| Uterine appendages | |
|---|---|
 Schematic frontal view of female anatomy | |
 Uterus and right broad ligament, seen from behind. (In this orientation, the contents "in front" of the broad ligament are posterior to it.) | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | adnexa uteri |
| MeSH | D000290 |
| Anatomical terminology[edit on Wikidata] | |
The uterine appendages (or adnexa of uterus) are the structures most closely related structurally and functionally to the uterus.
Terminology
They can be defined in slightly different ways:
- Some sources define the adnexa as the fallopian tubes and ovaries.
- Others include the supporting tissues".
- Another source defines the appendages as the "regions of the true pelvis posterior to the broad ligaments".
- One dictionary includes the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and ligaments (without specifying precisely which ligaments are included).
Clinical significance
The term "adnexitis" is sometimes used to describe an inflammation of the uterine appendages (adnexa). In this context, it replaces the terms oophoritis and salpingitis.
The term adnexal mass is sometimes used when the location of a uterine mass is not yet more precisely known.
63% of ectopic pregnancies present with an adnexal mass. Depending on the size of the mass, it could be a medical emergency.
The term "adnexectomy" in gynaecology is often used for salpingo-oophorectomy (removal of both: fallopian tubes and ovaries).
Additional images
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Ovary
See also
References
- Abele, H (2014). Atlas of gynecologic surgery. Stuttgart: Thieme. ISBN 9783136507049; Access provided by the University of Pittsburgh
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - Ramsden, Ian; Philip Welsby (2002). Clinical history taking and examination: an illustrated color text. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. p. 65. ISBN 0-443-07088-1.
- Reva Arnez Curry; Tempkin, Betty Bates (1995). Ultrasonography: an introduction to normal structure and functional anatomy. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co. p. 222. ISBN 0-7216-4585-2.
- "uterine appendages" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
- "Adnexitis - Definition and More from Merriam-Webster's Free Medical Dictionary". Archived from the original on 21 February 2010. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
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