Endometrial response following percutaneous estrogen replacement therapy. A morphometric investigation.

The endometrial response in 10 postmenopausal women receiving estrogen replacement therapy was evaluated morphologically and quantified by morphometric analysis. During 6 months of cyclic treatment with percutaneous estradiol-17 beta, 3 mg daily, the mean relative endometrial gland volume increased from 10% to 40%. In each individual woman this morphometric parameter was significantly correlated to the serum concentration of estradiol-17 beta. The decline in FSH level during treatment showed no significant correlation to the endometrial response or the estrogen level. In some endometrial samples from women during treatment, glands with incomplete epithelial lining and rows of glandular epithelial cells were observed. It is suggested that these phenomena represent early forms of glandular development.