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Uterus and Uterine Tube Histology

Notes

Uterus and Uterine Tube Histology

Uterine wall

Perimetrium

  • Outer serosal covering

Myometrium

  • Comprises a thick layer of smooth muscle continuous with the vagina
  • Interweaving smooth muscle bundles contract during orgasm and to expel uterine contents during menstruation and parturition.
  • Branches of the uterine artery course through the myometrium and form straight arteries, which reach only the stratum basalis, and spiral arteries, which travel to the stratum functionalis.

Endometrium

  • The inner most layer; it faces the uterine cavity
  • Can be subdivided into the stratum basalis, which lies against the myometrium, and the stratum functionalis, which faces the uterine cavity (be aware that some authors further divide the stratum functionalis into the stratum compactum and spongiosum).
  • Tubular glands of the endometrium are surrounded by stroma, in which we can also see blood vessels.
  • The endometrial glands comprise columnar ciliated and secretory cells.
  • The stratum functionalis, but not the stratum basalis, cyclically proliferates and sheds over the course of a menstrual cycle.

Uterine Tube

Serosa

  • Outermost layer

Muscularis (aka, myosalpinx)

  • Smooth muscle
  • Muscularis comprises thin longitudinal and circular layers of smooth muscle that contract to propel the ova towards the uterus.

Mucosa (aka, endosalpinx)

  • Inner lining
  • Mucosal folds are lined with two types of columnar cells: ciliated and non-ciliated secretory (aka, peg cells). The ciliated cells propel the ova towards the uterus, while the secretory cells produce fluids that nourish the ova and assist in sperm capacitation.
  • The labyrinth-like folds ensure that the ova will be in close proximity to the epithelia.

Clinical Correlations:

  • Endometriosis occurs when endometrial tissues are displaced and implant elsewhere in the abdominopelvic cavity. Lesions can cause pain and damaging scars.
  • Salpingitis, inflammation of the uterine tube, is typically caused by bacterial infection; it can damage the uterine tube and cause infertility.

Images:

Histology (Mark Braun, MD, & Indiana University: http://medsci.indiana.edu/c602web/602/c602web/toc.htm; http://www.indiana.edu/~anat215/virtualscope2/start.htm)