Diagnosis and Treatment of Tubal Diverticula: Report of 13 Cases

Tubal diverticula is a rare disease, and the literature includes only a few reports of this condition. We tentatively summarized 13 cases to investigate the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of tubal diverticula. The clinical manifestations, diagnosis at hysterosalpingography (HSG), surgical treatment, and pregnancy rates of the 13 cases were retrospectively analyzed. Tubal diverticula is more prevalent in women with endometriosis than in infertile patients (6.7% vs 2.1%; p = .000). Eleven patients (84.6%) had endometriosis, which was in an early stage (I or II) in 9 patients (81.8%). HSG may reveal accumulation of radiopaque contrast medium around the distal end of the tubes, suggesting the presence of diverticula. All 13 cases were diagnosed via laparoscopy, and the diverticula were resected during surgery. Eleven of the 13 patients (84.6%) had ≥2 subtle tubal abnormalities. The pregnancy rate in 9 of the 11 patients with tubal diverticula was 81.8%, with 1 ectopic pregnancy (11.1%) and 1 spontaneous abortion (12.5%). HSG may be helpful in enabling the diagnosis of tubal diverticula. It is important that tubal diverticula be diagnosed via laparoscopy with use of diluted methylene blue dye and careful evaluation.