Bicornuate(Heart Shaped) Uterus
What is a Bicornuate Uterus?
A bicornuate uterus is the most common congenital uterine anomaly or müllerian duct anomaly and can impact a woman’s reproductive capabilities. A bicornuate uterus is an abnormality of the uterus that has two horns and a heart shape. The uterus has a wall inside and a partial split outside meaning that if you have one, your uterus developed abnormally while you were still in the womb. . If necessary, a bicornuate uterus can be corrected surgically.
The shape of your uterus is important if you become pregnant because it affects how a baby lies in your womb. Uterus irregularities are relatively unusual. About 3 percent of women are born with a defect in the size, shape, or structure of their uterus. A bicornuate uterus is one of the most common types of uterine irregularities. it is estimated that bicornuate uterus is seen in 1-5/1,000 women, though this may be an underestimate since not all are diagnosed, especially when they are not severe.
What Causes a Heart-Shaped Uterus?
Though heart-shaped uteri are congenital, they’re not genetic. So the shape of your uterus might be totally different than your mom’s. Special ducts only partially fuse together, which leads to the separation of the two upper parts, or horns, of the uterus. When the horns stick out a little, the womb appears to be heart-shaped. You can’t prevent or stop this condition if you have it.
How we can diagnose bicornute uteruse?
Doctors can get an idea of whether a woman has a bicornuate uterus through a standard ultrasound or by using a hysterosalpingogram (HSG) or a hysteroscopy. In some cases, a diagnosis may need to be confirmed using a three-dimensional ultrasound.
Most women do not know they have a bicornuate uterus until they are pregnant and has multiple miscarriage or trying to get pregnant or have a breech birth at term as Menstruation in most cases, is normal.
Relation between bicornute uterus and pregnancy
Having a bicornuate uterus does not cause first-trimester miscarriages. The primary risks associated with a bicornuate uterus are preterm labor and possible cervical insufficiency.
Cervical insufficiency and preterm delivery could potentially cause a second-trimester miscarriage or pregnancy loss at birth if the baby is born too prematurely––before 24 or 25 weeks of pregnancy, the point at which a premature baby can potentially survive. Because of the indentation on the top of the uterus, a developing fetus may not have enough room to grow, which can result in preterm labor.
While these complications can occur, many women with bicornuate uteri carry their pregnancies without any problems.
how we can deal with bicornute uterus?
In most cases, doctors do not suggest surgical treatment of a bicornuate uterus, although some may recommend reconstructive laparoscopic surgery. If you are pregnant, you may need a cervical cerclage––a stitch placed in the cervix to stop premature dilation. This procedure prevents premature delivery and possible late-term pregnancy loss.
If you are experiencing recurrent miscarriages, you may have a septate uterus as opposed to a bicornuate uterus. The two congenital uterine malformations can look similar on imaging studies, such as HSG or ultrasound. A septate uterus is round on the top with two cavities. A bicornuate uterus dips on the top, forming a heart shape with one cavity. A septate uterus is usually treated with hysteroscopic surgery.
If you are having recurrent miscarriages and your doctor has determined you have a bicornuate uterus, consider seeing a specialist for a second opinion to confirm your diagnosis and discuss treatment plans.