8. Geospatial Distribution of Mullerian Anomalies in the State of Texas between 2012-2024: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background

Etiology of Mullerian anomalies (MA) has long been considered multifactorial, but the specific contributing factors remain unclear. Some genes have been correlated to certain MA, but no genes explain all anomaly types. The role of environmental pollutants (EP), specifically possible endocrine disruptors, has been considered, but not explored to date. We aimed to understand distribution of patients with any MA to assess proximity to EP.

Methods

An IRB approved retrospective cohort study was conducted among Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology patients (

Results

526 patients met inclusion/exclusion criteria following initial population analysis with Epic SlicerDicer. A majority of patients identified as White (78%), and non-Hispanic and/or Latino (57%) (Table 1). 34.6% of the cohort was comprised of complex mullerian anomalies. Geographic coordinates by census tract code and anomaly type were plotted on a Texas State map, visually demonstrating MA distribution. Best Fit modeling of study cohort by optimal silhouette width revealed 43 distinct geographic clusters (Figure 1). Among zipcodes with the highest MA prevalence, one was noted in close proximity to a superfund site which is a high hazard EPA classification. Clusters 3 and 4 were of interest due to higher rates of OHVIRA and MRKH. Among waste sites within a 10-mile radius to each cluster, top chemicals emitted included known endocrine disruptors.

Conclusions

This is the first study of its kind to assess geospatial distribution of mullerian anomalies and proximity to environmental pollutants. We hope that this data provides the groundwork to further elucidate impact of environmental factors on MA.