Morphological differences in the isthmus and funnel of the fallopian tubes of women in young and old age

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Scientific interest in age-related changes of the female organism is invariably increasing, which is caused, first of all, by the increase in life expectancy of modern man.
 AIM: Identification of patterns of age-related morphological changes in the isthmus and funnel of fallopian tubes of women giving birth in old age versus young age using sectional material.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed on the sectional material of 70 women who had given birth and were divided into two groups: group 1 included 34 women of young age (22–35 years) and group 2 consisted of 36 elderly women (75–88 years). The external diameter of the isthmus and funnel of the fallopian tubes was determined. For histological examination, fallopian tubes fragments taken at autopsy were stained with Van Gieson picrofuchsin and hematoxylin and eosin.
 RESULTS: There was a decrease in the external diameter of the isthmus and funnel of both fallopian tubes in women from young age to old age (p 0.01). At old age, there was a predominance of external diameter parameters of the isthmus and funnel of the right fallopian tube in comparison with those of the left fallopian tube (p 0.01), while at young age there was only a tendency for the diameter of the isthmus and funnel of the right fallopian tube to predominate (p 0.05). The histological study showed the presence of thickened folds of the mucous membrane and flattened epithelium in the studied areas in older women, thinning of the muscular membrane layers and overgrowth of connective tissue in comparison with the samples taken for the study in younger women.
 CONCLUSIONS: Morphologic restructuring of the isthmus and funnel of the fallopian tubes from young to old age consists in thickening of the mucous membrane folds, flattening of the epithelium, overgrowth of connective tissue in the wall and reduction of their outer diameter with predominant parameters in the right fallopian tube.