• What are congenital abnormalities of the uterus?

– Because of the defects in the growth and development of the uterine ducts during the fetal period, the shape and the structure of uterus will be disturbed.

– The natural formation of uterine organs will be complete in the three stages during the fifth to twelfth fetal weeks. If we have any defects in these stages, our uterus shape will be abnormal.

– In infertile women, this abnormality is more than other women. To understand the abnormalities of the uterus shape, you must first know the normal shape of the uterus. Actually, normal shape of the uterus in women is a triangle or a pear in reverse.

How many types of congenital uterus are there?

1- Incomplete uterine growth and lack of uterus formation:

In these patients, uterus isn’t formed or because of incomplete growth, uterus will be so small.

In these patients, the uterus is either not formed at all or is very small due to insufficient growth.

– Cause: lack of formation of uterine ducts before the fifth week of pregnancy and incomplete development of uterine ducts in 5-8 weeks of fetal development.

2- Unicorn uterus:

In this case, only half of the uterus will be formed. As a result, uterus has the spindle-shaped instead of triangular.

– Cause: just one of the uterus ducts will be develop in the 5-10 weeks of the fetus period.

3- Double uterus:

– The two halves of the uterus are completely separate from each other and they don’t have any connection with each other. Therefore, instead of a trapezoidal uterus shape, there are two halves spindle-shaped of the uterus.

– Cause: it doesn’t have any connection between the two uterus ducts in the ninth week of fetal development

4- Bicorn uterus:

In this situation, the uterus has a heart-shaped appearance instead of a triangle.

Cause: Incomplete connection between the two uterus ducts in the ninth week of fetal development.

5-Septate uterus:

In this case, the uterus has a triangular appearance, but a thin wall or blade divides the middle cavity into two parts. This anomaly is the most common congenital disorder of the shape of the uterus.

– Cause: lack of reabsorption or incomplete reabsorption of the wall between the two uterus ducts in the weeks 10 to 12 of pregnancy period.

6- Arcuate uterus:

In these cases, the uterus has a normal triangular shape, but only a small concavity can be seen in the upper wall of the uterus.

Cause:A very small part of the wall remains between the two ducts that make up the uterus

What are the complications of uterine abnormalities on pregnancy?

Infertility, repeated abortions, intrauterine death of the fetus, intrauterine growth delay, premature birth, unfavorable placement of the fetus in the uterus, high rate of cesarean section, retained placenta, and etc.

How is this abnormality diagnosed?

Doctor based on the patient’s history and history of pregnancy will diagnose the abnormality of the uterus shape.

The first step of diagnosis is the use of different imaging methods to examine the uterus defects, which include:

• 2D and 3D ultrasound
• 2D and 3D hystersonography
• Hysterosalpingography (HSG)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

In some cases, diagnostic hysterosalpingography and laparoscopy may be required.

Is the method of treating all types of congenital abnormalities of the uterus is the same?

It is not. Actually, treatment methods are related to each type of uterine abnormality. Some of them do not need treatment. But some of congenital abnormalities need to be treated by a surgery.

• This article has been approved by Dr. Firuzeh Ahmadi.