[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [General pathology](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/) › [Female genital tract](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/areas/female-genital/) › Diseases of the fallopian tube # Diseases of the fallopian tube - Lesion The tube is small but busy: infection scars it, cysts hang from it, and its fimbriae are where most ovarian high-grade serous cancers really begin. Updated Nov 12, 2026 ## Key points - Suppurative salpingitis: gonococcus, Chlamydia or mixed flora; pyosalpinx and tubo-ovarian abscess; heals as hydrosalpinx with fused plicae. - Tuberculous salpingitis: blood-borne, caseating granulomas, often bilateral; a cause of infertility in endemic regions. - Salpingitis isthmica nodosa: nodular thickening of the isthmus with epithelial diverticula in hypertrophic muscle; linked to infertility and ectopic pregnancy. - Paratubal cysts and hydatids of Morgagni (near the fimbria) are Müllerian remnants filled with clear fluid. - Adenomatoid tumour: small benign mesothelial nodule under the serosa. - Serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC) in the fimbria is the precursor of most pelvic high-grade serous carcinoma. ## What it is Most diseases of the fallopian tube are inflammatory. Suppurative salpingitis is part of pelvic inflammatory disease, and tuberculous salpingitis is a granulomatous form important where tuberculosis is common; both heal with scarring that causes infertility and ectopic pregnancy. Paratubal cysts and the hydatid of Morgagni are common harmless remnants, and the adenomatoid tumour is a small benign mesothelial nodule. The tubal fimbria is now recognised as the origin of most high-grade serous carcinomas once called ovarian. ## Structure - Acute salpingitis: swollen, red tube with neutrophils in the mucosa and pus in the lumen. - Hydrosalpinx: a dilated thin-walled tube filled with clear fluid, its plicae flattened or fused into a network. - Tuberculous: enlarged, sometimes beaded tube with caseating granulomas in the mucosa and wall. - Paratubal cyst: a smooth translucent cyst lined by a single layer of tubal-type epithelium. - Adenomatoid tumour: gland-like and slit-like spaces lined by flat to cuboidal mesothelial cells (calretinin and WT1 positive). ## Step by step - Bacteria ascend from the cervix, or mycobacteria arrive by blood. - Inflammation destroys ciliated epithelium and fills the lumen with exudate. - Fibrosis fuses the plicae and closes the fimbrial end; secretions accumulate (hydrosalpinx). - Damaged tubes fail to transport the ovum and embryo: infertility or ectopic pregnancy. ## Clinical notes - Tubal factor infertility is often the first sign of a silent past chlamydial infection. - Removing both tubes (salpingectomy) at other pelvic surgery is used to reduce the future risk of high-grade serous carcinoma. - Paratubal cysts are usually incidental but can twist and cause acute pain. ## Memory aid The tube scars after infection, swells with water after scarring, and hides the start of serous cancer at its fingertips. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## What is a hydrosalpinx? A tube distended with clear fluid after chronic salpingitis has closed the fimbrial end and flattened the plicae. ## Where do most pelvic high-grade serous carcinomas begin? In the fimbria of the fallopian tube, as serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma. ## How does tuberculosis reach the fallopian tube? By the blood stream from a primary focus, usually the lung; it causes caseating granulomatous salpingitis. [Add to my cards (3)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/general-pathology/diseases-of-the-fallopian-tube/) [More Pathology questions →](https://durgical.com/en/practice/?f=pathology) ## Elsewhere in DurgiPedia - [Uterine tube](https://durgical.com/en/histology/uterine-tube/) ## Connections ## Related 6 - [Pelvic inflammatory disease](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/pelvic-inflammatory-disease/) - [Ectopic pregnancy](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/ectopic-pregnancy/) - [High-grade serous carcinoma](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/high-grade-serous-carcinoma/) - [Acute and chronic endometritis](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/acute-and-chronic-endometritis/) - [Granulomatous inflammation: caseating vs non-caseating, the causes to know](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/granulomatous-inflammation-caseating-vs-non-caseating-the-causes-to-know/) - [Fibrosis in organs: TGF-β and the myofibroblast](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/fibrosis-in-organs-tgf-and-the-myofibroblast/) ## Related conditions 6 - [Pelvic inflammatory disease](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/pelvic-inflammatory-disease/) - [Ectopic pregnancy](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/ectopic-pregnancy/) - [Female infertility](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/female-infertility/) - [Tuberculosis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/tuberculosis/) - [Ovarian torsion](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/ovarian-torsion/) - [Ovarian cancer](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/ovarian-cancer/) ## Microorganisms 3 - [Mycobacterium tuberculosis](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/mycobacterium-tuberculosis/) - [Chlamydia trachomatis](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/chlamydia-trachomatis/) - [Neisseria gonorrhoeae](https://durgical.com/en/microbiology/neisseria-gonorrhoeae/) [← All of general pathology](https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/) Educational content on the mechanisms of disease; not a diagnostic or treatment guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given. Sources: [Pelvic Inflammatory Disease](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499959/) (StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf), 2026); [Ovarian Epithelial, Fallopian Tube, and Primary Peritoneal Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version](https://www.cancer.gov/types/ovarian/hp/ovarian-epithelial-treatment-pdq) (National Cancer Institute, 2026). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/diseases-of-the-fallopian-tube/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/general-pathology/diseases-of-the-fallopian-tube/