Rectus abdominis muscle endometriosis: Case report and review of the literature

Luca Giannella, Antonio La Marca, Giliana Ternelli, Glennis Menozzi
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research · 2010 · vol. 36(4) , pp. 902–906 · doi:10.1111/j.1447-0756.2010.01236.x · PMID:20666967 · W1520294520
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

This case report describes a rare instance of primary rectus abdominis muscle endometriosis, detailing its surgical management and reviewing 18 previously documented cases.

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Abstract

The abdominal wall is an uncommon site of extrapelvic endometriosis, which usually develops in a previous surgical scar and it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any abdominal swelling. Endometriosis involving the rectus abdominis muscle is a very rare event and its rarity explains the incomplete nature of the reports in the literature. Up to the present, 18 cases with lesions contained entirely within the rectus abdominis muscle were clearly documented in medical literature with only four cases as a primary location. We report a case, which came to our observation, of primary endometriosis of the rectus abdominis muscle. The patient underwent only surgery without any medical treatment. Currently, the patient is in follow up for four years with no recovery of the disease. In our experience, surgery is the treatment of choice and it is decisive. We reviewed the literature and summarized all reported cases.

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Condition tags

mesh:D004715endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Muscular Diseases Abdominal Wall Abdominal Wall Abdominal Wall Adult Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Humans Magnetic Resonance Imaging Muscular Diseases Muscular Diseases Rectus Abdominis Rectus Abdominis Rectus Abdominis Treatment Outcome

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.

References (25)

Cited by (30)

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