Women who are not exposed to spermatozoa and infertile women have similar rates of stage I endometriosis

Roberto Matorras, R Matorras, Matorras R, F Rodríguez, Rodríguez F, Fernando Rodrı́guez, Jose-Ignacı́o Pijoan, J I Pijoan, Pijoan JI, A Etxanojauregui, Abel Etxanojauregui, Etxanojauregui A, J L Neyro, José Luís Neyro, Miguel-Angel Elorriaga, M A Elorriaga, Elorriaga MA, Rodríguez-Escudero FJ, Francisco J Rodrı́guez-Escudero, F J Rodríguez-Escudero
Fertility and sterility · 2001 · vol. 76(5) , pp. 923–928 · doi:10.1016/s0015-0282(01)02833-3 · PMID:11704112 · W1978247667
Observational OA: bronze CC0 ⤵ 35 in-corpus citations
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This study found that women not exposed to spermatozoa and infertile women exhibit comparable rates of stage I endometriosis.

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To compare the prevalence of endometriosis and its different stages in infertile women and women not exposed to spermatozoa. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Artificial insemination donor program at a university hospital. PATIENT(S): One hundred fifty women unable to conceive because they had not been exposed to spermatozoa (134 with azoospermic partner, 10 with an HIV-positive partner, and 6 without a male partner). Controls were 750 women in infertile couples in which the male partner had normal sperm. INTERVENTION(S): Laparoscopy was systematically performed in a blinded manner in both groups as part of the infertility work-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Diagnosis of endometriosis. RESULT(S): In unexposed women and controls, the prevalence of endometriosis was similar (32% and 34.5%). Rates of stage I disease were also similar in both groups (26% and 19.3%). There was a significant trend toward higher stages of endometriosis in infertile women (stage II disease, 3.3% vs. 5.7%; stage III disease, 1.3% vs. 3.1%; stage IV disease, 1.3% vs. 6.4%). Endometriosis was not associated with the few demographic characteristics that differed between groups. CONCLUSION(S): From an epidemiologic point of view, stage I endometriosis is not more common in infertile women than in unselected women. However, stage II to IV endometriosis was more frequent in infertile women. Whereas a relation between stage I endometriosis and infertility seems unlikely, the relation between stages II to IV endometriosis and infertility seems possible.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometriosis Infertility, Female Sexual Abstinence Sexual Abstinence Adult Adult Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Female Humans Humans Infertility, Female Infertility, Female Male Male Prevalence Prevalence Prospective Studies

Citation neighborhood (2-hop)

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References (29)

Cited by (35)

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