Endometriosis: a premenopausal disease? Age pattern in 42,079 patients with endometriosis

Dietmar Haas, Haas D, Radek Chvatal, Radek Chvátal, Björn Reichert, Reichert B, Stefan P. Renner, Stefan Renner, Shebl O, Omar Shebl, Binder H, Helge Binder, Wurm P, Peter Wurm, Peter Oppelt, Oppelt P
Archives of gynecology and obstetrics · 2012 · vol. 286(3) , pp. 667–670 · doi:10.1007/s00404-012-2361-z · PMID:22562384 · W1993975987
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06+body, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

This retrospective study of 42,079 endometriosis patients found that while most (80.36%) were premenopausal, a significant portion (17.09%) were perimenopausal and 2.55% were postmenopausal.

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⚙ AI-generated deep summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 · read from full text ⓘ

This retrospective epidemiological study analyzed German Federal Statistical Office data from 2005–2006 on 42,079 women admitted for surgical treatment of histologically confirmed endometriosis, examining age distribution by 5-year groups and categorizing patients as premenopausal (0–45), perimenopausal (45–55), or postmenopausal (55–95). Most admissions were in the premenopausal group (80.36%), but substantial numbers also occurred in perimenopause (17.09%) and postmenopause (2.55%). The authors concluded that the common assumption that endometriosis is only a premenopausal/reproductive-age disease should be questioned, while noting that their analysis is based on hospital admissions for surgery rather than a population-based estimate of disease prevalence. This paper is centrally about endometriosis — it quantifies age patterns across pre/peri/postmenopausal patients to argue endometriosis is not exclusively a premenopausal condition.

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Abstract

PurposeThe objectives of this study were to examine the age distribution among women suffering from endometriosis and to establish that endometriosis is not a disease that occurs only in premenopausal women. The null hypothesis was that there are also postmenopausal women with endometriosis.MethodsIn a retrospective epidemiological study, a descriptive analysis of data from the Federal Statistical Office in Germany for 2005 and 2006 was carried out. A total of 42,079 women in Germany were admitted for surgical treatment due to histologically confirmed endometriosis during this period. The patients' age distribution was examined and they were assigned to 5-year age groups and then to premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal subgroups.ResultsA total of 20,835 women in 2005 and 21,244 in 2006 were admitted to hospital for the treatment of endometriosis. In the premenopausal group (age 0-45 years), there were 33,814 patients (80.36 %); 23 patients (0.05 %) in this premenopausal group were younger than 15. There were 7,191 patients (17.09 %) in the perimenopausal group (45-55 years), and the postmenopausal group (55-95 years) included 1,074 patients (2.55 %).ConclusionsThe assumption that endometriosis is a disease of the premenopausal period and in women of reproductive age needs to be called into question, as well as the influence of estrogen in fully developed endometriosis. Due to the relatively high prevalence of the condition in patients aged over 40, physicians should consider endometriosis in cases of unclear pelvic pain in this age group.
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Abstract

Purpose The objectives of this study were to examine the age distribution among women suffering from endometriosis and to establish that endometriosis is not a disease that occurs only in premenopausal women. The null hypothesis was that there are also postmenopausal women with endometriosis.

Methods

In a retrospective epidemiological study, a descriptive analysis of data from the Federal Statistical Office in Germany for 2005 and 2006 was carried out. A total of 42,079 women in Germany were admitted for surgical treatment due to histologically confirmed endometriosis during this period. The patients’ age distribution was examined and they were assigned to 5-year age groups and then to premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal subgroups.

Results

A total of 20,835 women in 2005 and 21,244 in 2006 were admitted to hospital for the treatment of endometriosis. In the premenopausal group (age 0–45 years), there were 33,814 patients (80.36 %); 23 patients (0.05 %) in this premenopausal group were younger than 15. There were 7,191 patients (17.09 %) in the perimenopausal group (45–55 years), and the postmenopausal group (55–95 years) included 1,074 patients (2.55 %).

Conclusions

The assumption that endometriosis is a disease of the premenopausal period and in women of reproductive age needs to be called into question, as well as the influence of estrogen in fully developed endometriosis. Due to the relatively high prevalence of the condition in patients aged over 40, physicians should consider endometriosis in cases of unclear pelvic pain in this age group. Similar content being viewed by others

References

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endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Adolescent Adult Aged Aged, 80 and over Age Distribution Age of Onset Child Child, Preschool Endometriosis Female Germany Germany Humans Infant Menopause Middle Aged Retrospective Studies Young Adult

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