A vaginal septum is a vaginal anomaly that is partition within the

vagina In mammals, the vagina is the elastic, muscular part of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vestibule to the cervix. The outer vaginal opening is normally partly covered by a thin layer of mucosal tissue called the hymen ...

; such a

septum In biology, a septum (Latin for ''something that encloses''; plural septa) is a wall, dividing a cavity or structure into smaller ones. A cavity or structure divided in this way may be referred to as septate. Examples Human anatomy * Interatri ...

could be either longitudinal or transverse. In some affected women, the septum is partial or does not extend the length or width of the vagina. Pain during intercourse can be a symptom. A longitudinal vaginal septum develops during

embryogenesis An embryo is an initial stage of development of a multicellular organism. In organisms that reproduce sexually, embryonic development is the part of the life cycle that begins just after fertilization of the female egg cell by the male sperm ...

when there is an incomplete fusion of the lower parts of the two

Müllerian duct Paramesonephric ducts (or Müllerian ducts) are paired ducts of the embryo that run down the lateral sides of the genital ridge and terminate at the sinus tubercle in the primitive urogenital sinus. In the female, they will develop to form the fal ...

s. As a result, there may appear to be two openings to the vagina. There may be associated duplications of the more cranial parts of the Müllerian derivatives, a double

cervix The cervix or cervix uteri (Latin, 'neck of the uterus') is the lower part of the uterus (womb) in the human female reproductive system. The cervix is usually 2 to 3 cm long (~1 inch) and roughly cylindrical in shape, which changes during ...

, and either a

uterine septum A uterine septum is a form of a congenital malformation where the uterine cavity is partitioned by a longitudinal septum; the outside of the uterus has a normal typical shape. The wedge-like partition may involve only the superior part of the cavi ...

uterus didelphys Uterus didelphys (sometimes also ''uterus didelphis'') represents a uterine malformation where the uterus is present as a paired organ when the embryogenetic fusion of the Müllerian ducts fails to occur. As a result, there is a double uterus wi ...

(double uterus). A transverse septum forms during embryogenesis when the Müllerian ducts do not fuse to the

urogenital sinus The urogenital sinus is a part of the human body only present in the development of the urinary and reproductive organs. It is the ventral part of the cloaca, formed after the cloaca separates from the anal canal during the fourth to seventh we ...

. A complete transverse septum can occur across the vagina at different levels. Menstrual flow can be blocked, and is a cause of primary

amenorrhea Amenorrhea is the absence of a menstrual period in a woman of reproductive age. Physiological states of amenorrhoea are seen, most commonly, during pregnancy and lactation (breastfeeding). Outside the reproductive years, there is absence of menses ...

. The accumulation of menstrual debris behind the septum is termed cryptomenorrhea. Some transverse septa are incomplete and may lead to

dyspareunia Dyspareunia ( ) is painful sexual intercourse due to medical or psychological causes. The term ''dyspareunia'' covers both female dyspareunia and male dyspareunia, but many discussions that use the term without further specification concern the f ...

or obstruction in

labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

References

External links

''Vagina'', Anatomical Atlases, an Anatomical Digital Library (2018)
Congenital disorders of female genital organs Vagina Pediatric gynecology Syndromes in females Syndromes affecting female reproductive system Women's health Gynaecology Embryology Embryology of urogenital system Human development Pain Congenital disorders {{Gynaecology-stub

See also

References

External links