Abdominal wall endometriosis: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and update on minimally invasive treatment options: a narrative review

This narrative review synthesizes evidence on abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE), focusing on its pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment options, based on a PubMed search of English-language studies from 2008 to May 2024. Across reported cases, AWE is described as presenting with a palpable painful abdominal wall mass often related to prior surgical scars (especially cesarean), though a subset occurs spontaneously, and diagnosis is supported by imaging (ultrasound, MRI) with histopathology as the gold standard. The review reports that wide open surgical excision with at least 1 cm margins is the standard approach, with high cure/symptom-relief rates but notable postoperative pain, recovery delays, and complications including infection and hernia; recurrence varies widely, with positive margins a key risk factor. The authors note major gaps for newer minimally invasive options, including that evidence is largely limited to emerging reports rather than robust larger studies, and the review’s screening was performed solely by the first author. This paper is centrally about endometriosis — specifically abdominal wall endometriosis, detailing its mechanisms, diagnostic workup, and treatment strategies.

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