Uterine tubes !

The uterine (Fallopian) tubes are two thin tubes from the uterus to the ovaries; they catch the egg and carry it, or the early embryo, to the uterus.

Official name: Uterine tube

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What it is

The two uterine (fallopian) tubes, from the uterus to each ovary.

What it does

Carry the egg and the early embryo toward the uterus.

Key facts

Where: Upper free edge of the broad ligament (mesosalpinx), 10–12 cm from the uterine cornu to the ovary: intramural part, isthmus, ampulla, infundibulum with fimbriae
Blood supply: Tubal branches of the uterine and ovarian arteries
Nerve: Ovarian and uterovaginal plexuses (T10–L1 sympathetic; vagal and S2–S4 parasympathetic)
Function: Egg capture, fertilisation (usually in the ampulla) and transport of the embryo to the uterus over 3–5 days

Relations

Course: From the uterine cornu laterally in the upper free edge of the broad ligament (mesosalpinx), arching over the ovary to open beside it
Below: Mesosalpinx, ovarian ligament and ovaries
In front: Round ligament of uterus, which leaves the uterus just below and in front of the tube
Lateral: Lateral pelvic wall and ovarian fossa; on the right the appendix lies close, on the left the sigmoid colon

How to find it

Not palpable when normal. At laparoscopy each tube is traced outward from the upper corner of the uterus in the free upper edge of the broad ligament, with the round ligament leaving just in front and below; the ovary lies beneath its outer end.

Examination

Chromopertubation at laparoscopy: dye passed through the cervix should be seen spilling from the fimbrial ends; no spill means a blocked tube

On imaging

Normal tubes are hard to see on ultrasound. A hydrosalpinx is a fluid-filled, tubular or sausage-shaped structure separate from the ovary, with incomplete folds; hysterosalpingography (HSG) and contrast sonography test patency by showing contrast filling the tubes and spilling freely into the peritoneum.

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

Pelvic inflammatory disease scars the tubes: tubal factor infertility, hydrosalpinx and a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy
Perihepatitis (Fitz-Hugh–Curtis syndrome): infection spreads from the open tubes up the paracolic gutter to the liver capsule
On the right, a tubal ectopic pregnancy or a tubo-ovarian abscess can mimic appendicitis, because the tube lies near the appendix
Opportunistic salpingectomy at hysterectomy or sterilisation is increasingly used, since many high-grade serous cancers are thought to start in the fimbriae

Development

The tubes form from the unfused upper parts of the paramesonephric (Müllerian) ducts; the funnel opening is the duct's original opening into the coelom.

Test yourself

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

In which part of the uterine tubes do most ectopic pregnancies occur?

The ampulla; the uterine tube is the site of the large majority of ectopic pregnancies.

How does pelvic inflammatory disease affect the uterine tubes?

It scars them: tubal factor infertility, hydrosalpinx and a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy.

What is Fitz-Hugh–Curtis syndrome?

Perihepatitis: infection spreads from the open uterine tubes up the paracolic gutter to the liver capsule.

What does chromopertubation show when the uterine tubes are patent?

Dye passed through the cervix spills from the fimbrial ends at laparoscopy; no spill means a blocked tube.

Why is opportunistic salpingectomy increasingly done at hysterectomy or sterilisation?

Many high-grade serous cancers are thought to start in the fimbriae of the uterine tubes.

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

Its names

Official Latin (TA2): tuba uterina TA2 3486
Official Spanish (DeCS): Trompas uterinas DeCS D005187
English (TA2): Uterine tube
Also called: fallopian tubes · tuba Falloppii · oviduct · fallopian tube

Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); DeCS; Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis: Fallopian Tube.

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Representative model, for educational purposes only.

Uterine tubes highlighted on the Durgical 3D model