Stereometric evaluation of peritoneal endometriosis and endometriotic nodules of the rectovaginal septum

Donnez J, Jacques Donnez, J. Donnez, M. Nisolle, Nisolle M, Michelle Nisolle, F. Casanas-roux, Casanas-Roux F, F. Casanas‐Roux, Philippe Brion, P. Brion, Brion P, Da Costa Ferreira N, N.C. DaFerreira, N. Da Costa Ferreira
Human Reproduction · 1996 · vol. 11(1) , pp. 224–228 · doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.humrep.a019024 · PMID:8671191 · W2154320004
Other OA: bronze CC0 ⤵ 47 in-corpus citations
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This stereometric study found significant differences in mitotic activity, vascularization, and epithelium/stroma ratio between peritoneal endometriosis and rectovaginal nodules, suggesting the latter may be a distinct disease entity.

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Abstract

A computerized morphometrical investigation was performed on endometriotic tissue from the peritoneum (n = 225) and rectovaginal nodules (n = 65) to compare histologically and stereologically the rectovaginal septum endometriotic nodule to peritoneal endometriosis. Mitotic activity, stromal vascularization and the epithelium/stroma ratio were found to be significantly different in peritoneal and rectovaginal endometriosis. The evaluation revealed a major role of glandular epithelium in rectovaginal nodules where the stroma sometimes appeared absent around glandular epithelium. The study demonstrated opposite effects of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) and lynestrenol on the two lesions. Indeed, in peritoneal endometriosis, after GnRHa therapy, our study demonstrated a lower rate of mitosis and poor stromal vascularization. The same drug was unable to induce the same effects in the nodule although, in contrast, lynestrenol has a strong effect on nodule vascularization. In conclusion, it is suggested that the rectovaginal adenomyotic nodule is a specific disease, different from peritoneal endometriosis. It is not the consequence of 'deep infiltrating' endometriosis but can probably develop from Mullerian rests present in the rectovaginal septum.

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Condition tags

endometriosisbowel_endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Peritoneum Vagina Biopsy Biopsy Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometrium Endometrium Endometrium Epithelium Epithelium Epithelium Female Female Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone

Citation neighborhood (2-hop)

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. Outer rings show 2-hop neighbours — papers reached through the immediate citers/citees. [ collapse to 1-hop ]

References (25)

Cited by (47)

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