History of Adenomyosis

In: Uterine Adenomyosis · 2015 · pp. 1–8 · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-13012-5_1 · W4238551608
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Adenomyosis was first described in 1860 by Carl Rokitansky, with von Recklinghausen coining the term adenomyoma uteri in 1882, and later distinguishing it from endometriosis.

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This historical chapter traces how adenomyosis was first described and then conceptually separated from related entities like endometriosis. It recounts early 19th-century reports, including Rokitansky’s case (1860) with uterine mucosa nests, later recognition by Cullen of characteristic symptoms (lengthened menstrual periods and pain), and Sampson’s 1925 work distinguishing uterine “mucosal invasion” from extrauterine spread by introducing endometriosis; Frankl (1925) is credited with describing intramyometrial endometrial invagination as adenomyosis uteri. A key limitation noted is that some early “adenomyoma” descriptions would today be reclassified as endometriosis, complicating historical interpretation. Relevance to endometriosis: the chapter explicitly discusses Sampson’s separation of adenomyosis-like uterine invasion from peritoneal extrauterine endometriosis and cautions that early adenomyosis accounts may actually represent endometriosis, though its main focus is the history of adenomyosis.

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Abstract

The first description of a condition today recognised to be a form of adenomyosis was published in 1860 by Carl Rokitansky who reported one case of fibrous polyps of the uterus, containing nests of endometrial cells. In 1882 von Recklinghausen suggested the name adenomyoma uteri and by the end of the nineteenth century the condition was clearly described by several Authors. In spite of a clear description by Thomas Cullen, the medical community investigating ‘mucosal invasions’ of abdominal organs in general failed to identify them as being due to the heterotopic presence of uterine mucosa. It must be stressed that some of the early descriptions of adenomyomas would today be considered as cases of endometriosis, Cullen was the first to provide a description of the two main symptoms of adenomyosis: lengthened menstrual periods and a great deal of pain. In 1925 Sampson led the way to the separation between mucosal invasion of the uterine body and of peritoneal organs and introduced the term endometriosis for the extrauterine forms of invasions. The same year Frankl described the anatomical picture of the intramyometrial endometrial invagination and called it adenomyosis uteri. Access this chapter Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout Purchases are for personal use only Similar content being viewed by others

References

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