Clinical Pattern of Infertility and its Association with Laparoscopic Evidence of Endometriosis

Background: Endometriosis is a prevalent but often underdiagnosed cause of infertility in women, particularly in those with primary infertility.Laparoscopy remains the gold standard for its diagnosis and management.This study aimed to determine the prevalence of endometriosis among infertile women undergoing diagnostic laparoscopy and to explore its association with types of infertility.Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the Center for Assisted Reproduction (CARE), Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, BIRDEM General Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh, over a two-year period from July 2013 to June 2015.A total of 127 infertile women scheduled for diagnostic laparoscopy were included through convenient sampling.Demographic details, infertility type and duration, and laparoscopic findings were recorded and analyzed.Results: The mean age of the participants was 29.31 4.08 years.Regarding BMI, 36.22% were of normal weight, 34.65% were overweight, 24.41% were obese, and 4.72% were underweight.Secondary infertility was more common (71.65%) than primary infertility (28.35%).The mean duration of infertility was 6.14 2.7 years, with over half of the participants having infertility for 5 to 10 years.Endometriosis was diagnosed in 18.9% (n=24) of participants via laparoscopy.A statistically significant association was found between endometriosis and primary infertility (p = 0.004), with 95.8% of the endometriosis cases presenting with primary infertility.Conclusion: Endometriosis was a notable finding in infertile women undergoing laparoscopy, especially among those with primary infertility.Early laparoscopic evaluation is crucial for accurate diagnosis and targeted treatment, potentially improving fertility outcomes.