18 research outputs found
Deep endometriosis conundrum: evidence in favor of a peritoneal origin
No full textOBJECTIVE: To determine whether the depth and volume of the pouch of Douglas differs in patients with endometriosis with and without deep lesions and to compare them with subjects with a healthy pelvis or with diseases other than endometriosis. DESIGN: Prospective, comparative study. SETTING: Tertiary care and referral center for patients with endometriosis. PATIENT(s): Women undergoing laparoscopy for infertility, pelvic pain, or adnexal anomalies (deep endometriotic rectovaginal lesions in 16 cases, endometriosis without deep lesions in 127 cases, miscellaneous anomalies in 35 cases, and normal pelvis in 26 cases). INTERVENTION(s): Douglas pouch depth measurement from the upper border of uterosacral ligaments to its base with a calibrated probe and volume assessment by a fluid-filling technique. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(s): Douglas pouch depth and volume. RESULT(s): Mean (+/-SD) Douglas pouch depth and volume measurements were 3.6 +/- 1.6 cm and 41.6 +/- 19.3 mL in women with deep endometriosis, 5.3 +/- 0.8 cm and 67.2 +/- 18.1 mL in those with peritoneal and ovarian lesions only, 5.2 +/- 0.9 cm and 67.6 +/- 12.6 mL in those with miscellaneous conditions, and 5.5 +/- 0.8 cm and 65.8 +/- 10.9 mL in those with normal pelvis. CONCLUSION(s): Reduced Douglas pouch depth and volume in women with deep endometriosis suggest that such lesions develop not in the rectovaginal septum but intraperitoneally and that burial by anterior rectal wall adhesions creates a false bottom, giving an erroneous impression of extraperitoneal origin
Adenomyosis at hysterectomy: a study on frequency distribution and patient characteristics
No full textTo evaluate the prevalence and risk factors for adenomyosis, the clinical records of consecutive women undergoing hysterectomy during a 3 year period were retrieved. Data were collected on indication for the intervention, general sociodemographic characteristics of the patients, age at menarche, parity, abortions, and menopausal status at surgery. Adenomyosis was diagnosed in 332 of the 1334 cases (24.9%). The condition was present in 146 of the 627 patients (23.3%) with fibroids and menorrhagia, 68 of the 265 (25.7%) with prolapse, 21 of the 98 (21.4%) with ovarian cysts, 19 of the 100 (19%) with cervical cancer, 31 of the 110 (28.2%) with endometrial cancer, 16 of the 57 (28.1%) with ovarian cancer, and 19 of the 77 (24.7%) with miscellaneous indications. These differences were not statistically significant (chi 2(6) = 11.14). In comparison with nulliparous women, the odds ratio was 1.3 and 1.5 respectively in women with one and > or = two births (chi 2(1) trend = 5.76 P < 0.05). No relationship was found between age at surgery, age at menarche, indications for surgery, menopausal status at intervention, and presence of endometriosis. Our findings do not support the notion that adenomyosis is more frequently related to particular clinical conditions, and suggest that parity may be associated with an increased frequency of adenomyosis
Menstrual characteristics in women with and without endometriosis
No full textObjective: To assess menstrual blood loss and other menstrual characteristics prospectively in women with and without endometriosis. Methods: Three hundred fifteen premenopausal women undergoing laparoscopy for various reasons were asked to complete a pictorial blood loss assessment chart devised by Higham et al to evaluate menstrual now on which the monthly score has been demonstrated to correlate directly with uterine blood loss measured by the alkaline hematin method. In addition, cycle length and flow duration were recorded. The women also were asked to grade dysmenorrhea severity using a 100-mm visual analogue and a 0-3-points verbal rating scale. Results: One hundred sixty-three women had endometriosis, and 152 did not. The latter group comprised 59 women with a normal pelvis, 36 with nonendometriotic ovarian cysts, 29 with chronic pelvic inflammatory disease, and 28 with miscellaneous conditions. The median [interquartile range] pictorial blood loss assessment chart score was 110 [66.5-156.5] in women with endometriosis and 84 [56-129] in those without the disease (P = .007); 87 out of 163 (53%) women with endometriosis had a menstrual chart score equal to or greater than 100 compared with 56 out of 152 (37%) of those without (chi(1)(2) = 8.02, P = .005; difference = 16%, 95% confidence interval, 6%, 28%). Menstrual how duration was slightly longer in women with endometriosis (mean difference, 0.33 days). Dysmenorrhea visual analogue and verbal rating scores were significantly higher in the endometriosis than the nonendometriosis group. Conclusion: According to a visual chart, women with endometriosis had heavier menstrual flow and a significantly higher rate of abnormal menstrual scores than those without the disease. (C) 1997 by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Adenomyosis: a déjà vu?
No full textAdenomyosis is a relatively frequent finding in series of hysterectomies performed for menorrhagia and dysmenorrhea. Evident selection biases of the available studies on adenomyosis have always limited the possibilities of defining the real clinical importance of the condition. Until now the only certain diagnoses have been made by histopathologists on uteri removed at surgery, but recently various sufficiently accurate techniques have been suggested which allow diagnosis on the uterus in situ. With the these methods it might be possible to obtain correct information on the epidemiologic characteristics of adenomyosis and to clarify whether it has a pathogenic role in unexplained ovulatory menorrhagia and juvenile dysmenorrhea. Furthermore, resectoscopic treatment has been proposed in some mild forms of adenomyosis to avoid hysterectomy, whereas it seems improbable that medical treatment can offer a definitive solution. The adoption of standard histologic criteria for adenomyosis seems important. Until this is done, it will be difficult to establish whether adenomyosis is really a disease or merely a paraphysiologic condition
A modified technique for correction of the complete septate uterus
No full textWhen correcting a complete uterine septum, it is recommended that one should spare the cervical portion to avoid the possible risk of cervical incompetence. However, it may be difficult to create a communication between the uterine cavities above the internal os. In seven patients with complete septate uterus we incised the cervical portion with Metzenbaum scissors and the corporal portion with microscissors under hysteroscopic guidance. The operating times were shorter and the distension fluid deficit smaller compared with nine historical controls in whom the cervical septum was spared. No intraoperative or obstetric complications were associated with cervical septal section. This modified technique is simple, rapid, safe, inexpensive, and may be considered among the alternative treatments to correct a complete septate uterus
Risk factors for adenomyosis
No full textIn order to analyse risk factors for adenomyosis, 707 consecutive women who underwent hysterectomy between January 1993 and June 1994 at the Clinica Luigi Mangiagalli, Milan, Italy, were interviewed before surgery by trained physicians. Information on the presence of adenomyosis was obtained from pathologic records. Out of the 707 women, adenomyosis was identified in 150 subjects (21.2%). Women who smoked tended to be at decreased risk of the condition: in comparison with women who had never smoked, the risk for current smokers was 0.7 (0.3-1.3) and the risk decreased with number of cigarettes smoked per day, the odds ratios being 0.8 and 0.6 respectively in women reporting fewer than 10 and more than 10 cigarette smoked per day (chi2 trend 3.57, P = 0.06). The frequency of adenomyosis was higher in parous women: in comparison with nulliparae, the odds ratio of the disease were 1.8 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.9-3.4] and 3.1 (95% CI 1.7-5.5) respectively in women reporting one and two or more births (chi2 trend 20.71, P < 0.01). Likewise, women reporting one or more spontaneous abortions had an odds ratio of 1.7 (95% CI 1.1-2.6) for adenomyosis, in comparison with those reporting no spontaneous abortion
Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate versus an oral contraceptive combined with very-low-dose danazol for long-term treatment of pelvic pain associated with endometriosis
No full textOur purpose was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate versus an oral contraceptive combined with very-low-dose danazol in the long-term treatment of pelvic pain in women with endometriosis
A levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system for the treatment of dysmenorrhea associated with endometriosis: a pilot study
No full textTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of an intrauterine system releasing 20 microg of levonorgestrel per 24 hours in the long-term treatment of recurrent dysmenorrhea in women already operated on conservatively for endometriosis
Laparoscopic uterine biopsy for diagnosing diffuse adenomyosis
No full textTo investigate the possibility of diagnosing diffuse adenomyosis with the uterus in situ
Very low dose danazol for relief of endometriosis-associated pelvic pain: a pilot study
No full textTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of very low dose danazol in improving pelvic pain in women with endometriosis, the benefit of preceding the treatment by a short course of a GnRH agonist, symptoms recurrence after drug withdrawal, and variations in menstrual pattern
