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Hydrosalpinx, or fluid in the fallopian tubes, can cause chronic pelvic pain, short-term pain, fertility problems, or be asymptomatic. It can be detected incidentally during imaging tests.
Having fluid in the fallopian tubes, a condition also known as a hydrosalpinx, can cause a range of symptoms in affected women. The most common symptom is chronic pelvic pain, which can cause significant discomfort and limit a woman’s ability to function. Short-term pelvic pain may also be observed. Some patients have no pain but instead have fertility problems due to their abnormal reproductive tracts. Other women with hydrosalpinx are symptom-free and only discover they have the condition incidentally.
Perhaps the most common symptom women experience due to fluid in the fallopian tubes is chronic pelvic pain. The type of pain experienced can vary widely, but women may experience a aching, cramping, or sharp pain. It is typically found in the region below the navel. Often this pain is felt daily for more than a six month period and causes women a significant amount of dysfunction and inability to carry out their daily activities.
In addition to causing chronic pelvic pain, having fluid in the fallopian tubes can also cause more short-term pain. For example, women may experience pain in the middle of their menstrual cycle, at the time of ovulation. The movement of the egg from the ovary to the uterus through the abnormal fallopian tube causes this pain. Women might also experience pain with sexual intercourse due to damaged fallopian tubes.
Another symptom of hydrosalpinx can be fertility problems. This can present itself in several ways. Women may have trouble getting pregnant after having regular, unprotected sex for months or years. The abnormal fallopian tube prevents the mature egg from being transported from the ovary to the uterus, thus making it difficult for the egg to be fertilized and for the embryos to implant in the uterine wall. On the other hand, women may be able to get pregnant, but experience an ectopic pregnancy because the fertilized egg implants itself outside the uterus due to the abnormal fallopian tube.
Some women who have fluid buildup in the fallopian tubes may be asymptomatic. They have no problems with their menstrual cycles, with the ability to conceive and carry pregnancies or with chronic pain in the pelvic region. The presence of hydrosalpinx may be detected in an imaging study performed for other purposes. For example, a computed tomography (CT) scan might randomly highlight the abnormal collection of fluid in this part of the female reproductive tract. If this happens, further examination including further imaging studies or a biopsy may sometimes be necessary to ensure that the mass seen on the imaging test is just a hydrosalpinx and not a benign or malignant tumor.
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