10) Female Reproductive Tract Flashcards
Where does the gubernaculum attach?
Inferior pole of ovary to labium majora
What is the arterial supply to the ovaries?
Ovarian arteries from abdominal aorta
What is the venous drainage of the ovaries?
Right ovarian vein into IVC
Left ovarian vein into left renal vein
What are the parts of the uterus?
Fundus
Body
Cervix
What is found anterior to the uterus?
Uterovesical pouch
What is found posterior to the uterus?
Rectouterine pouch (pouch of Douglas)
How can fluid from the rectouterine pouch be collected?
Through posterior fornix of vagina
What is the broad ligament?
Double layer of peritoneum attaching uterus to pelvis
Brought into abdominal cavity by paramesonephric ducts
What is the function of the broad ligament?
Acts as mesentery for uterus, uterine tubes and ovary
What is the round ligament?
Remnant of gubernaculum, uterus to labium majora via inguinal canal
What is the function of the round ligament?
Maintains anteverted position of uterus
What is the ovarian ligament?
Ovaries to uterus prior to round ligament
What is the significance of the suspensory ligament of the ovary?
Contains vasculature to ovary
What is the position of the uterus with respect to the vagina and cervix?
Anteverted with respect to vagina (rotated forward)
Anteflexed with respect to cervix (flexed towards anterior surface)
What abnormal positions can the uterus be in?
What does this predispose to?
Excessively anteflexed, retroverted or retroflexed
Can allows uterine prolapse into vagina
In terms of the uterine tubes, what can predispose to ectopic pregnancy?
Scarring or lack of cilia
Where and why is there an opening into the peritoneal cavity in females?
Ostium of uterine tube, needed to collect oocytes
What are the sections of the cervix?
Internal os (opening), endocervical canal and external os
What ligaments support the pelvic viscera?
Transverse cervical (cardinal), uterosacral, pubovesical and pubocervical
Describe the transverse cervical ligament and its function:
Thickening at base of broad ligament (level of cervix)
Lateral stability of cervix
Describe the uterosacral ligament and its function:
Cervix to sacrum, opposes anterior pull of round ligament, maintaining anteversion
A female undergoes surgery and now has flank pain and elevated serum creatinine, what is likely to have happened?
Unilateral ureter damage in hysterectomy
What is the blood supply to the female internal genitalia?
Ovarian artery, uterine artery and internal pudendal artery
To which lymph nodes does the ovary drain?
Para-aortic nodes
To which lymph nodes does the fundus of uterus drain?
Aortic and inguinal nodes
To which lymph nodes does the body of the uterus drain?
External iliac nodes
To which lymph nodes does the cervix drain?
External and internal iliac nodes and sacral nodes
What are the parts of the female external genitalia?
Labium majora, labium minora and vestibule
What glands are found in the vestibule?
Greater (Bartholin) and lesser vestibular glands
What is bartholinitis?
What are likely causative organisms?
Infection causing painful enlargement of greater vestibular glands
E.coli and staphylococci
What is a Bartholin gland cyst?
Accumulation of fluid in gland
What are fornices?
Recesses of vagina around cervix
Anterior, posterior and lateral
Describe cudocentesis:
Taking fluid form pouch of Douglas through vagina using fornices
What is the innervation to inferior 1/5th of vagina?
Somatic from pudendal nerve
What is the innervation to superior 4/5th of vagina and uterus?
Uterovaginal plexus
What is the innervation of the perineum?
Pudendal and ilioinguinal nerve
Describe the course of the pudendal nerve:
Exits pelvis via greater sciatic foramen, enters perineum via lesser sciatic foramen and travles in pudendal canal
