Uterine Cystic Adenomyosis: A Disease of Younger Women

Ivo Brosens, Brosens I, Stephan Gordts, Gordts S, Habiba M, Marwan Habiba, Giuseppe Benagiano, Benagiano G
Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology · 2014 · vol. 28(6) , pp. 420–426 · doi:10.1016/j.jpag.2014.05.008 · PMID:26049940 · W2073798436
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This paper examines uterine cystic adenomyosis and its prevalence in younger women.

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Abstract

Purpose of reviewWe adopted a life-cycle approach to further our understanding of the natural history of the cystic forms of uterine adenomyosis first described by Cullen in 1908.Search strategyScopus and PubMed were searched for all terms referring to cystic variant of adenomyosis or adenomyoma. References found in major publications were also included in the review.Main findingsWith the introduction of non-invasive imaging techniques, a number of cases of cystic variants of adenomyosis have been reported. Progressive, severe, medication-resistant dysmenorrhea is the main clinical feature but delay in diagnosis remains problematic. The life-cycle approach demonstrates that cystic adenomyosis is more relevant to adolescent and young adulthood. Congenital müllerian and wolffian cysts and the uterus-like masses are more frequent in women >30 years of age. The latter is frequently located outside the uterus and may represent a form of endometriosis rather than adenomyosis. Differential diagnosis includes ovarian cysts and congenital uterine anomalies. Menstruation suppression with continuous oral contraceptive pill with ultrasonographic monitoring of cyst regression may prove successful in the young woman, but surgical excision using minimally invasive endoscopy is highly effective. The various terms used in literature to describe these lesions cause considerable confusion. Here we propose a classification into 3 subtypes and standardized reporting criteria to enable comparison.ConclusionsEndometrial lined myometrial cysts are almost specific to adolescent and young women. We propose a new classification system.

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Condition tags

adenomyosis

MeSH descriptors

Adenomyosis Cysts Adenomyosis Adenomyosis Adenomyosis Adolescent Contraceptives, Oral, Combined Cysts Cysts Cysts Diagnosis, Differential Female Humans Middle Aged

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Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

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Cited by (50)

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License: CC0 · commercial use OK