Applicability and Suitability of the Embryological-Clinical Classification of Female Genital Malformations: A Systematic Review

• Published in: Journal of clinical medicine 2024-05, Vol.13 (10), p.2988
• Main Authors: Navarro, Victoria, Acién, Maribel, Acién, Pedro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abnormalities; Cervix; Classification; Embryology; Females; Genitourinary organs; Methods; Sinuses; Systematic review; Uterus; Vagina
• ISSN: 2077-0383; 2077-0383
• DOI: 10.3390/jcm13102988

Complex urogenital malformations are clinically highly relevant; thus, they must be appropriately diagnosed and classified before initiating treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability and suitability of the embryological-clinical classification of female genital malformations. A systematic review of cases of genital malformations reported in the literature from 2000 to 2020 was conducted. Case reports and series with the following combinations: "female genital tract" AND (malformation OR anomaly OR müllerian anomaly OR uterine anomaly OR cervical anomaly OR vaginal anomaly OR cloacal anomaly OR urogenital sinus); and "female genital tract" AND (renal agenesis OR ectopic ureter) were searched. A total of 3124 articles were identified, of which 824 cases of genital malformation were extracted. The characteristics of each malformation were included in a database for further analyses. : Using the embryological-clinical classification, 89.9% of the published cases and 86.5% of the 52 cases defined as unclassifiable by their authors have been classified in this review. In 73 cases (72.2%), the classification of the malformation using the AFS system was incomplete because although the type of uterine anomaly of the AFS classification matched that of the embryological-clinical classification, characteristics of the urinary system or the vagina were overlooked when using the AFS system. Following a dispersion matrix, we have been able to show that the embryological-clinical classification system is able to classify and subclassify the genitourinary malformations more accurately. The applicability of the embryological-clinical classification has been confirmed after classifying most of the cases of genital malformation previously published. This system also provides a more complete and accurate classification than other classifying systems exclusively based on Müllerian duct development or uterovaginal parameters, demonstrating its suitability.