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Biology of the Uterus pp 545–585Cite as

Ultrastructural Pathology of the Uterus

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Abstract

Morphologically the endometrium is one of the most spectacular and dynamic target tissues in the human body, in which structural changes occur in a rhythmic fashion throughout the reproductive life of women. The various stages of cyclic endometrial alterations including proliferation, secretory differentiation, regression, degeneration, and regeneration have been extensively investigated by means of light microscopy (Dallenbach–Hellweg, 1971), electron microscopy (Cavazos and Lucas, 1973; Ferenczy and Richart, 1974a; Ferenczy, 1976), histochemistry (Boutselis, 1973), ultracytochemistry (Henzlet al 1972), microspectrophotometry (Wagner et al 1968), and biochemistry (Hughes et al 1974) (see Chapter 11). These studies in conjunction with steroid biochemistry (Hertz, 1974) and recent knowledge of the molecular biology of hormone–specific binding proteins (Gorski and Raker, 1974; O’Malley and Means, 1974) have led to the concept that cyclic morphological modifications of the endometrium reflect changes in metabolic functions, and that both are under the regulatory actions of ovarian estradiol–17ß and progesterone. Because of this interplay among structure, function, and ovarian hormonal stimuli, the endometrium is currently considered one of the most sensitive indicators of the hypothalamo–pituitary–ovarian hormonal axis, and thus serves as means for diagnostic evaluation of patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, McGill University, and Gynecological Pathology and Cytology Laboratories of the Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Alex Ferenczy

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  1. Alex Ferenczy
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Illinois at the Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Ralph M. Wynn

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© 1977 Plenum Press, New York

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Ferenczy, A. (1977). Ultrastructural Pathology of the Uterus. In: Wynn, R.M. (eds) Biology of the Uterus. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-2271-9_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-2271-9_15

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-2273-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-2271-9

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