During the reproductive years, normal endometrium comprises glands, stroma, and vascular elements that synchronously proliferate, differentiate, and then disintegrate at roughly 28-day intervals. During a menstrual cycle, the epithelium lining the glands, stroma, and vasculature of the functional layer of the endometrium undergoes well-defined morphological changes. At the same time, the glands and stroma of the basal portion of the corpus endometrium and the lower uterine segment endometrium show no significant morphological changes. Our descriptions of normal endometrium are based on 1,012 contemporaneously gathered hysterectomy-controlled cases and 1,690 office-based samplings (Table 5.1)
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Suggested Reading
Boon J, van de Putte SC, Scholten PC, Heintz AP. Histological patterns in endometrial samples from perimenopausal women. Maturitas 1999; 32: 155–9.
Dhingra N, Punia RS, Radotra A, Mohan H. Arias-Stella reaction in upper genital tract in pregnant and non-pregnant women: a study of 120 randomly selected cases. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2007; 276: 47–52.
Gellersen B, Brosens IA, Brosens JJ. Decidualization of the human endometrium: mechanisms, functions, and clinical perspectives. Semin Reprod Med 2007; 25: 445–53.
Harada T, Taniguchi F, Izawa M, Ohama Y, Takenaka Y, Tagashira Y, Ikeda A, Watanabe A, Iwabe T, Terakawa N. Apoptosis and endometriosis. Front Biosci 2007; 12: 3140–51.
Kaba S, Aoki T, Fukatsu T. Endometrial cytology in postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy. Diagn Cytopathol 1998; 19: 161–7.
Kashimura Y, Fukuda J, Toki N, Doki W, Kashimura M. Evaluation of pregnancy-related cells in endometrial cytology. Acta Cytol 2007; 51: 407–11.
Kitaya K, Yamaguchi T, Yasuo T, Okubo T, Honjo H. Post-ovulatory rise of endometrial CD16(–) natural killer cells: in situ proliferation of residual cells or selective recruitment from circulating peripheral blood? J Reprod Immunol 2007; 76: 45–53.
Maksem JA. Ciliated cell adenocarcinoma of the endometrium diagnosed by endometrial brush cytology and confirmed by hysterectomy: a case report detailing a highly efficient cytology collection and processing technique. Diagn Cytopathol 1997; 16: 78–82.
Mselle TF, Meadows SK, Eriksson M, Smith JM, Shen L, Wira CR, Sentman CL. Unique characteristics of NK cells throughout the human female reproductive tract. Clin Immunol 2007; 124: 69–76.
Norimatsu Y, Shimizu K, Kobayashi TK, Moriya T, Kaku T, Tsukayama C, Miyake Y, Ohno E. Endometrial glandular and stromal breakdown, part 2: cytomorphology of papillary metaplastic changes. Diagn Cytopathol 2006; 34: 665–9.
Quddus MR, Sung CJ, Zheng W, Lauchlan SC. p53 immunoreactivity in endometrial metaplasia with dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Histopathology (Oxf) 1999; 35: 44–9.
Sentman CL, Wira CR, Eriksson M. NK cell function in the human female reproductive tract. Am J Reprod Immunol 2007; 57: 108–15.
Shimizu K, Norimatsu Y, Kobayashi TK, Ogura S, Miyake Y, Ohno E, Sakurai T, Moriya T, Sakurai M. Endometrial glandular and stromal breakdown, part 1: cytomorphological appearance. Diagn Cytopathol 2006; 34: 609–13.
Stewart CJ, Campbell-Brown M, Critchley HO, Farquharson MA. Endometrial apoptosis in patients with dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Histopathology (Oxf) 1999; 34: 99–105.
Strassmann BI. The evolution of endometrial cycles and menstruation. Q Rev Biol 1996; 71: 181–220.
Strassmann BI. Menstrual cycling and breast cancer: an evolutionary perspective. J Womens Health 1999; 8: 193–202.
Szymanowski K. Apoptosis pattern in human endometrium in women with pelvic endometriosis. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2007; 132: 107–10.
Tabibzadeh S. Distinct subsets of stromal cells confined to unique microenvironments in human endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle. Am J Reprod Immunol 1991; 26: 5–10.
Tao LC. Cytopathology of the endometrium. Direct intrauterine sampling. In: Johnston WW, ed. ASCP Theory and Practice of Cytopathology, vol 2. ASCP Press, Chicago, IL, 1993.
Tao LC. Direct intrauterine sampling: the IUMC endometrial sampler. Diagn Cytopathol 1997; 17: 153–9.
Vassiliadou N, Bulmer JN. Functional studies of human decidua in spontaneous early pregnancy loss: effect of soluble factors and purified CD56+ lymphocytes on killing of natural killer and lymphokine-activated killer-sensitive targets. Biol Reprod 1998; 58: 982–7.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Maksem, J.A., Robboy, S.J., Bishop, J.W., Meiers, I. (2009). Normal Endometrium. In: Endometrial Cytology with Tissue Correlations. Essentials in Cytopathology, vol 7. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-89910-7_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-89910-7_6
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-89909-1
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-89910-7
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)