Light and electron microscopic evaluation of cardinal ligaments in women with or without uterine prolapse.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigated light and electron microscopic findings in cardinal ligaments of women with or without uterine prolapse.


METHODS
Cardinal ligament samples were obtained from hysterectomy specimens of ten women with and ten women without uterine prolapse.


RESULTS
Light microscopy showed altered connective tissue properties in eight of ten women with prolapse and in only three of ten women without prolapse (p = 0.025). The alterations included loosely arranged connective tissue fibers and less dense extracellular matrix with sparsely distributed fibroblasts. Under electron microscopy, collagen fibers were more sparsely distributed and thicker in women with prolapse. Mean diameter of collagen fibers was 61.2 +/- 11.4 nm in women with prolapse while it was 52.5 +/- 6.1 nm in women without prolapse (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Uterine prolapse is associated with connective tissue alterations including total amount of connective tissue components and diameter and distribution of collagen fibers.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, 06100, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey. csalman@hacettepe.edu.tr
Mehmet Coskun
MC
Salman
Ozgur
O
Ozyuncu
Mustafa Fevzi
MF
Sargon
Turkan
T
Kucukali
Tekin
T
Durukan
D000328:Adult; D003094:Collagen / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008022:Ligaments / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014596:Uterine Prolapse / Q000473:pathology*
D003094:Collagen