Morphometrical changes of human uterine tubes according to aging and the menstrual cycle / 대한해부학회지

ABSTRACT

Studies for morphological changes in the human uterine tube due to aging and the menstrual cycle have been limited to microscopic aspects such as cellular changes. Thus in order to investigate the morphological changes of whole uterine tubes according to aging and the menstrual cycle, macroscopic and microscopic measurements were performed using 55 uterine tubes of 36 women (15 to 84 years old). In macroscopic measurements, the length of the uterine tube, and the number and frequency of ampullar convolutions were measured. In microscopic measurements, each uterine tube was divided into 9 blocks and tissue slides were prepared. By photographing, developing, printing and image analysis, the cross sectional area of the tube, mucosal layer, lumen and veins were measured. The authors analyzed each data set according to aging and the presence of menopause, and compared the degrees of venous engorgement according to the menstrual cycle. The results are as follows 1. Uterine tube length did not show statistically significant differences in relation to age, but the numbers and the rates of ampullar convolution decreased. 2. Under the influence of menopause, the cross sectional areas of the tube, mucosal layer and lumen in the ampulla were decreased. However, in the isthmus, the cross sectional area of the lumen was decreased but those of the tube and mucosa did not show statistically significant change. 3. In women of reproductive age, the cross sectional areas of the tube, mucosa and lumen were changed variably because of the menstrual cycle rather than the increase of age. Venous engorgement of the tubes could not be observed in the early proliferative phase, but it kept increasing from the mid-proliferative phase to the early secretory phase. Full engorgement was observed in the late secretory phase and the early menstrual phase but not in the mid-secretory phase. It was usually accompanied by edema in the mucosal layer.