Endometriosis interna: Also known as adenomyosis (pronouncedad-den-o-mi-o-sis), this is a common benign condition of the uterus in whichthe endometrium (the mucous membrane lining the inside of the uterus) growsinto the myometrium (the uterine musculature located just outside theendometrium). The endometrium and myometrium under normal circumstances liveadjacent to one another as discrete neighbors. In adenomyosis, theendometrium trespasses upon the myometrium. The myometrium may respond tothis intrusion with muscular overgrowth. If an island of endometrial tissueis contained and circumscribed within the myometrium, it forms a nodulecalled an adenomyoma (plural: adenomyomata). Adenomyosis is made up of adeno(gland) + myo (muscle) +osis (a condition of) = a condition of glandulartissue (referring to the endometrium) in the muscle (the myometrium).Adenomyosis goes by several other names including
endometriosis uterina,adenomyosis uteri and adenomyometritis.
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