adnexal

Adnexal is a medical adjective used to describe structures that are accessory or adjacent to a primary organ. The term derives from Latin adnexus, meaning bound to or connected with. It is applied across medical specialties to denote relation to an organ’s supporting or appended parts rather than to its main functional tissue.

In gynecology and pelvic anatomy, the adnexa (the adnexal region) refers to the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the surrounding supporting structures such as ligaments and peritoneal connections. The word is frequently used in clinical contexts to describe conditions or masses arising in these structures, for example adnexal masses or adnexal torsion, which involves twisting of the ovary and often the fallopian tube.

In dermatology, adnexal structures are the skin appendages, including hair follicles, sebaceous glands, and sweat glands (eccrine and apocrine). Adnexal tumors are lesions that originate from these structures and may be benign or malignant. The term helps distinguish lesions of the skin appendages from those arising in the deeper dermal or epidermal layers.

In ophthalmology, the adnexa of the eye encompass the eyelids, lacrimal apparatus, conjunctiva, and related periocular tissues. Across specialties, adnexal emphasizes a relationship to an organ’s surrounding or accessory components, clarifying that a condition or structure involves the adjunctive parts rather than the organ’s primary functional tissue.