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Anatomical Abnormalities of the Uterus

There are a number of anatomical abnormalities that can be found in a woman’s uterus. These abnormalities will have developed at the foetal stage, and can have a varied extent of effect upon a woman.

There are many different ways a uterus can be deformed. The most severe condition involves the woman having no uterus at all. This condition is called Mullerian agenesis, and means a woman will have no menstrual period, and will not be able to conceive children. The vagina may or may not be intact, depending upon the case.

The uterus may be deformed in a different manner. It may be that only half of the uterus has formed, which would mean that the woman still may be able to conceive, but only one egg may be present. Another condition, called uterus didelphys, involves a woman having two separate uteruses. They are often joined at the vagina, and function independently of one another. This means that the woman suffering from this condition can be fertilised in both uteruses simultaneously.

The uterus can be deformed in many more ways, from it taking different shapes to parts of it not being present at all. If a woman is complaining about pain in her pelvic region, menstrual disorders including absence of her menstrual period, or complications with pregnancy, her uterus may have an anatomical abnormality. Once a GP or gynaecologist has ruled out the many other causes of these symptoms, they may decide to screen the patient for deformities of her uterus.

A patient can undergo various imaging tests to give specialists an idea of the shape and functionality of her uterus. Many of these abnormalities are visually evident; therefore the specialist can quickly discover the problem. Once the problem has been discovered, it must be decided whether it can be treated or not. If a woman simply has no uterus, or it is deformed to the point of infertility, there is little that can be done to rectify the problem. Many women will have tissue that is blocking parts of the uterus and causing problems, and this can often be surgically removed to allow normal functioning of the uterus. In many cases, the uterus will be functioning as normal and there will be few side effects. If this is the case, and the patient is not suffering as a result of the anatomical abnormality, it may be decided that no action will be taken.