Reproductive outcomes in women with uterine anomalies.
OBJECTIVE
Because of diagnostic improvements in the evaluation of uterine anomalies, more patients desirous of pregnancy come to clinicians with identified uterine anomalies. It is desirable for the family physician, internist, and obstetrician/gynecologist to provide accurate information during preconceptional counseling of these patients. This review attempts to provide a concise summary of the current English-speaking literature concerning the reproductive outcome in women with uterine anomalies following both natural conceptions and those pregnancies occurring with assisted reproductive techniques (ART).


METHODS
A literature review of reproductive anomalies and pregnancy outcomes was performed using PubMed databases. Obstetrical outcomes were compiled from the medical literature and compared with the known rates of pregnancy outcomes in subjects presumed to have normal uterine anatomy.


RESULTS
In general, obstetrical complications, such as preterm delivery and first trimester miscarriage, are higher in women with abnormal uteri. Women with an arcuate uterus have a similar reproductive outcome to women with a normal uterus. The unicornuate uterus has the poorest overall reproductive outcome, and the septate uterus has an increased miscarriage rate. The didelphic uterus, historically thought to have no adverse reproductive outcomes, also has poor obstetrical outcomes. Didelphic, bicornuate, unicornuate, and septate uteri have lower pregnancy rates in ART.


CONCLUSIONS
Women with uterine anomalies have poorer reproductive outcomes and lower pregnancy rates with all conceptions whether spontaneous or induced with ART compared with women with normal uteri.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105, USA. linner@u.washington.edu
Paul C
PC
Lin
D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology; D006176:Gynecology; D006801:Humans; D009774:Obstetrics; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D014481:United States; D014599:Uterus / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000502:physiology