Investigation of anogenital distance as a diagnostic tool in endometriosis

María Luisa Sánchez-Ferrer, Maria L Sánchez-Ferrer, Jaime Mendiola, Raquel Jiménez-Velázquez, Raquel Jiménez‐Velázquez, Jiménez-Velázquez R, Laura Cánovas‐López, Laura Cánovas-López, Cánovas-López L, Shiana Corbalán‐Biyang, Corbalán-Biyang S, Shiana Corbalán-Biyang, Hernández-Peñalver AI, Ana I. Hernández‐Peñalver, Ana I Hernández-Peñalver, Ana Carmona‐Barnosi, Carmona-Barnosi A, Ana Carmona-Barnosi, Maldonado-Cárceles AB, Ana B. Maldonado-Cárceles, María T. Prieto‐Sánchez, Maria T Prieto-Sánchez, Francisco Machado-Linde, Francisco Machado‐Linde, Machado-Linde F, Nieto A, Anibal Nieto, A. Nieto, Alberto M. Torres‐Cantero, Alberto M Torres-Cantero
Reproductive BioMedicine Online · 2017 · vol. 34(4) , pp. 375–382 · doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2017.01.002 · PMID:28109703 · W2577134303
article OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 19 in-corpus citations
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Anogenital distance from the posterior fourchette to the anus (AGD<sub>AF</sub>) effectively discriminated deep infiltrating endometriosis, demonstrating high sensitivity and specificity as a potential diagnostic tool.

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Abstract

An association between anogenital distance (AGD) and endometriosis has been reported, suggesting that AGD may be a useful clinical tool in endometriosis. The predictive ability of AGD of women in discriminating presence and type of endometriosis was examined. A case-control study was conducted at the University Hospital 'Virgen de la Arrixaca', Murcia, Spain, between 2014 and 2015. A total of 114 participants diagnosed with endometriosis using ultrasound findings and 105 controls were recruited. Two AGD measurements were obtained: one from the anterior clitoral surface to the upper verge of the anus (AGDAC), and another one from the posterior fourchette to the upper verge of the anus (AGDAF). Parametric and non-parametric tests andreceiver operator characterstic analyses were used to determine relationships between AGD and presence of endometriosis and subgroups (ovarian endometriomas or deep infiltrating endometriosis [DIE]). The AGDAF, but not AGDAC, was associated with presence of endometriomas, DIE (P-values, <0.001-0.02), or both. The highest area under curve (0.91; 95% CI 0.84 to 0.97) was obtained for the DIE subgroup with the AGDAF measurement, with a sensitivity and specificity of 84.4% and 91.4%, respectively. AGDAF can therefore efficiently discriminate the presence of DIE and may be a useful clinical tool.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Anal Canal Endometriosis Genitalia, Female Adult Anal Canal Case-Control Studies Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Genitalia, Female Humans Predictive Value of Tests ROC Curve Sensitivity and Specificity Spain

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