Fallopian Tubes and Ectopic Pregnancy

The fallopian tubes (also called the uterine tubes or oviducts) are paired muscular tubes approximately 10–12 cm long that extend laterally from the upper corners (cornua) of the uterus toward each ovary. Although they are slender, they perform two indispensable reproductive functions: they capture the released oocyte and provide the site where fertilization normally occurs, and they transport the fertilized ovum toward the uterine cavity for implantation. The inner lining is rich in cilia that beat toward the uterus, and the muscular wall contracts in rhythmic peristaltic waves; together these gently move the egg and early embryo over a journey of several days. Each tube has four segments from the uterus outward: the interstitial (intramural) portion within the uterine wall, the narrow isthmus, the wide ampulla where fertilization typically happens, and the flared infundibulum with its finger-like fimbriae that sweep the oocyte in at ovulation. Why this matters clinically: The fallopian tubes are the most common site of ectopic pregnancy, a potentially life-threatening emergency. When the tube is scarred or damaged, often by prior pelvic inflammatory disease, sexually transmitted infection,...