Employing a total of 50 uteri extirpated either at the time of operation or autopsy from the patients of uterine myoma in the age groups of 30, 40 and 50 years old as well as the 17 myoma free uteri of the patients of the same age groups, histopathological studies were made by the application of various staining methods on the thin sections prepared from at least 3 different parts of the uterus.
Nodules of the myoma were found to present extremely advanced fibrous proliferation and hyalinization as degenerative changes of the stroma, while vascularization was scarce being mostly composed of small vessels. The changes observed on the vascular wall were composed of mild degeneretive changes and fibrous thickening, and hyalinization was extremely mild. In most cases, the inner lumen of the blood vessel was narrow, but complete occlusion was absent.
On Comparison of various lesions between the myomatous and non-myomatous uteri, the former were characterized by hypertrophy of the muscular fiber, fibrination and hyaline degeneration of the parenchyma, thick distribution of the blood vessels, and fibrination and hyalinization of the vascular wall. While, the latter were characterized by atrophic degeneration of the muscular fiber, changes accompanying the circulatory disturbances, fibrous proliferation in the parenchyma and fibrination of the vascular wall. Intensity of the changes observed in the former, moreover, was slightly stronger than that in the latter case. This difference between the two is considered to be caused by the mechanical factor of the myoma and the resultant circulatory disturbance added on the geriatric changes of the uterus.
In all the cases of both myomatous and non-myomatous of paturitional uteri, the presence of elastic fiber stain positive substance was recognized specifically in the wall and around the small and medium sized blood vessels as well as in the parenchyma. Though this substance was also recognized rarely in the uteri without the experience of paturition, it was not specific. This substance was positive in 29 % of the nodules of myomatous uteri with the experience of paturition, while it was not recognized in the non-myomatous uteri. This fact indicates that the generation of this particular substance is closely related to the paturition and, accordingly, that this myomatous uterus has experienced pregnancy and paturition.
It is highly important, therf ore, to take chronological and paturitional changes in consideration for the analysis of the influence of myoma and various modified lesions of an organ like uterus which is subjected to the marked geriatric changes and has various specific functions.
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