The tubes connecting the ovaries and the uterus are known as the Fallopian tubes (or uterine tubes). These structures play an essential role in natural reproduction and are responsible for receiving the egg each month and, furthermore, it is here that the union between egg and sperm takes place (fertilisation). They also enable the resulting embryo to be transported to the uterus which is where pregnancy will take place.
A hydrosalpinx is the result of an obstruction at the far ends of the Fallopian tubes which leads to the area becoming filled with liquid. This can lead to the Fallopian tubes becoming very swollen and distended, resulting in a ‘sausage-like’ appearance. In many cases, the obstruction and the liquid that has accumulated impair correct functioning of the Fallopian tube: semen does not travel up, the egg is not received by the tube and fertilisation does not take place, making achieving a natural pregnancy complicated (particularly so if both Fallopian tubes are affected). Alternatively, a hydrosalpinx can lead to pregnancy occurring within the tubes themselves (ectopic pregnancy).