Origins of the Obstetric and Gynaecological Syndromes

For many decades (1945–2011) narrowed, uterine arterioles were thought to be the histological hallmark of preeclampsia after their original description by AT Hertig, Harvard, MA, in 1945. More recently Professors Brosens & Romero, described narrowed, uterine arterioles in many of the “great” obstetric syndromes including preterm labour, placental abruption, foetal growth restriction, pre-eclampsia, etc. In unrelated studies, our group have found narrowed arterioles surrounded by “halos” of injured nerves in the uterus, and other pelvic organs, in many of the gynaecological syndromes including chronic pelvic pain, endometriosis, “painful” adenomyosis, vulval pain, interstitial cystitis, etc.