Thomas D'Hooghe

UNLABELLED: Endometriosis is a benign gynecological disease with an unclear pathophysiology characterized by ectopic endometrium causing endometrium-like inflammatory lesions outside the uterine cavity. Recently, a number of studies have in…

Endometriosis is a gynecological disorder characterized by the growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. Although the prevalence of endometriosis is well documented in women living in developed countries, studies on the preva…

In women of reproductive age, health economic costs are estimated to be considerably higher for endometriosis than for conditions such as Crohn's disease, migraine and hypertension, and similar to the cost of diabetes. However, more awarene…

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of a thiazolidinedione (TZD) agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-gamma, rosiglitazone, in a baboon model of established endometriosis. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, placebo-co…

Started at the grassroot level, increased awareness and investment in research has resulted in unprecedented recognition of endometriosis by the European Parliament, taken up by the Italian Senate in a 5-year action plan. This offers welcom…

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease and estrogen-related pathways are imbalanced in women with endometriosis. One of the key enzymes in estrogen synthesis is aromatase. Inhibiting this pathway at several points is a promising ide…

10.2217/17455057.3.5.615 © part of Short biography Thomas D’Hooghe Clinical Head, Leuven University Fertility Center; Chair, European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology Special Interest Group for Endometriosis; Editor-in-Chief, G…

In everyday clinical practice, it is not always clear if and when exactly in the fertility work-up a diagnostic laparoscopy should be offered. The aim of this review is to analyse the available evidence with respect to alternative diagnosti…

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that the cumulative endometriosis recurrence rate (CERR) after fertility surgery for endometriosis stage III or IV is increased in women exposed to very high E(2) levels during ovarian hyperstimulation (OH)…

Centres/networks of excellence are the only way forward to ensure that women with endometriosis receive consistent, evidence-based care, ensuring excellence, continuity of care, multi-disciplinarity, research, training and cost-effectivenes…

OBJECTIVE: The association between infertility and minimal to mild endometriosis is controversial and poorly understood. The clinical pregnancy rate (PR) per cycle after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) with or without intrauterine…

The objective was to develop recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis and its associated symptoms. A working group was convened comprised of practising gynaecologists and experts in evidence-based medicine from Europ…

Endometriosis is associated with chronic inflammation, including an increased macrophage activity with increased secretion of cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) or TNF superfamily member 2, previously known as TNFalpha. In the p…

This article presents an overview of immunologic/inflammatory factors related to endometriosis with special attention to their potential relevance to future treatment strategies. The development of endometriosis appears to involve several i…

Endometriosis is an important gynecological disease, pathologically defined by the ectopic presence of both endometrial glands and stroma, and clinically associated with pelvic pain and infertility. Our current knowledge of the pathogenesis…

There are many arguments to support the hypothesis that there is a causal relationship between the presence of endometriosis and subfertility. These arguments are reviewed in this article and include: (1) an increased prevalence of endometr…

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article will present an overview of current and new hormonal and non-hormonal medical treatment in the management of endometriosis, with special emphasis on immunomodulators and aromatase inhibitors. RECENT FINDINGS…

Endometriosis remains an enigmatic disease in women of reproductive age. Current treatment regimes used to manage the disease are primarily designed to induce a hypoestrogenic state which leads to a reduction in disease and associated sympt…

This article presents an overview of immunological factors and their role in the development of endometriosis, with emphasis on inflammatory cytokines, growth and adhesion factors. Although retrograde menstruation is a common phenomenon amo…

This review discusses uterine adenomyosis as a (co-)factor in female subfertility. The clinical presentation of adenomyosis uteri is reviewed as well as recent developments in non-invasive imaging modalities for the condition. Different tre…

The aim of this review was to assess critically the importance of the frequency, quantity and quality of retrograde menstruation and its relationship to peritoneal inflammation. The basis was the current evidence in women and in baboons sup…