Pregnancy: The vascular architecture of human fetal oviduct: a scanning electron microscopic study of corrosion casts

Vascular architecture was investigated, in 18–21 week old human fetuses, for the first time with the use of corrosion casting and scanning electron microscopy, which offer high resolution and three-dimensional images of the vascular networks. The general arrangement of large vessels was similar to that described for the mature oviduct; however, the intramural vasculature of the muscular layer and mucosal folds consisted predominantly of capillary and sinusoidal networks. A characteristic feature of the fetal oviduct was a prominent sub-serosal venous plexus, which was most extensive in the isthmic segment. The relatively low degree of differentiation found in the fetal oviduct vasculature seems to reflect its functional immaturity.