Anatomical causes of female infertility and their management

Mauricio S Abrao, Maurício Simões Abrão, Ludovico Muzii, Riccardo Marana
International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics · 2013 · vol. 123(S2) , pp. S18–24 · doi:10.1016/j.ijgo.2013.09.008 · PMID:24119894 · W2117562278
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-08 ⓘ

This paper reviews anatomical causes of female infertility like tubal damage, endometriosis, and uterine anomalies, and discusses their surgical and medical management.

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Abstract

The main female anatomical causes of infertility include post-infectious tubal damage, endometriosis, and congenital/acquired uterine anomalies. Congenital (septate uterus) and acquired (myomas and synechiae) diseases of the uterus may lead to infertility, pregnancy loss, and other obstetric complications. Pelvic inflammatory disease represents the most common cause of tubal damage. Surgery still remains an important option for tubal factor infertility, with results in terms of reproductive outcome that compare favorably with those of in vitro fertilization. Endometriosis is a common gynecologic condition affecting women of reproductive age, which can cause pain and infertility. The cause of infertility associated with endometriosis remains elusive, suggesting a multifactorial mechanism involving immunologic, genetic, and environmental factors. Despite the high prevalence of endometriosis, the exact mechanisms of its pathogenesis are unknown. Specific combinations of medical, surgical, and psychological treatments can ameliorate the quality of life of women with endometriosis. In the majority of cases, surgical treatment of endometriosis has promoted significant increases in fertilization rates. There are obvious associations between endometriosis and the immune system, and future strategies to treat endometriosis might be based on immunologic concepts.

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Condition tags

mesh:D004715endometriosisinfertility

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Infertility, Female Urogenital Abnormalities Uterus Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Fertilization in Vitro Humans Infertility, Female Infertility, Female Infertility, Female Pregnancy Pregnancy Outcome Pregnancy Rate Urogenital Abnormalities Urogenital Abnormalities Uterine Diseases Uterine Diseases

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References (100)

Cited by (21)

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