Fallopian tubes & broad ligament

Broad ligament tumor-like lesions

Mesonephric duct remnants



Last author update: 1 May 2013
Last staff update: 30 December 2020

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PubMed Search: "Mesonephric duct remnants"

Nicole D. Riddle, M.D.
Jamie Shutter, M.D.
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Cite this page: Riddle N, Shutter J. Mesonephric duct remnants. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/fallopiantubesmesonephric.html. Accessed March 29th, 2024.
Definition / general
  • Mesonephric duct is paired organ present during embryogenesis connecting primitive kidney to cloaca, which becomes part of male reproductive organs (Wikipedia: Mesonephric Duct [Accessed 20 December 2018])
  • In women, duct regresses but normal remnants remain; however, "abnormal" ductular remnants may remain and cause confusion as they appear as glands "out of place"
Terminology
  • Also known as Wolffian duct, archinephric duct, Leydig duct, nephric duct
Epidemiology
  • Embryological remnant which occurs in all women of any age
  • No known predisposing factors
Sites
  • Anywhere in pelvic cavity, including broad ligament, cervix (20% of women), fallopian tube, lymph nodes, ovary
Etiology
  • In early development, mesonephric and paramesonephric ducts coexist
  • Mesonephric ducts develops in bladder trigone in both sexes
  • In men, under influence of testosterone, mesonephric duct develops into epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicle
  • In women, absence of testosterone causes duct regression; this may be incomplete and inclusions / remnants may persist
  • Gartners ducts are paired remnants that may give rise to cysts and are typically located lateral to vaginal wall in broad ligament
  • Epoophoron (also known as organ of Rosenmüller or parovarium) is analogous to male epididymis; most cranial portion of remnant, located in lateral broad ligament, between ovary and fallopian tube; may communicate with Gartner ducts
  • Paraoophoron is analogous to male paradidymis, usually located in medial broad ligament
Treatment
  • None needed
Gross description
  • Usually no significant gross findings, incidental on microscopy, unless cyst formation
Microscopic (histologic) description
  • Small tubules lined by low columnar to cuboidal cells without cilia; surrounded by prominent smooth muscle; may be cystic
Positive stains
Negative stains
Differential diagnosis
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