Age/sex: 41-year-old female
Size: 9.4 x 9.2 x 3.9 cm
The specimen consists of a Fallopian tube mostly filled and focally dilated by blood clot (C).
Hematosalpinx
Hematosalpinx means 鈥渂lood in the Fallopian tube鈥�. It is caused most often by an ectopic pregnancy, in which case it can be associated with pain and vaginal bleeding (see Specimen 21). Other causes include endometriosis and infection. The precise cause in this case is uncertain.
The normal Fallopian (uterine) tube is usually 10 to 14 cm in length and 0.5 to 1.0 cm in width. It communicates with the uterine (endometrial) cavity at one end and is freely open to the peritoneal cavity at the other. Its epithelium is lined by ciliated cells that transport any fertilized egg cell to the uterus where it implants in the endometrium and develops into a fetus. The structure is named after Gabriele Falloppio, an Italian priest and anatomist who described it and several other anatomical structures in detail in the 16th century.
Below: Schematic anatomy of the Fallopian (uterine) tube and associated structures.
Source: Barry. (2014). Uterus. Biology Forums.
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