Comparison of postoperative medical maintenance therapy followed by Laparoscopic excision of ovarian endometrioma

목적: The aim of this study is to compare the impact of drospirenone containing combined oral contraceptives (DOCs) with levonorgestrel releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) after post-operative medical therapy of ovarian endometriomas. 방법: Between January 2000 and December 2010, after laparoscopic excision of endometrioma at the Ajou University Medical Center female patients were given medical treatment and maintenance therapy. They were divided into two groups based on which DOCs or LNS-IUS were given as the post-operative maintenance therapy. Recurrence of ovarian endometriomas was evaluated with pelvic ultrasonography at the outpatient clinic. Medical records of the cases were retrospectively reviewed. All analyses were performed using SPSS statistical software version 18.0 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA). Both t-test and logistic regression analysis were used and p-values of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. 결과: One hundred and twenty nine women with endometriomas underwent laparoscopic excision of ovarian endometriomas. Ninety five patients received DOCs and 34 received LNG-IUS after previous medical therapy such as GnRH analogues and danazol. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in clinical characteristics such as previous medical therapies and stage of endometrioma, but patient’s age in the LNG-IUS group was older than the DOC group. There were also no statistically significant differences of recurrence of endometriomas between the DOCs and LNG-IUS groups. 결론: Both LNG-IUS and DOCs seem to have comparable effects on the prevention of recurrence of the ovarian endometriomas and the choice of the maintenance therapy seems to be modulated according to the patient’s preferences such as the patient’s age. But, the rate of recurrence of endometrioma was not related to duration of the maintenance therapy.