Salpingitis isthmica nodosa in female infertility and tubal diseases

Abstract

Salpingitis isthmica nodosa (SIN) is a condition of nodular thickening of the proximal Fallopian tube. The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence, distribution and frequency of SIN in Danish women salpingectomized because of tubal pregnancy or salpingitis and to correlate SIN with infertility, pregnancies, outcome of pregnancies, births, pelvic inflammatory disease and salpingitis. Sections from the isthmus were present in the specimens from 223 tubes from 193 patients and were analysed by the same pathologist. Originally, SIN was found in 12 patients but on re-examination, it was found in 24 patients. Ten women with SIN were bilaterally salpingectomized. Only one woman had SIN in both tubes. Women with SIN gave birth to as many children as women without SIN. After SIN had been diagnosed, no children were born, but this was not statistically different from the frequency of births in the non-SIN group after salpingectomy. Women with SIN had histological signs of salpingitis more often than women without SIN, but SIN complicated with salpingitis did not influence the number of children or tubal pregnancies. Women with SIN had a greater risk of two or more tubal pregnancies than women without SIN.