Arcuate Uterus, Anatomy

Description

Uterine fundus and endometrial cavity define the arcuate configuration, with a shallow, smooth concavity of the midline fundal contour projecting inferiorly into the cavity. Myometrium surrounds the cavity as a uniform muscular wall, while the serosal surface maintains an outwardly convex external profile despite the subtle internal indentation. A coronal, front-facing cutaway perspective is implied by the emphasis on the fundal cavity contour, keeping the right and left cornual regions and the superior uterine body in the same plane for direct comparison. Arcuate uterus sits on the mild end of Müllerian duct fusion and resorption variants, and it is often identified during infertility workup or evaluation for recurrent pregnancy loss on hysterosalpingography, saline infusion sonohysterography, or MRI. The key teaching point is discrimination from a septate uterus: an arcuate fundal indentation is broad-based and shallow, with minimal extension into the cavity and no deep fibrous septum dividing the endometrium. Subtle anatomy matters. Reproductive endocrinology texts, OB-GYN lectures on congenital uterine anomalies, and radiology teaching files on uterine cavity assessment all benefit from an illustration that isolates the fundal contour without distracting pelvic structures. It also supports patient-facing counseling materials when explaining why a reported arcuate contour usually does not prompt hysteroscopic septum resection, unlike a true septate uterus where targeted incision can be considered. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.