Hydrosalpinx is a fallopian tube that is blocked at its far end and filled with fluid. If your ultrasound report says “hydrosalpinx”, “fluid in the fallopian tube” or “dilated tube”, this is what it means. It is a finding on a scan, and it is one of the most common tubal causes of infertility.
The fluid itself is not usually dangerous. The concern is what it does to fertility: a blocked tube stops the egg and sperm from meeting, and the fluid can also harm an embryo and lower the success of IVF. The good news is that hydrosalpinx can be treated, and many women go on to have a healthy pregnancy.
This guide, reviewed by Dr. Manish Banker, explains what hydrosalpinx means, the causes and symptoms, how it is diagnosed, and which treatment is right for you, with or without IVF.
Quick answer
- What it is: a blocked fallopian tube filled with fluid, on one side (left or right) or both (bilateral).
- Symptoms: often none. Some women have pelvic pain or watery discharge, and many find out during an infertility check-up.
- Main causes: pelvic infection (including chlamydia, gonorrhoea and pelvic tuberculosis), endometriosis and past pelvic surgery.
- Effect on fertility: can prevent natural conception and lower IVF success if the fluid is left untreated.
- Treatment: removing or blocking the affected tube (usually by laparoscopy) before IVF, or repairing the tube in selected cases.
Table of Content
1.0 What is Hydrosalpinx? What is its onset?
2.0 How common is hydrosalpinx?
3.0 How does hydrosalpinx affect one’s body?
4.0 What are the causes of hydrosalpinx?
5.0 What are the diagnosis and testing options available for Hydrosalpinx?
6.0 What are the treatments available for hydrosalpinx?
7.0 Navigate Hydrosalpinx with Banker IVF
What Is Hydrosalpinx? Meaning and Definition
The word comes from “hydro” (water) and “salpinx” (tube). In hydrosalpinx, the far end of the fallopian tube (the fimbriae, the finger-like part that catches the egg) becomes sealed. Fluid builds up inside the tube, which swells and stretches. On a scan, the tube looks like a sausage-shaped or S-shaped fluid-filled structure beside the ovary.
A healthy tube picks up the egg, carries sperm to it, and moves the fertilised egg to the uterus. A tube with hydrosalpinx cannot do this properly. “Hydrosalpinges” is simply the plural, used when both tubes are affected.
Hydrosalpinx usually develops slowly after an infection or other damage to the tube. It is not usually present from birth.
Left, Right and Bilateral Hydrosalpinx: What Is the Difference?
Left or right hydrosalpinx
The word only says which tube is affected. If the other tube is healthy and open, natural pregnancy may still be possible. The fluid from the affected tube can still flow back into the uterus, so your doctor may still advise treating it, especially before IVF. In reports you may see “left adnexa” or “right adnexa”, which means the area around the left or right ovary and tube.
Bilateral hydrosalpinx
Bilateral means both tubes are affected. Natural conception is very unlikely, and IVF is usually the recommended route, after treating the tubes.
Mild or small hydrosalpinx
A small amount of fluid still matters if the tube is blocked, so a mild hydrosalpinx should be assessed by a fertility specialist. Your doctor will decide whether it needs treatment depending on the tube’s condition and your plans to conceive.
How common is hydrosalpinx?
Tubal problems are behind roughly one in four to one in three cases of female infertility. Hydrosalpinx is found in a smaller share of these women, and is more common in women who have had pelvic infections.
How Does Hydrosalpinx Affect Fertility and Pregnancy?
An unattended case of Hydrosalpinx can lead to a variety of conception-related complications.
1) It can block natural conception
A blocked tube stops the egg and the sperm from meeting. If both tubes are blocked, natural pregnancy is not possible.
2) It can lower IVF success
Fluid from a hydrosalpinx can leak back into the uterus. This fluid can wash an embryo away or make the lining less welcoming, which lowers the chance of implantation and raises the chance of miscarriage. Studies show that removing or blocking the affected tube before IVF improves the chance of pregnancy.
3) It raises the risk of ectopic pregnancy
A damaged tube can trap a fertilised egg, which then grows in the tube instead of the uterus. This is an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy and is a medical emergency. If you have hydrosalpinx and a positive pregnancy test, see a doctor early to confirm the pregnancy is in the uterus.
4) It does not affect egg quality directly
Hydrosalpinx affects the tube, not the ovary. Your eggs are not made worse by a blocked tube. Egg quality depends mainly on age and ovarian health.
What Causes Hydrosalpinx?
1) Pelvic infection (PID)
The most common cause. Infections such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea can inflame the tube. As the inflammation heals, the scarring can seal the far end of the tube and trap fluid. Many of these infections cause few symptoms, so women often do not know they had one. Read more about blocked fallopian tubes and how PID affects pregnancy.
2) Pelvic tuberculosis
Genital tuberculosis can damage the tubes and is an important cause of tubal blockage in India. It may cause no obvious symptoms, so it is tested for in women with tubal damage.
3) Endometriosis
Endometriosis can cause scarring around the tube and ovary, which can close the tube’s end.
4) Previous pelvic or abdominal surgery
Surgery on the pelvis, such as for appendicitis, a ruptured cyst, fibroids or a caesarean section, can leave scar tissue (adhesions) that kinks or blocks the tube.
5) Previous ectopic pregnancy or tubal surgery
A tube that has been through an ectopic pregnancy or earlier tubal surgery can become scarred and blocked.
6) Less common causes
Pelvic tumours or growths pressing on the tube can sometimes lead to hydrosalpinx.
Symptoms of Hydrosalpinx
Many women have no symptoms. Hydrosalpinx is often found during a scan or an HSG test while investigating why a pregnancy has not happened. When symptoms appear, they can include:
- Pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis, often on one side, which may be worse around your period
- Pain during intercourse
- Unusual or watery vaginal discharge (less common)
- Difficulty getting pregnant
- Fever or severe pain if the tube becomes infected
See a doctor urgently if you have severe one-sided pain, fainting, or vaginal bleeding after a positive pregnancy test, as these may be signs of an ectopic pregnancy.
What are the diagnosis and testing options available for Hydrosalpinx?
Below is a list of tests and ways of diagnosis that can help in the detection and monitoring of hydrosalpinx.
1. Ultrasound:
While ultrasound doesn’t exactly churn out a clear image of the fallopian tubes, it can reveal their unusual swelling following which the medical practitioner can prescribe suitable follow-up tests.
2. Hysterosalpingogram or HSG:
Hysterosalpingogram is one of the most common diagnosing tests for hydrosalpinx. The test is done by the admission of a dye based material into the uterus. In case the tubes are open, the dye spills – out of the fallopian tubes and into the pelvic cavity. If not, the dye doesn’t move thereby insinuating the occurrence of hydrosalpinx.
What are the treatments available for hydrosalpinx?
Since the treatment of hydrosalpinx is directly linked to an increased chance of getting pregnant, its available options of treatment become a matter of crucial significance for a lot of individuals.
The treatment for hydrosalpinx varies on an individual basis depending on the degree of blockage, the disruption caused by it and the affected person’s age.
Common treatments for hydrosalpinx include the prescription of antibiotics while severe cases of the condition can even be given surgical treatment options.
The surgical treatment options available for hydrosalpinx include:
1. Salpingectomy:
In a laparoscopic salpingectomy, the surgeon removes the fluid-filled tube through small cuts. For women who plan to have IVF, this is the most commonly advised treatment, because it removes the source of fluid and does not harm the ovary in most cases. A tube that has been removed cannot cause an ectopic pregnancy.
2. Tubal ligation or clipping
When removing the tube would be risky, the tube can be closed near the uterus. This stops fluid from reaching the uterus but leaves the tube in place.
3. Salpingostomy:
This repairs the tube by opening the blocked end. It is used only in selected women with mild damage who want to try to conceive naturally. The opening can close again, and there is a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy, so your doctor will discuss this carefully.
4. Aspiration of the fluid
Drawing out the fluid with a needle under ultrasound can give short-term relief, but the fluid often returns, so it is not a long-term solution on its own.
5. Antibiotics
Antibiotics treat active infection and may be given before and after procedures. They do not unblock the tube.
Can You Get Pregnant With Hydrosalpinx?
Yes, many women can. Your options depend on which tubes are affected:
- One tube affected, the other healthy: natural pregnancy is possible, but the chance may be lower. If you do not conceive within a reasonable time, or if the affected tube is a concern, your doctor may advise treating the tube.
- Both tubes affected: natural pregnancy is very unlikely. The usual route is treating the tubes (often by salpingectomy) followed by IVF.
- Hydrosalpinx before IVF: treating the tube first improves the chance of a successful pregnancy compared with leaving the fluid in place. In IVF, the eggs are fertilised in the laboratory and the embryo is placed directly into the uterus, so the tubes are bypassed.
After surgery, your doctor will tell you when you can start the IVF cycle, usually after you have recovered.
If you do become pregnant, see your doctor early for a scan to confirm the pregnancy is in the uterus.
Navigate Hydrosalpinx with Banker IVF
If you find yourself navigating the challenges of hydrosalpinx, know that at Banker IVF, we stand ready to guide you on your journey to parenthood. Led by Dr. Manish Banker, our team of fertility specialists is committed to offering the best-in-class infertility treatments. Schedule a consultation at the best IVF centre in Ahmedabad today.
FAQs
While it is not common for hydrosalpinx to cause any symptoms, certain severe cases of the condition have on occasion showcased a few signs. One such consequence of hydrosalpinx affects the menstrual cycle of the person affected wherein an unusual pain can be felt in the pelvic region during periods.
Hydrosalpinx is a condition where one or both of a woman’s fallopian tubes get blocked thereby causing various difficulties in conception. If one of the two tubes is blocked, getting pregnant can be difficult but if both the tubes are blocked, there is a large probability that the person affected can face infertility.
One of the most widely-known causes of hydrosalpinx is an untreated infection. An untreated infection can cause damage to one or both the fallopian tubes of a woman. The affected tube or tubes subsequently become inflamed. To heal the same, the fimbriae, located towards one end of the fallopian tube, may fuse together and result in a blockage. The same blockage can then make conception difficult and in some cases impossible.
Hydrosalpinx, characterised by a blocked fallopian tube, significantly impacts fertility through various mechanisms. One prevalent consequence involves the obstruction of the pathway essential for the movement and successful fusion of an egg and sperm,
Yes, it is possible for a person affected by hydrosalpinx to get pregnant. However, since the condition results in a blocked fallopian tube, it can make conception hard by increasing the risk of miscarriage.
