The rete ovarii of cattle and deer communicates with the uterine tube

Textbooks in embryology, histology, and reproductive biology erroneously state that the mammalian rete ovarii consists of a tubular structure in the medulla of the ovary which is closed at both ends. In white‐tailed deer and cattle, the lumen of the rete ovarii opens directly into the infundibulum near its attachment to the ovary. This serendipitous discovery followed the serial sectioning of over 100 ovaries. Secretions through this tuboretial opening may affect reproductive processes. Obstructions could explain the development of cysts of clinical importance in both human and veterinary medicine. This rather obscure structure may have more significance than previously recognized.