Unicornuate Uterus
For my STEAM project, I chose to further explore the course objective, “know the structure and function of reproductive organs.” To expand my knowledge and understanding, I chose to research unicornuate uteri. For the art portion of this project, I drew and painted a normal uterus and a unicornuate uterus next to each other so that they could be analyzed and compared. The anatomical differences are clearly visible.
A uterus is a hollow, thick-walled, and pear-shaped muscular organ. Its function is to receive, retain, and nourish a fertilized ovum. In a normal female reproductive system, a uterus will have two fallopian tubes, one connected to each uterine horn. From there, each fallopian tube connects to an ovary. A unicornuate uterus is a rare congenital condition where only one half of the uterus develops. This results in a smaller, abnoramal-shaped uterine cavity that only has one uterine horn that connects to one fallopian tube that connects to one ovary (Unicornuate uterus, 2025). There are four subtypes, and they are with cavitary communicating rudimentary horn, with cavitary noncommunicating rudimentary horn, with noncavitary rudimentary horn, and without rudimentary horn (Fedele et al., 1987). A rudimentary horn is a remnant of uterine tissue that didn’t fully develop during embryonic development. In addition, when a unicornuate uterus is associated with a rudimentary horn, a person can also experience pelvic pain.
Although pregnancy is still possible for someone who has a unicornuate uterus, there are many risks associated with pregnancy. There were two research studies that I referenced in this paper that provided data. The first was conducted by the 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Milan, in Milan, Italy. The research study followed 19 women that had one of the four subtypes of unicornuate uterus. It was determined that “fertility in the patient with unicornuate uterus is impaired” (Fedele et al., 1987). Six patients had primary infertility of 2 to16 years’ duration, and 13 women had had 25 pregnancies. Abortions occurred in 16 instances, or 64%; premature live births in 3, or 12%; and term deliveries in 5, or 20%, with a live birth rate of 32% (Fedele et al., 1987).
The second research study was completed by the Tampere University Hospital and Medical School in Tampere, Finland, and it looked at 42 women with a unicornuate uterus with or without a rudimentary horn. Six, or 14%, of the 42 patients had primary infertility. 34 women produced 93 pregnancies, and ectopic pregnancy occurred in 20 of these cases, or 22%. The fetal survival rate was 61%, prematurity 17%, fetal growth retardation 5%, and the spontaneous intrauterine abortion rate was 16% (Heinonen, 1997).
Overall, if you have a unicornuate uterus, you are at higher risk of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, preterm birth, stillbirth, and cesarean birth (Unicornuate uterus, 2025). Cesarean births are common because babies are likely in a breech position due to lack of space. Additionally, “if a person becomes pregnant in their rudimentary horn, it can be potentially life-threatening. In a noncommunicating horn, there’s a high risk of uterine rupture due to lack of space” (Heinonen, 1997). Therefore, your medical provider should monitor you closely to minimize health risks from this condition. However, we know that women with a unicornuate uterus can become pregnant and have healthy babies.
References
Fedele, L., Zamberletti, D., Vercellini, P., Dorta, M., & Candiani, G. B. (1987). Reproductive performance of women with Unicornuate Uterus. Fertility and Sterility, 47(3), 416–419. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0015-0282(16)59047-5
Heinonen, P. K. (1997). Unicornuate uterus and rudimentary horn. Fertility and Sterility, 68(2), 224–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0015-0282(97)81506-3
Unicornuate uterus: Causes, symptoms, diagnosis & treatment. Cleveland Clinic. (2025, March 19). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23302-unicornuate-uterus