Is a common and often painful disorder of the female reproductive system. The two most common symptoms of endometriosis are pain and infertility.
A condition in which tissue more or less perfectly resembling the uterine mucous membrane (the endometrium) and containing typical endometrial granular and stromal elements occurs aberrantly in various locations in the pelvic cavity.
The presence of endometrial tissue outside of the uterus. The endometrium is the mucous membrane inner lining of the uterus, with glandular cells and structural cells, both responding to estrogen by increasing in size (the proliferative phase); if there is endometrial tissue outside of the uterus, the tissue expands and shrinks in response to the estrus cycle, but shedding the menstrual phase can be difficult.
The most common type of endometriosis is found in the fallopian tubes; the endometrial tissue can shed and drain into the uterus, but it hurts! It’s funny, but little tiny ducts, like the ureters, bile ducts, and fallopian tubes-they really cramp. The colon and uterus are big muscular tubes and, when cramped up, cause rather strong pain. When one of those little bitty things gets tenesmus, your face gets white (or light tan), you start to sweat, shiver, and revert to a fetal position.
Endometriosis that occurs around the ovaries or inside the belly is a purely physical and medical condition, but fallopian presence of endometrium usually reaches its peak in the early thirties; it can be helped by ensuring a strong estrogen and progesterone balance, thereby decreasing the tendency to form clots in the tubes, and to experience severe cramps every month.
A growth of endometrial tissue at various sites outside the uterus.
The aberrant presence of endometrial tissue in other parts of the female pelvic cavity, such as the fallopian tubes, ovaries, bladder, or intestines.
A condition affecting women, in which tissue similar to the tissue of the uterus is found in other parts of the body.
Abnormal growth in the body of tissue (endometrium) that normally lines the uterus, sometimes forming cysts in other reproductive organs or elsewhere in the body. Often painful, though sometimes without symptoms, the condition becomes increasingly common as a woman grows older and is a leading cause of infertility. Normally confirmed by a laparoscopy (visual examination of the abdomen through a small incision), the condition does not necessarily require treatment unless it is painful or if the woman wants to have children. If a woman does become pregnant, the symptoms of endometriosis (which vary with the menstrual cycle) decline sharply.
Condition marked by the presence, growth, and function of endometrial tissue outside of its normal location (lining of the uterus) in such sites as the uterine walls, the fallopian tubes, the ovaries, and other sites within the pelvis or, rarely, out of the pelvic region. Endometriosis is fairly common (est. 15% of women), esp. in childless women and women who have children late in life. Symptoms depend on the size and location of the displaced tissue but commonly include painful menstruation, painful coitus, and sometimes painful urination and defecation and premenstrual staining. Endometriosis is a common cause of infertility. Treatment includes analgesics to relieve pain, hormones to decrease the size and number of lesions and, in severe cases, surgery.
A condition in which the type of tissue (endometrial) that normally lines the uterus is found outside the uterus, most often on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, the ligaments attached to the uterus, or the exterior of the uterus. Less often, endometriosis occurs on the surfaces of the bladder, bowel, or vagina. The tissue grows and bleeds during menstruation, The condition affects about lo percent of women who are of childbearing age.
The presence of membranous material of the kind lining the womb (see endometrium) at other sites within the cavity of the pelvis. In direct (internal or primary) endometriosis, the endometrium may penetrate the muscular wall of the womb, the ovaries, or the abdominal wall. The fragments of abnormally located tissue pass through the same periodic changes as the womb lining. Since there is no outlet for the bleeding that occurs from them, the patient suffers severe pain for several days each month. This symptom is not experienced during pregnancy or breast-feeding or after the menopause.
The condition in which the endometrium (the cells lining the interior of the uterus) is found in other parts of the body. The most common site of such misplaced endometrium is the muscle of the uterus. The next most common site is the ovary, followed by the peritoneum lining the pelvis, but it also occurs anywhere in the bowel. The cause is not known. Endometriosis never occurs before puberty and seldom after the menopause. The main symptoms it produces are menorrhagia, dyspareunia, painful menstruation and pelvic pain. Treatment is usually by removal of the affected area using a laparoscope, but in some cases satisfactory results are obtained from the administration of progestogens such as norethisterone, norethynodrel and danazol. Recurrence may occur, even after apparently successful surgery.
The presence of functioning ectopic endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity. Characteristically, the endometrial tissue invades other tissues and spreads by local extension, intraperitoneal seeding, and lymphatic and vascular routes. The endometrial implants may be present in almost any area of the body, though generally they are confined to the pelvic area. In the U.S. this condition is estimated to occur in 10% to 15% of actively menstruating women between the ages of 25 and 44. Estimates are that 25% to 35% of infertile women are affected. Women whose mothers or sisters have endometriosis are 6 times more likely to develop the condition than those with no family history. Postmenopausal women on estrogen replacement therapy also can develop endometriosis. The disease is exceptionally rare in men with prostate cancer receiving large doses of estrogens. The fallopian tubes are common sites of ectopic implantation. Ectopic endometrial cells respond to the same hormonal stimuli as does the uterine endometrium. The cyclic bleeding and local inflammation surrounding the implants may cause fibrosis, adhesions, and tubal occlusion. Infertility may result.
A condition in which the tissue which forms the lining of the womb (the endometrium) grows outside the uterine cavity in other areas of the pelvis, often causing painful and/or heavy periods, sometimes infertility.
A condition in which tissue from the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus, in the pelvic cavity.
An ailment characterized by the ectopic proliferation of endometrial tissue, typically confined to the uterine lining, in various extrauterine locations. This abnormal growth elicits symptoms such as discomfort, erratic menstruation, and commonly leads to impaired fertility.
Endometriosis is a medical condition where pieces of the endometrium, which is the lining found on the inside of the uterus, are detected in other parts of the body. This typically occurs within the pelvic cavity. This condition can lead to infertility, affecting approximately two out of every five women who have it.
Endometriosis is a condition that predominantly affects women aged between 25 and 40. The exact cause of this disorder remains unknown. However, one theory suggests that it arises from the inability of some endometrial fragments, which are shed during menstruation, to exit the body. Instead of leaving, these fragments may travel up the fallopian tubes into the pelvic cavity, where they can attach themselves to any organ in the pelvic region and continue to grow. These misplaced endometrial tissues continue to respond to the hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, causing them to bleed each month.
The symptoms of endometriosis can differ significantly from one person to another. Some women may not experience any symptoms at all. However, the most common indications of the condition include abnormal or heavy bleeding during menstruation. Additionally, severe abdominal or lower back pain may occur during periods. Other potential symptoms can include pain during sexual intercourse, irregular bowel movements like diarrhea or constipation, and discomfort while passing stool.
Internal bleeding triggered by endometriosis can lead to pain and subsequent healing, which results in internal scar formation. If bleeding occurs into the ovary, it might cause a blood-filled ovarian cyst, often referred to as a “chocolate cyst” due to its characteristic appearance. Sometimes, endometrial tissue can get embedded in the muscular wall of the uterus, a condition known as adenomyosis. In rare instances, endometriosis can cause rectal bleeding during menstruation.
The diagnosis of endometriosis is typically confirmed through laparoscopy, a procedure where the abdominal cavity is examined using a special viewing instrument. To manage the condition, medications such as danazol, progestogen drugs, gonadorelin analogues, or the combined oral contraceptive pill may be administered to prevent menstruation. In some instances, it might be necessary to locally eliminate the endometrial deposits. This can be done using laser treatment or electrocautery, a process that uses heat generated by an electric current.
For women who are capable of conceiving, pregnancy often leads to substantial improvement in their endometriosis symptoms. If a woman does not intend to have children, she may be offered a hysterectomy, which involves the surgical removal of the uterus, and an oophorectomy, the surgical removal of the ovaries. These procedures can effectively manage the condition.
The broad term used to describe the occurrence of endometriomas in the body.