The abdominal opening of the infundibulum of the uterine tube communicates with the peritoneal cavity.

## Where are many high-grade serous «ovarian» cancers thought to begin?

In the fimbriae of the infundibulum (serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma).

## What is fimbrial phimosis and what does it lead to?

After infection the fimbriae stick together and seal the opening, leading to a hydrosalpinx.

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Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.

## Its names

**Official Latin (TA2)**
infundibulum tubae uterinae; fimbriae tubae uterinae TA2 3488

**Official Spanish (DeCS)**
Infundíbulo de la trompa uterina

**English (TA2)**
Infundibulum of uterine tube

## Related

- [Ampulla of uterine tube](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/ampulla-of-uterine-tube/)
- [Ovaries](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/ovary/)

Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); [Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis: Fallopian Tube](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547660/).

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

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Source: https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/infundibulum-of-uterine-tube/
License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/infundibulum-of-uterine-tube/