Relevance of gastrointestinal symptoms in endometriosis

Paulette Maroun, Michael Cooper, Michael J W Cooper, Geoffrey D Reid, Geoffrey Reid, Marc J N C Keirse
The Australian & New Zealand journal of obstetrics & gynaecology · 2009 · vol. 49(4) , pp. 411–414 · doi:10.1111/j.1479-828x.2009.01030.x · PMID:19694698 · W2161569607
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis commonly presents with a range of symptoms none of which are particularly specific for the condition, often resulting in misdiagnosis or delay in diagnosis. AIM: To investigate gastrointestinal symptoms in women with endometriosis and compare their frequency with that of the classical gynaecological symptoms. METHODS: Systematic exploration of symptoms in a consecutive series of 355 women undergoing operative laparoscopy for suspected endometriosis. RESULTS: Endometriosis was confirmed by histology in 290 women (84.5%). Bowel lesions were present in only 7.6%. Ninety per cent of women had gastrointestinal symptoms, of which bloating was the most common (82.8%), but 71.3% also had other bowel symptoms. All gastrointestinal symptoms were similarly predictive of histologically confirmed endometriosis. Seventy-six women (21.4%) had previously been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome and 79% of them had endometriosis confirmed. CONCLUSION: Gastrointestinal symptoms are nearly as common as gynaecological symptoms in women with endometriosis and do not necessarily reflect bowel involvement.

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Condition tags

dysmenorrheadyspareuniaendometriosisirritable_bowel_syndrome

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Gastrointestinal Diseases Irritable Bowel Syndrome Adolescent Adult Diagnosis, Differential Dysmenorrhea Dyspareunia Dyspareunia Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Gastrointestinal Diseases Gastrointestinal Diseases Humans Irritable Bowel Syndrome Irritable Bowel Syndrome Irritable Bowel Syndrome Laparoscopy

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