Is bicornuate uterus hereditary?

A bicornuate uterus is actually a uterine malformation. If a woman has a bicornuate uterus, she will encounter many problems during menstruation and pregnancy. So, is bicornuate uterus hereditary? Actually, it won’t. In many cases, a bicornuate uterus is formed due to the influence of certain factors during the embryonic development process and has nothing to do with the genes of the parents.

During embryonic development, the tail ends of the two mesonephric ducts have mostly merged and the terminal septum has been absorbed, thus forming a cervix and a vagina. However, the part equivalent to the fundus of the uterus has not fully merged, resulting in a protruding corner on each side of the uterus, which is called a bicornuate uterus. Patients with bicornuate uterus often experience excessive menstrual flow and prolonged menstrual periods, and may experience miscarriage, premature birth, or abnormal fetal position after pregnancy.

The main cause of this disease is that during the embryonic development period, the bilateral mesonephric ducts are affected and disturbed by certain factors during their evolution, and may stop developing at different stages of evolution, resulting in various uterine developmental abnormalities including a bicornuate uterus.

Clinical manifestations

Some patients with uterine malformation may not have any conscious symptoms, and there are no abnormal manifestations in menstruation, sexual life, pregnancy, and childbirth, so they may not be discovered throughout their lives, or may be discovered occasionally during a physical examination. However, the reproductive system function of some patients is affected to varying degrees, and the following symptoms may occur during sexual maturity, after marriage, during pregnancy, or during childbirth:

1. Abnormal menstruation

Patients with a bicornuate uterus often experience heavy menstrual flow and prolonged menstruation.

2. Post-pregnancy symptoms

After the uterus becomes pregnant, miscarriage, premature birth, or abnormal fetal position may occur.

3. Symptoms during and after delivery

A malformed uterus often coexists with myometrial dysplasia. During delivery, abnormal labor force and difficulty in cervical dilation may lead to difficult labor or even uterine rupture. Vaginal delivery may result in retained placenta, postpartum hemorrhage, or postpartum infection. Patients with a bicornuate uterus may experience bleeding after delivery due to the discharge of the decidua from the non-pregnant uterine horn.

examine

Take a detailed medical history and perform a gynecological examination. Hysterosalpingography, pelvic ultrasound and hysteroscopy can confirm the diagnosis. Reproductive organ malformations are often accompanied by urinary system malformations or lower gastrointestinal tract malformations. If necessary, intravenous pyelography or barium enema examination can be performed. When urinary tract or lower gastrointestinal tract malformations are found, a detailed examination is also required for reproductive organ malformations, including uterine malformations.