THE VALUE OF BASAL FAT IN THE HUMAN UTERUS AS AN INDICATOR OF OPTIMUM PROGESTERONE ACTIVITY

THE DISTRIBUTION of lipoids in the endometrium at different phases in the human menstrual cycle was first described by Aschheim (1). He drew attention to the appearance of fat in the base of the uterine gland cells in 80% of endometria in the late second half of the cycle. Unfortunately Aschheim's findings were seriously questioned by Froboese (3) who was of the opinion that the intracellular fat in the glands was due to degenerative changes which immediately precede menstruation. On this account Aschheim's original observations failed to emerge from their academic obscurity; certainly no attempt had been made to apply these facts to clinical problems. Gillman (4, 5) in refuting Froboese's contention that basal fat was due to cell degeneration, affirmed instead that the fat was related to progesterone metabolism. Gillman (5) found that throughout the first half and indeed in the first week of the second half of the cycle, with few exceptions, the gland cells contained no Sharlach stainable fat.