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- Hormone-responsive tissues change across the cycle—note phase (proliferative vs secretory) when judging “normal.”
- Epithelium types shift: squamous ectocervix → transformation zone → endocervical mucinous columnar; endometrium is simple columnar with glands/stroma.
- Ovary has surface mesothelium, cortical stroma with follicles, and medullary vasculature; fallopian tube is ciliated + secretory columnar.
- Myometrium is smooth muscle bundles with interlacing vessels and scant stroma.
- Proliferative: straight glands, mitotic figures, dense stromal cells; no secretions.
- Secretory: subnuclear vacuoles early, then saw-toothed glands with luminal secretions; decidualizing stroma late secretory.
- Atrophic/postmenopausal: small inactive glands in fibrous stroma.
- Ectocervix: stratified squamous non-keratinized, glycogenated; orderly maturation, p16 negative in normal.
- Transformation zone: immature/metaplastic squamous cells replacing columnar epithelium; basal layer smooth.
- Endocervix: mucus-secreting simple columnar with clefts and crypts; underlying Naboth cysts are common and benign.
- Surface: flat to cuboidal mesothelium; underlying tunica albuginea fibrous.
- Follicles at various stages: primordial (single layer flat), primary (cuboidal/granulosa), secondary (multiple granulosa + theca), Graafian with antrum.
- Stroma spindled, hormone-responsive; corpora lutea/ albicantia normal lifecycle findings.
- Mucosa with branching plicae, lined by ciliated and secretory columnar cells; no goblet cells.
- Muscularis with inner circular/outer longitudinal smooth muscle; serosa with mesothelium.
- Endometrial epithelium: ER/PR+, vimentin+, PAX8+, p16 patchy/weak in normal glands.
- Endocervical: CK7+, MUC5B/MUC5AC+, PAX8−, ER variably positive; p16 patchy.
- Squamous cervix: p63/p40 in basal layer; Ki-67 confined to basal/parabasal in normal/metaplastic mucosa.
- Fallopian tube/ovary surface: PAX8+, WT1+, ER/PR+; calretinin highlights mesothelium.
