The epidemiology of endometriosis is poorly known as the pathophysiology and diagnosis are unclear

Koninckx PR, Philippe R. Koninckx, Ussia A, Anastasia Ussia, L.V. Adamyan, Leila Adamyan, Tahlak M, Muna Tahlak, J. Keckstein, Jörg Keckstein, Wattiez A, Arnaud Wattiez, Martin DC, Dan C. Martin
Best practice & research. Clinical obstetrics & gynaecology · 2020 · vol. 71 , pp. 14–26 · doi:10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2020.08.005 · PMID:32978068 · W3082551676
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This paper reviews the current understanding of endometriosis, highlighting challenges in its epidemiology due to unclear pathophysiology and diagnostic difficulties.

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Abstract

As the diagnosis requires a laparoscopy, we only have data in women with pain and/or infertility. Endometriosis has been considered to be a single disease defined as 'endometrium like glands and stroma outside the uterus'. However, subtle, typical, cystic ovarian and deep endometriosis lesions should be considered to be different pathologies which occur in all combinations and with different severities. All large datasets, especially those based on hospital discharge records, consider endometriosis to be a single disease without taking into account severity. In particular, the variable prevalence and recognition of subtle lesions is problematic. Reliable surgical data are small series not permitting multivariate analysis. Endometriosis is a hereditary disease. The oxidative stress of heavy menstrual bleeding with retrograde menstruation and an altered pelvic microbiome are probably associated with increasingly severe endometriosis. Whether the prevalence is increasing, or whether endometriosis is associated with fat intake or an increased risk of cardiovascular disease is unclear.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Ovarian Cysts Endometrium Female Humans Menstruation Disturbances Pelvis

Citation neighborhood

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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