Pathology Of Uterus Flashcards
1
Q
Dysfunctional uterine bleeding
A
- The most common form of vaginal bleeding in women
- Abnormal bleeding in the absence of a well defined organic lesion
- Endometrium goes thru a proliferative phase w/o a secretory phase eventually collapses and bleeds
- Common at both ends of reproductive life
2
Q
Dysfunctional uterine bleeding causes
A
- Most common cause: Anovulatory cycle: excess of estrogen relative to progesterone
- Any dysfunction of hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid
- Ovarian lesion, malnutrition, obesity stress
- Inadequate luteal phase
*corpus luteum fails to mature or may regress prematurely leading to a relative lack of progesterone
*endometrium has a delay in development
- Contraceptive induced bleeding
3
Q
A
- Anovulatory bleeding
4
Q
Endometritis
A
- Part of pelvic inflammatory disease
- Endometrium is inflammed
- May be assoc. w/ retained POC (products of conception; like placenta) or FB (foreign bodies) such as IUD
- Acute and chronic forms
- Chronic forms have plasma cells
- Infection
5
Q
Endometritis Symptoms
A
- Fever, pain, ectopic pregnancy, menstrual irregularities
6
Q
Chronic Endometritis Histology
A
7
Q
Endometrial Polyps
A
- Sessile lesions, 0.5-3cm in diameter
- Covered w/ columnar cells, adenomatous stroma
- More common around menopause
- May produce abnormal uterine bleeding
- Foci of adenocarcinoma are rarely present
- Stromal cells have a cytogenetic arrangement of 6P21
- Has been assoc. w/ the use of Tamoxifen
8
Q
Adenomyosis
A
- Growth of endometrial basal layer into the myometrium
*benign growth
- Uterine wall is thickened
- Cyclic bleeding can occur but is unusual
- May produce menorrhagia, dysmenorrhea and pelvic pain
9
Q
Adenomyosis Histology
A
10
Q
Endometriosis
A
- Endometrial tissue outside the uterus
- Benign tissue but can cause complications from bleeding
- Common locations: ovaries, pouch of Douglas, uterine ligaments, tubes, rectovaginal septum
- Uncommonly: LN, lungs, heart
- Endometrial foci often undergoes cyclic bleeding
11
Q
Endometriosis Complications
A
- Can lead to Infertility
- Can cause Dysmenorrhea
- Can cause Pelvic pain
- Seen during active reproductive life
- Affects approx. 10% of women often in 20-30’s
12
Q
Endometriosis Four Major Theories
A
- The regurgitation theory
- Metaplastic theory
- The benign metastasis theory
- The extra uterine stem/progenitor cell theory
13
Q
Endometriosis-regurgitation theory
A
- Endometrial tissue implanted at abnormal locations
- Retrograde menstruation thru fallopian tubes could mediate spread of endometrial tissue to the peritoneal cavity
14
Q
Endometriosis-metaplastic theory
A
- Endometrium arising directly from coelomic epithelium which is mesothelium of the pelvis
- Mullerian ducts and endometrium originates from this during embryonic development
15
Q
The benign metastases theory
A
- Endometrial foci pass thru the lymphatic and hematogenous system
- Can reach distant sites such as the lung, bone and brain
16
Q
The extrauterine stem/progenitor cell theory
A
- Proposes that stem/progenitor cells from the bone marrow differentiate into endometrial tissue
17
Q
Endometriotic tissue characteristics
A
- There are specific abnormalities that distinguish normal endometrium from endometriotic tissue
- Activation of the inflammatory cascade: high lvls of prostaglandin E2, interleukin-1 beta, tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-6
- Upregulation of estrogen production by stromal cells due to high lvls of steroidogenic enzyme aromatase which is absent in normal endometrial stroma
- Epigenetic changes in genes that encode 2 nuclear receptors: steroidogenic factor 1 and estrogen receptor beta
- This results in overexpression causing a cascade leading to overproduction of estrogen and prostaglandin and resistance to progesterone action
- Produces nodules w/ a red-blue to yellow-brown appearance (due to early hemoglobin appearing red-blue and then as it breaks down to hemosiderin you get the yellow-brown)
- Hemorrhage may cause xtensive fibrous adhesions b/w tubes, ovaries and other structures
- Chocalate cysts