The pelvic floor is the meeting-place of three genderspecifically different functional systems. In a comprehensive study on human specimens the development of connective tissue in these organ systems was examined. The examination rendered the following result: not only the organs but also the structure of their connective tissue is to be divided into three compartments. According to these results the operation methods for two of the organs, rectum and cervix, underwent dramatic changes, changes that brought immense advantages for the patients. Current examinations are analyzing the early embryonic differentiation of the pelvic organs and their mesenchymal surroundings with the aim to understand the interaction between epithelium and mesenchym and in a further step to compare their interaction with the spread of tumours in the adult.


Important publications

Höckel M, Horn LC, Fritsch H (2005)
Local tumor spread in stage IB – IIB cervical carcinoma is confined to the mesenchymal compartment of uterovaginal organogenesis.
Lancet Oncol 6: 751 – 756

Fritsch H, Aigner F, Ludwikowski B, Reinstadler-Zankl, Illig R, Urbas D, Schwarzer C, Longato S (2007)
Epithelial and muscular regionalization of the human developing anorectum.
Anat Rec 290: 1449 - 1458

Aigner F, Gruber H, Conrad F, Eder J, Wedel T, Zelger B, Engelhardt V, Lametschwandtner A, Wienert V, Böhler U, Margreiter R, Fritsch H (2009)
Revised morphology and hemodynamics of the anorectal vascular plexus: impact on the course of hemorrhoidal diesease.
Int. J Colorectal Dis 24: 105 - 113

Illig R, Fritsch H, Schwarzer C (2009)
Breaking the seals: Efficient mRNA detection from human archival paraffinembedded tissue.
RNA 15: 1588 - 1596

Meier J, Kohler C, Alkhatib B, Sergi C, Junker T, Klein H, Schmidt W, Fritsch H (2010)
Beta-cell development and turnover during prenatal liefe in humans.
Eur Jour Endocrinol 162: 559 - 568