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Abstract

Endometrial biopsies and curettings are among the most common tissue specimens received in the pathology laboratory. In several ways these specimens present a unique challenge for the surgical pathologist. Normal endometrium undergoes a variety of morphologic changes, especially during the reproductive years when cyclical hormonal influences and pregnancy affect uterine growth. Biopsy-induced artifacts confound this heterogeneous group of morphologic changes. Whether the biopsy is limited or a thorough curettage, the procedure usually is “blind,” with no visualization of the tissue sampled. The final specimen contains multiple, irregularly oriented tissue fragments mixed with blood and contaminating cervical tissue and mucus.

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© 1995 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Mazur, M.T., Kurman, R.J. (1995). Introduction. In: Diagnosis of Endometrial Biopsies and Curettings. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3943-5_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3943-5_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-3945-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-3943-5

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