The epoophoron is a homologue to the epididymis in the male. While the epoophoron is located in the lateral portion of the mesosalpinx and mesovarium, the paroophoron (residual remnant of that part of the mesonephric duct that forms the paradidymis in the male) lies more medially in the mesosalpinx.
What is an epoophoron?
The epoophoron or epoöphoron (also called organ of Rosenmüller or the parovarium) is a remnant of the Mesonephric duct that can be found next to the ovary and fallopian tube.
What are Mesonephric tubules?
Mesonephric tubules are genital ridges are next to the mesonephros. In males, some of the mesonephric kidney tubules, instead of being used to filter blood like the rest, they "grow" over to the developing testes, penetrate it, and become connected to the seminiferous tubules of the testes.
What is the difference between mesonephric and metanephric?
The mesonephros is functional in adult higher fishes and amphibians, but only during embryogenesis in mammals. The metanephros is the final of the three embryonic organs; in mammals, this forms the permanent kidney.
Do females have mesonephric tubules?
In addition, a visible remnant of the WD-derived mesonephric tubules called the epoophoron may be present in females. An elongate remnant of the WD-derived mesonephric tubules may also persist as a Gartner duct or cyst within the lateral vaginal wall.
What do the mesonephric tubules become?
The fetal mesonephric (Wolffian) duct gives rise to the epididymis, ductus deferens, and seminal vesicle in males, whereas the mesonephric tubules develop into the efferent ductules.
What develops from mesonephric tubules?
In the male, some of the caudal mesonephric tubules develop into the efferent ducts of the epididymis, while the mesonephric duct becomes the epididymis, the seminal vesicle, and ejaculatory duct.
What is the role of mesonephric duct?
The mesonephric duct connects the primitive kidney, the mesonephros, to the cloaca. It also serves as the primordium for male urogenital structures including the epididymis, vas deferens, and seminal vesicles.
What do mesonephric ducts become?
The mesonephric duct becomes the ductus deferens and the epididymis (the main genital ducts in the male), opening into the urogenital sinus (the anterior part of the cloaca) (Fig. 9.1).
Overview
Anatomy
It may contain 10–15 transverse small ducts or tubules that lead to the Gartner’s duct (also longitudinal duct of epoophoron) that represents the caudal remnant of the mesonephric duct and passes through the broad ligament and the lateral wall of the cervix and vagina.
The epoophoron is a homologue to the epididymis in the male.
While the epoophoron is located in the lateral portion of the mesosalpinx and mesovarium, the par…
Histology
It has a unique histological profile.
Clinical significance
Clinically the organ may give rise to a local paraovarian cyst or adenoma.
See also
• List of homologues of the human reproductive system
• Vesicular appendages of epoophoron
External links
• figures/chapter_35/35-8.HTM: Basic Human Anatomy at Dartmouth Medical School
• genital-016a—Embryo Images at University of North Carolina
• Swiss embryology (from UL, UB, and UF) ugenital/genitinterne05