Comparison of ultrastructure adenomyotic glandular epithelium with that of attached epithelium of inner wall of chocolate cyst, with particular reference to histogenesis of endometriosis.

Clinically we rather frequently treat infertile women with endometriosis, either external or internal. Nowadays the study of the histogenesis of endometriosis is urgently required by patients who suffer from sterility because of endometriotic foci. To evaluate the histogenesis of endometriosis, we first electron microscopically examined the adenomyotic glandular epithelium as a distinct candidate for endometriosis interna. Furthermore we studied the chocolate cyst of the ovary as representative of endometriosis externa which is very important from the standpoint of the infertility clinic. In this report we carefully compared the ultrastructure of the adenomyosis with the ovarian chocolate cyst, and endeavoured to explore the histogenesis of endometriosis through this ultrastructural comparison. As a result it was found that the nuclear membrane showed tremendous irregularity in the ovarian chocolate cyst compared with the smooth nuclear membrane in the adenomyotic glandular epithelium.