Hilary Critchley

BACKGROUND: Each month the endometrium becomes inflamed, and the luminal portion is shed during menstruation. The subsequent repair is remarkable, allowing implantation to occur if fertilization takes place. Aberrations in menstrual physiol…

INTRODUCTION: Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) affects 3-4% of women worldwide. Proven treatments for CPP are limited and unsatisfactory. The meridian balance method (BM) electroacupuncture (EA) treatment (BMEA + Traditional Chinese Medicine Healt…

BACKGROUND: In women dynamic changes in uterine tissue architecture occur during each menstrual cycle. Menses, characterised by the shedding of the upper functional layer of the endometrium, is the culmination of a cascade of irreversible c…

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Review of recent data from clinical trials and descriptions of endometrial morphology with administration of selective progesterone receptor modulators (SPRMs). RECENT FINDINGS: Recent reports concerning administration o…

STUDY QUESTION: Is there a global consensus on the management of endometriosis that considers the views of women with endometriosis? SUMMARY ANSWER: It was possible to produce an international consensus statement on the current management …

CONTEXT: The human endometrium is a complex multicellular tissue subject to cyclical fluctuations in ovarian-derived steroid hormones. Fertile cycles are characterized by differentiation (decidualization) of endometrial stromal cells (ESC).…

Endometriosis and uterine fibroids are important, common pathological conditions that impose a major healthcare burden. Endometriosis is defined as the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity and represents one of the m…

Uterine NK cells (uNK) play a role in the regulation of placentation, but their functions in nonpregnant endometrium are not understood. We have previously reported suppression of endometrial bleeding and alteration of spiral artery morphol…

INTRODUCTION: Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) affects >1 million UK women. Annual healthcare costs are estimated at >£150 million. Proven interventions for CPP are limited, and treatment is often unsatisfactory. Gabapentin is increasingly prescri…

Understanding of ectopic implantation within the Fallopian tube (FT) is limited. In the human uterus, the putative 'window of implantation' in the mid-luteal phase of the menstrual cycle is accompanied by increased endometrial epithelial ex…

BACKGROUND: Premature ovarian failure (POF) is currently managed by non-physiological sex steroid regimens which are inadequate at optimizing uterine characteristics. Previous short-term studies have demonstrated some benefits of a sex ster…

The ovarian steroid hormones progesterone and estradiol are well established regulators of human endometrial function. However, more recent evidence suggests that androgens and locally generated steroids, such as the glucocorticoids, also h…

In November 2010, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics formally accepted a new classification system for causes of abnormal uterine bleeding in the reproductive years. The system, based on the acronym PALM-COEIN (polyps…

The human endometrium is exposed to cyclical fluctuations of ovarian-derived sex steroids resulting in proliferation, differentiation (decidualization), and menstruation. An influx of leukocytes (up to 15% macrophages) occurs during the lat…

BACKGROUND: The human endometrium efficiently repairs each month after menstruation. The mechanisms involved in this repair process remain undefined. Aberrations in endometrial repair may lead to the common disorder of heavy menstrual bleed…

Fallopian tube (FT) and endometrial urocortin 1 (Ucn1) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-receptor (CRH-R1/CRH-R2) expression were examined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry in n…

There is general inconsistency in the nomenclature used to describe abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), in addition to a plethora of potential causes-several of which may coexist in a given individual. It seems clear that the development of co…

CONTEXT: The endometrium is a multicellular, steroid-responsive tissue that undergoes dynamic remodeling every menstrual cycle in preparation for implantation and, in absence of pregnancy, menstruation. Androgen receptors are present in the…

Progestins have a valuable role in the treatment of the painful symptoms associated with endometriosis and should be considered a first-line therapy. They are comparable in efficacy to other medical approaches, such as estrogen-containing p…

The endometrium has a remarkable capacity for efficient repair; however, factors involved remain undefined. Premenstrual progesterone withdrawal leads to increased prostaglandin (PG) production and local hypoxia. Here we determined human en…

The human endometrium is exposed to repeated inflammation every month, culminating in tissue breakdown and menstruation. Subsequently, the endometrium has a remarkable capacity for efficient repair and remodeling to enable implantation if f…