Center for Congenital Anomalies of the Reproductive Tract
Congenital Anomalies of the Cervix
The Center for Congenital Anomalies of the Reproductive Tract at Boston Children's Hospital treats congenital anomalies of the cervix, including cervical agenesis and cervical duplication.
Cervical agenesis
Some women have cervical agenesis which means that they are born without a cervix. They may or may not have a uterus and they may or may not have a vagina.
If there is cervical agenesis with a uterus present, then the options include:
- maintaining the uterus by stopping retrograde menses (backward period) with continuous use of oral contraceptive pills
- undergoing surgical procedure to connect the uterus to a vagina which is either present from birth or has been created
Cervical duplication
The reproductive tract forms as two tubes which meet in the midline and intend to fuse. When fusion does not occur, two cervices can result, as well as two uteri. This may or may not be associated with a complete vaginal septum.
A woman with two uteri and two cervices can have a normal reproductive life. She will need a pap smear performed from each cervix, one marked right and one marked left. She does have normal reproductive function, although each uterus is smaller than a normal single uterus. This makes her more at risk for premature labor and for breech presentation (a baby's feet come out first) which would most likely require a cesarean delivery.
