Uterus                                                Chart

                                         
Cell types: Endometrial, decidual, myocytic cells
 

Differential diagnosis:
 Structures which can be confused with the uterus are not many. The pregnant uterus or the progestational uterus because of the large glands and spaces may be confused with areolar (adipose) tissue. But uterus has a hacksaw appearance of its glands which are also tubular, straight and long as opposed to round and circular appearances in adipose and lung spaces. Those also belong to compact and not hollow organs as the uterus.

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Diagnostic Features:
a. Tissue is hollow and presents with a large lumen which fills more than 1/10th of the low power field)
b. There are no villi and no cartilage.
c. Numerous spaces of differring sizes in endometrium which are glandular endometrium
d. A thick myometrial layer follows endometrium and a loose areolar tissue follows as the most external coat, the parametrium.

Draw your own section here and make your diagnosis by data base selection below

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Database selection: Practical Tissue Gross

Level 1: Select  hollow since the uterus is a hollow organ
Level 2: Select large as opposed to small since lumen fills more than 1/10th of low power field for tissues of rat to man. This will select from database both cartilage and non cartilage containing tubes.
Level 3: Select no cartilage. This eliminates the trachea and other respiratory tract tubes and selects digestive system organs with skin and uterus
Level 4: Select spaces since large number of spaces are visible and this picks uterus and eliminates skin.

Note the numerous glands. Can you identify the three layer of the endometrium - strata compactum, spongiosum and basale?

 

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