398 THE GENITOURINARY SYSTEM 



The process of fusion may not be carried out in its entirety, 

 and varying degrees of failure are found. In the simplest 

 variety, the vagina is subdivided into right and left halves by 

 a median partition, and the condition may or may not be 

 associated with a bicornuate or bipartite uterus. The pos- 

 sibility of the presence of a bicornuate uterus must always be 

 borne in mind in obstetrical and gynecological practice, as it 

 is by no means a great rarity. 



The ovary is developed from the reproductive gland (p. 380), 

 which arises in the lumbar region in close relation to the 

 kidney. As a result, it obtains its blood-supply direct from 

 the abdominal aorta and its nerves from the lower thoracic 

 part of the spinal medulla. It is not till the later stages 

 of fcetal life that the ovary becomes pelvic in position. 

 Although in this way striking similarities exist between the 

 testis and the ovary, yet malposition of the ovary is extremely 

 rare as compared with malposition of the testis. 



The Ep-oophoron (Parovarium), which lies in the broad 

 ligament below the uterine tube, is a vestigial structure. It 

 represents a few persisting tubules of the Wolffian body. 

 These tubules open into a longitudinal duct, which is usually 

 blind at both extremities, but which may descend along the 

 lateral margin of the uterus, subsequently opening into the 

 vagina. It is termed the duct of Gaertner, and it represents 

 the persisting part of the Wolffian duct. The ep-oophoron 

 may be the site of cystic enlargement, and such enlargement 

 occurs between the two layers of the broad ligament. If the 

 tumour is a large one, the uterine tube is found to be 

 stretched across its superior aspect and the ovary is attached 

 to its posterior aspect by means of the mesovarium, which, 

 however, may practically be incorporated with the peritoneal 

 covering of the tumour. 



The Female Bladder differs slightly from the corresponding 

 organ in the male with regard to its position. Owing to the 

 absence of the prostate, the neck of the bladder comes into 

 relation with the upper fascia of the urogenital diaphragm 



