Hysterosalpinography involves the introduction of a dye into the uterus through a thin tube followed by X-ray of the uterus. In an X-ray, this dye shows the outline of the intrauterine cavity. The drawback of this technique is that the intrauterine cavity may have the same shape in a bicornuate or septate uterus. Laparoscopy involves insertion of a camera through a small incision in the abdomen under anesthesia. This is technique is used usually only in a more complicated diagnosis and it can also be used to assist the repair of an intrauterine septurn by hysteroscopy.
Rupture results when the fetus exceeds the size of the cavity.
The reason for the increased risk of pregnancy loss is not completely understood, but it may in part be due to the small size of the uterus which does not allow enough space for adequate fetal growth. It is believed that this may be because they have better blood flow. The septum which fails to dissolve in the septate uterus is unlike the walls of a normal uterus because the septurn was never destined to be a uterine wall. The septum has lower blood flow than the normal uterine walls and it is believed that when placenta implant on this wall, it is less capable than a normal wall of adequately supplying blood to the placenta. Placental implantation on the septurn may be responsible for the higher incidence of intrauterine growth restriction and fetal loss seen in women with septate uteri.