THE FALLOPIAN TUBE

LIZBETH CHI
A-4
BIOLOGY
DESCRIPTION OF THE FALLOPIAN
TUBE
• The uterine tubes, also known as oviducts or fallopian
tubes, are the female structures that transport the
ova from the ovary to the uterus each month.
• In the presence of sperm and fertilization,
the uterine tubes transport the fertilized
egg to the uterus for implantation.
FUNCTION OF THE FALLOPION TUBE
• Fallopian tube, also called oviduct or uterine tube, either of a pair of
long narrow ducts located in the human female abdominal cavity
•  that transport male sperm cells to the egg, provide a
suitable environment  for fertilization, and transport the egg from
the ovary, where it is produced, to the central channel (lumen) of
the uterus.
• Each fallopian tube is 10–13 cm (4–5 inches) long and 0.5–1.2 cm (0.2–
0.6 inch) in diameter.
• The channel of the tube is lined with a layer of mucous membrane that
has many folds and papillae—small cone-shaped projections of tissue.
 Fallopian tube diseases
• If a woman’s fallopian tubes are damaged, become blocked through
infection or are malformed at birth, she may experience infertility.
• Disease causing blocked fallopian tubes can prevent the essential
reproductive functions of the sperm reaching the egg for fertilization in
the fallopian tube and the fertilized egg from traveling through the tube
to implant in the uterus.
• The most common causes of fallopian tube disorders are pelvic
inflammatory disease (PID), pelvic surgery that damages the tubes and
conditions that block the tubes, such as birth
defects, fibroids and endometriosis.
• Treatment generally involves laparoscopy.
• Even after surgical treatment, many women will need in vitro fertilization
(IVF) to conceive.
Symptoms of fallopian tube diseases
• In many instances, a woman doesn’t know her fallopian
tube(s) is blocked because there are often no symptoms.
• Infertility is often the only symptom of fallopian tube disease
or blocked fallopian tubes.
• A blocked fallopian tube may cause mild pain due to pressure
from the buildup of scar tissue, which is experienced as
constant, low-grade pain in the lower abdomen.
• However, other conditions not related to fallopian tube
disease can also cause these symptoms.
Causes of fallopian tube diseases

• Almost all cases are caused by bacterial infection, including sexually

transmitted diseases such as gonorrhoea and chlamydia.
• The inflammation prompts extra fluid secretion or even pus to collect
inside the fallopian tube.
Treatment
• The most common causes of fallopian tube
disorders are pelvic inflammatory disease
(PID), pelvic surgery that damages the tubes
and conditions that block the tubes, such as
birth defects, fibroids and endometriosis.
• Treatment generally involves laparoscopy.
Prevention
• If your fallopian tubes are blocked by small
amounts of scar tissue or adhesions, your doctor
can use laparoscopic surgery to remove the
blockage and open the tubes.
• If your fallopian tubes are blocked by large
amounts of scar tissue or adhesions, treatment
to remove the blockages may not be possible.