Uterus - Dobson Flashcards
2 layers of endometrium
Functional layer
Basal layer
Histology of menstrual phase
Functional layer sheds, bleeding into stroma (fibrin, RBCs, inflammatory cells), stromal breakdown
Histology of proliferative phase
- Rapid growth of glands and stroma
- Straight, tubular glands
- No mucus or vacuolization
- Pseudostratified columnar cells along glands
- Numerous mitotic figures
Endothelial histology of secretory phase
- Subnuclear –> supranuclear (week 3) vacuoles in glandular epithelium
- Dilated glands (18-24)
- Tortuous glands (week 4)
- Serrated/saw-tooth
Stromal histology of secretory phase
- Spiral arterioles
- Increased ground substance and edema
- Stromal cell hypertrophy and CYTOPLASMIC EOSINOPHILIA (predecidual change)
- Resurgence of mitoses
- High glycogen and lipid (decidualized cells)
AUB definition
Uterine bleeding that lacks an underlying organic/structural abnormality
AUB most commonly due to ____
Common times?
Anovulation (no ovulation)
Menarche, peri-menopause
Anovulation causes what hormonal imbalance?
Unopposed estrogen (no corpus luteum to make progesterone)
Metabolic disturbance causes of AUB
Obesity, malnutrition, chronic systemic disease
Endocrine causes of AUB
Thyroid, adrenal, pituitary
Ovarian lesion causes of AUB
Functioning tumors, polycystic ovary disease
In anovulation, what will not be seen on morphology?
What causes bleeding?
No secretory changes or vacuolization or predecidual changes
Glands break down and shed, causing bleeding
If anovulation is symptomatic (bleeding), what can be assumed?
Repeated cycles of no ovulation (not just 1)
Fever, vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain; recently pregnant; neutrophils in the endometrial stroma
Cause?
Acute endometritis
Retained products of conception
Group A strep, staph, others
Abnormal vaginal bleeding, pain, discharge, infertility; PLASMA CELLS in the endometrial stroma
Causes? (4)
Chronic endometritis (plasma cells = pathognomonic)
Chronic PID, retained POC, IUD, TB
Neutrophils AND plasma cells in the endometrial stroma
Chlamydia-associated chronic endometritis
Endometriosis - define
Most common locations
Ectopic endometrial tissue outside of the uterus
Ovaries, uterine ligaments, rectovaginal septum, others
4 theories of endometriosis
- Regurgitation (retrograde flow of menses)
- Metastases
- Metaplastic (change of coelomic epithelium of mullerian origin)
- Stem cell (BM cells)
Things seen in the endometriosis tissue AND the normal endometrium of women with endometriosis ONLY (2)
Treatment of endometriosis?
- High release of pro-inflammatory and growth cytokines
- High estrogen production by stromal cells (high aromatase)
Aromatase inhibitors
AUB, red/blue or yellow/brown nodules on or beneath mucosa or serosa
When extensive, can cause _____
Powder burn marks - endometriosis
—> fibrous adhesions
Distorted, cystic ovaries w/ brown fluid (dried blood)
Chocolate cyst – ovarian endometriosis
Endometriosis MUST have ____ tissue to be diagnosed as such
Can also have ___ tissue
Endometrial stroma
Endothelial