A pelvic examination may reveal a double vagina or double cervix that should be further investigated and may lead to the discovery of a<unk> . In most patients, however, the pelvic examination is normal. Investigations are usually prompted on the basis of reproductive problems. Helpful techniques to investigate a septum are transvaginal ultrasonography and sonohysterography, MRI, and hysteroscopy. More recently 3-D ultrasonography has been advocated as an excellent non-invasive method to delineate the condition. Prior to modern imaging hysterosalpingography was used to help diagnose the<unk> , however, a bicornuate uterus may deliver a similar image. An important category of septate uterus is the hybrid type a variant that may be misdiagnosed as bicornuate uterus when seen by laparoscopy Professor El Saman From Egypt was the first to describe this anomaly and warned gynecologist about this common misdiagnosis, whenever there is a uterine fundus depression on laparoscopy gynecologists should compare the depth of this depression with the depth of the dividing internal interface. Hybrid septate uterus benefit from hysteroscopic metroplasty under laparoscopic control. Differential diagnosis Other forms of uterine malformation need to be considered in the work-up for<unk> . An arcuate uterus contains a residual cranial septum that is smaller than an incomplete septum but definitions between the two conditions are not standardized, - a cause for discrepancies in the literature. A bicornuate uterus is sometimes confused with a septate uterus as in each situation the cavity is partitioned, however, in the former case the uterine body is cranially doubled (two uterine horns) while in the latter a single uterine body is present. The former represents a malformation of incomplete fusion of the Müllerian systems, and the latter of incomplete absorption. A hysterosalpingogram may not be able to distinguish between the two conditions. The differentiation, however, is important as a septum can be corrected by hysteroscopy, while a bicornuate uterus would be corrected by a metroplasty via laparotomy if necessary.
Uterine septum
Vaginal septum
Arcuate uterus
Ectopic decidua
Circumvallate placenta
Couvelaire uterus
Uterine inversion
Bicornuate uterus