A Retrospective Analysis of Female Müllerian Duct Anomalies in Association With Congenital Renal Abnormalities

Abstract

Study objective: Müllerian (paramesonephric) duct anomalies (MDAs) are associated with several coexisting congenital abnormalities, including renal abnormalities. Although congenital renal abnormalities may remain asymptomatic, the consequences should not be underestimated. In both the literature and clinical practice, it remains necessary to improve awareness of the co-occurrence of different congenital renal abnormalities in women with MDAs. To gain further insight into this co-occurrence and to estimate whether guidelines for women with MDAs should be optimized, this study was performed.

Design: A descriptive retrospective analysis.

Setting: University Medical Centre Utrecht in the Netherlands.

Participants: Women with MDAs diagnosed or treated between 1980 and 2015.

Interventions: None.

Main outcome measures: The prevalence of the co-occurrence of congenital renal abnormalities in women with MDAs.

Results: Renal status was recorded in 186 of 255 women (72.9%), and the other women (27.1%) did not have a retrievable renal status. Congenital renal abnormalities were present in 90 of 186 women (48.4%) and were observed most frequently in women having a duplex uterus with obstructed hemivagina. The most common renal abnormality was unilateral renal agenesis, which was observed in 58 of 90 women (64.4%).

Conclusions: MDAs are highly associated with different congenital renal abnormalities, and these results emphasize that women with MDAs should be routinely screened for their co-occurrence. However, these results also highlight that there remains a lack of awareness of this association. Whether all women with congenital renal abnormalities should be routinely screened for MDAs requires further investigation.

Keywords: Müllerian ducts; Urogenital abnormalities; Urogenital system.