Female Reproductive Tract

Question 1

What are the main structures of the female reproductive tract?`

Answer 1

Ovary
Uterus
Uterine (Fallopian) tube
Vagina
External genitalia

Question 2

What is the arterial blood supply of the ovary?

Answer 2

Direct branches of the abdominal aorta

Question 3

What is the venous drainage of the ovaries?

Answer 3

Right ovarian vein - from IVC

Left ovarian vein - from left renal vein

Question 4

What are the main parts of the uterus?

Answer 4

Fundus
Body
Uterine tubes
Cervix

Question 5

Name the pouches around the uterus.

Answer 5

Anteriorly
- Uterovesical pouch

Posteriorly
- Rectouterine pouch aka pouch of Douglas

Question 6

What is the broad ligament of the uterus?

Answer 6

Wide fold of peritoneum that connects the sides of the uterus to the walls and floor of the pelvis

Made up of the round ligament of the uterus, ovarian ligament and the suspensory ligament

It also contains the uterine tubes and ovary (on it)

Question 7

What are the three subdivisions of the broad ligament?

Answer 7

Mesometrium
Mesosalpinx
Mesovarium

Question 8

What is the round ligament?

Answer 8

Attached to ovary and labium majus
travels through inguinal canal
Embryologically it was the gubernaculum

Question 9

What are the two positions the uterus can take?

Answer 9

Anteverted - with respect to the vagina

Anteflexed - with respect to the cervix

Question 10

What are the main parts of the uterine tube?

Answer 10

Abdominal ostium (distal tube opening of uterine tube)
Fimbria
Infundibulum (between ampulla and fimbria)
Ampulla (most common site of fertilization)
Isthmus (medial third)

Question 11

What is the function of the uterine tube?

Answer 11

To conduct the oocyte into the uterine cavity

Normally site of fertilization

Question 12

What is the major difference of the peritoneal cavity between males and females?

Answer 12

In the female, the peritoneal cavity is open via the ostium of the uterine tube.

Question 13

Name the main parts of the cervix.

Answer 13

Internal os (internal orifice)
Endocervical canal
External os (external orifice)

Question 14

What is the transverse cervical ligament?

Answer 14

Thickening at the base of broad ligament

Lateral stability of the cervix

Question 15

What is the uterosacral ligament?

Answer 15

Opposes anterior pull of round ligament, assists in maintaining anteversion.

Question 16

Outline the blood supply to the female internal genitalia.

Answer 16

Ovarian artery - abdominal aorta

Uterine artery - anterior division internal iliac

Internal pudendal - anterior division internal iliac

Question 17

Describe the lymphatic drainage of the female genitalia

Answer 17

Ovary drains to paraaortic nodes

Uterus

• Fundus - aortic nodes (& inguinal nodes)
• Body - external iliac nodes
• Cervix - external & internal iliac nodes & sacral nodes

Question 18

Name the main parts of the external female genetalia.

Answer 18

Labia majora - enclosing the pudendal cleft
Labia minora
- Enclosing the vestibule of the vagina
   - Bulbs of the vestibule
   - Clitoris
Vestibule
- Orifices of urethra, vagina and greater & lesser   
  vestibular glands

Question 19

What are the glands of the vestibule (female genetalia)?

Answer 19

Greater vestibular glands - Bartholin glands

Question 20

Describe the main parts of the vagina.

Answer 20

Vaginal orifice - opens into the vestibule along with the external urethral orifice and the ducts of the greater and lesser vestibular glands

Vaginal fornices (singular fornix) - recesses of vagina around the cervix

Question 21

What is a culdocentesis?

Answer 21

Extraction of fluid from the retrouterine pouch using a needle by piercing the posterior fornix.

Question 22

Describe the innervation of the uterus & vagina.

Answer 22

Inferior 1/5th vagina receives somatic innervation from pudendal nerve
Superior 4/5 vagina and uterus receives innervation from uterovaginal plexus

Pain afferents vary depending on pelvic pain line

• Inferior thoracic lumbar spinal ganglia
• S2-S4 Spinal ganglia

Question 23

What is the innervation for the perineum?

Answer 23

Pudendal nerve

plus ilioinguinal nerve