Plicae Palmatae

The plicae palmatae (Latin for leaf-shaped fold) is a normal cervical structure that is commonly seen on routine MRI of the normal uterus. It is seen in about 50% of women between 20-50, about 25% in women in their 50s.

The median ridge of the plicae palmatae appears on T2-weighted images as a longitudinal ridge of low signal at the midline of the anterior and/or posterior wall that protrudes into the cervical canal. The lateral ridges are typically not seen on MRI, as they branch upward and laterally and upward along the cervical wall.

It can be mistaken for an anomalous uterine septum.

References

Takahata A, Koyama T, Kido A, Kataoka M, Umeoka S, Nishizawa S, Nishimura T, Togashi K. The frequency of the plicae palmatae in the uterine cervix on MR imaging. Abdom Imaging. 2009 Mar-Apr;34(2):277-9.