Inflammation of the endometrium in reproduction

Abstract

The evaluation of endometrial tissue is commonplace in anatomic pathology, with most specimens received as biopsies due to abnormal uterine bleeding. Endometritis simply implies a pathologic process of inflammation of the endometrium, which can be classified as either acute or chronic, based on the presence of acute or chronic inflammatory cells. Just as Donald and Shaw stated in 1911, clinicians still turn to pathologists to make the diagnosis of chronic endometritis based on histological findings alone. Acute endometritis and chronic endometritis lie on a morphologic spectrum, as it is common for plasma cells and neutrophils to be found together. There is increasing interest in the impact of endometrial inflammation on early gestation and pregnancy loss. Furthermore, patients with susceptibility to acute or chronic endometritis may be identified in the future by precision medicine approaches with the goal of improving reproductive outcomes.