title: Morphometric and electron microscopic analyses of the effect of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist treatment on arteriole size in uterine leiomyomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have been performed on the vascular changes in leiomyomas from patients treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHAs).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To measure luminal diameter and wall thickness of arterioles in uterine leiomyomas using a quantitative stereologic method of analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty leiomyomas from 3 study groups were used: (1) patients treated with GnRHAs (10 patient samples), (2) age-matched controls (10 patient samples), and (3) postmenopausal women (10 patient samples). Measurements of arteriolar luminal diameter and wall thickness were made using a video-based, computerized system attached to the microscope, for which a morphometric ad hoc program was written. Electron micrographs were made of random arterioles from the first 2 groups (GnRHA-treated patients and age-matched controls).
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Pathology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 30 patient samples were studied, with 3 groups comprising 10 samples each, including patients treated with GnRHAs, age-matched control patients, and postmenopausal women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Arterioles in myomas from patients treated with GnRHAs had slightly larger luminal diameters and significantly thicker walls than age-matched controls and resembled arterioles from postmenopausal women. The thickening was due to smooth muscle cell hyperplasia in the muscularis media.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment with GnRHAs causes a thickening of the walls of intramyomatous arterioles, which resemble those of postmenopausal women. This thickening may play a role in the decreased flow of blood reported in GnRHA treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY 10029, USA. Tamara.Kalir@smtplink.mssm.edu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kalir
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gil
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001160:Arterioles / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D007889:Leiomyoma / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D016729:Leuprolide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000473:pathology; D017274:Nafarelin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017698:Postmenopause; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D017274:Nafarelin; D016729:Leuprolide