secretory phase
Last reviewed 01/2018
Once ovulation has occurred, the uterus enters the secretory phase, where the endometrium becomes more vascular and the glandular component becomes coiled and tortuous. This phase is stimulated by the oestrogen and progesterone from the corpus luteum.
In the mid-secretory phase the stroma becomes oedematous and stromal cells undergo decidualization. The stromal cells change from being thin fibroblast-like cells to the large polyhedral cells seen in true decidua in pregnancy.