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Pathology of the Female Genital Tract pp 299–321Cite as

Benign Lesions of the Myometrium

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Abstract

The myometrium is uniquely structured to efficiently modify its size, capacity, and contractility throughout gestation and labor. It is shaped like an upside down pear and is thick, the wall measuring approximately 2 cm on cross section, in the sexually mature female. The myometrial fibers, arranged in three layers, undergo massive hypertrophy characterized by elongation and increased diameter during pregnancy, in response to increased hormone levels. The uterus can increase its weight 10 to 20 times as it enlarges to accommodate the growing fetus. The dramatic response in terms of uterine contractility to prostaglandins El and F2 α is consistent with the presence of specific binding sites for prostaglandins in human muscle tissues51 and is essential to its function during labor. A variety of benign pathologic conditions affect the uterine musculature and these are separately discussed.

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Authors
  1. Rita Iovine Demopoulos M.D.
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA

    Ancel Blaustein (Clinical Professor of Pathology) (Clinical Professor of Pathology)

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© 1977 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Demopoulos, R.I. (1977). Benign Lesions of the Myometrium. In: Blaustein, A. (eds) Pathology of the Female Genital Tract. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-6143-6_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-6143-6_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-6145-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-6143-6

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