Endometriosis: the elusive epiphenomenon

M.J. Quinn, M. Quinn, Quinn M
Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology : the journal of the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology · 2009 · vol. 29(7) , pp. 590–593 · doi:10.1080/01443610903082484 · PMID:19757260 · W2085363488
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⚙ AI-generated summary by gemini-2.5-flash-lite, 2026-06-13 ⓘ

This paper proposes that endometriosis arises from nerve injury and aberrant reinnervation, with endometrial deposits acting as secondary phenomena to these underlying processes.

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Abstract

The denervation-reinnervation view proposes that retrograde menstruation results from loss of normal, fundocervical polarity caused by injuries to uterine nerves. Injuries may be sporadic (following vaginal delivery) or recurrent (after persistent straining during defaecation) creating very different appearances at laparoscopy. Clinical symptoms of pelvic pain, menstrual problems, dyspareunia, and dysmenorrhoea result from aberrant reinnervation that may occur with, or without deposits of pelvic endometriosis. Endometrium, delivered by retrograde menstruation, adheres to any injured tissues in the lower pelvis. Classical 'endometriosis' is largely an epiphenomenon to underlying processes of denervation and reinnervation.

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Condition tags

endometriosischronic_pelvic_paindysmenorrheadyspareunia

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Pelvic Pain Trauma, Nervous System Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Female Humans Humans Pelvic Pain Pelvic Pain Trauma, Nervous System Trauma, Nervous System Uterus Uterus Uterus

Citation neighborhood (2-hop)

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. Outer rings show 2-hop neighbours — papers reached through the immediate citers/citees. [ collapse to 1-hop ]

References (28)

Cited by (7)

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