Paola Viganò

OBJECTIVE: To harmonize the collection of nonsurgical clinical and epidemiologic data relevant to endometriosis research, allowing large-scale collaboration. DESIGN: An international collaboration involving 34 clinical/academic centers and…

OBJECTIVE: To harmonize standard operating procedures (SOPs) and standardize the recording of associated data for collection, processing, and storage of fluid biospecimens relevant to endometriosis. DESIGN: An international collaboration i…

SEVERAL MILLION WOMEN from different ethnic and social groups suffer from pelvic endometriosis, which is a complex disorder characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue in ectopic sites outside the uterus. Endometriosis is a chronic …

OBJECTIVE: To offer a general figure of the available data on the relation between alcohol intake and risk of endometriosis, we conducted a systematic review and a metaanalysis of studies published up to May 2012. STUDY DESIGN: We carried …

A connection between dietary factors and endometriosis onset has become a topic of interest mostly due to the observation that physiological and pathological processes of the disease can be influenced by diet. This paper systematically revi…

Study question: To compare the pregnancy rate in patients submitted to FET (Frozen Embryos Transfer) of cleavage stage embryos (Group 1), or at the blastocyst stage (Group 2). Summary answer: Our data showed that the transfer of frozen blas…

Endometriosis is defined as the presence of endometrial-type mucosa outside the uterine cavity. Of the proposed pathogenic theories (retrograde menstruation, coelomic metaplasia and Müllerian remnants), none explain all the different types …

The high rate of disease recurrence after surgery is critical and frustrating for women with endometriosis. Adjuvant treatments using a 3- to 6-months course of hormone therapy after surgery have been extensively investigated during the las…

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate physical attractiveness in women with and without endometriosis. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Academic hospital. PATIENT(S): Three hundred nulliparous women. INTERVENTION(S): Assessment of attractiveness b…

STUDY QUESTION: To what extent do the management of endometriosis and the symptoms that remain after treatment affect the quality of life in women with the disease? SUMMARY ANSWER: Many women with endometriosis had impaired quality of life…

Controversy exists regarding the pathogenesis of endometriotic ovarian cysts. Different and complex theories have been proposed over the years since the description of chocolate cysts by Sampson in 1921. We have herein reviewed findings in …

Prevention of adhesions, whether de novo or by re-formation, is one of the most important and surprisingly neglected aspect of the treatment of endometriosis. Adhesions may cause infertility, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain but also intest…

BACKGROUND: Although endometriosis may benefit from primary prevention measures, the epidemiological risk factors identified are equivocal. Two genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been conducted for endometriosis in two different et…

OBJECTIVE: Limited attention has been focused on the medical treatment of bowel endometriosis. This study evaluates the efficacy of administration of a continuous low-dose oral contraceptive in treating pain and other symptoms associated wi…

BACKGROUND: Activin A is a growth factor, produced by the endometrium, whose actions are modulated by the binding protein follistatin. Both proteins are detectable in the peripheral serum and their concentrations may be increased in women w…

Women in Western nations are exposed to an "unnatural" high number of menstrual cycles and this has been claimed to favour the development of endometriosis. If so, the prevalence of the disease should be low in remote rural settings charact…

Uterine leiomyomas are the most common tumors in the human female pelvis and the leading indication for pelvic surgery. Lack of understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of leiomyoma has put severe limitations on the availability of alter…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis has been associated with specific morphometric characteristics and pigmentary traits. The purpose of this study was to systematically review prior publications dealing with this aspect in order to revisit phenotypi…

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate serum antimüllerian hormone (AMH) level modification after surgical excision of ovarian endometriomas. DESIGN: Systematic review. MEDLINE search from January 1990 to April 2012 using the combination of medical terms …

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to calculate costs and health-related quality of life of women with endometriosis-associated symptoms treated in referral centres. METHODS: A prospective, multi-centre, questionnaire-based survey measured costs…

The endocannabinoid system consists of an array of endogenously produced bioactive lipids that activate cannabinoid 1 (CB1) and 2 (CB2) receptors. Alterations of this system have been described in almost every category of disease. These cha…

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis, which is characterized by the growth of endometrial tissue at ectopic locations as well as vascular development and inflammation, is still an unmet clinical need since an optimal drug that allows for both pain and…