Is rectovaginal endometriosis a progressive disease?

Luigi Fedele, Stefano Bianchi, Giovanni Zanconato, Zanconato G, Ricciarda Raffaelli, Nicola Berlanda
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology · 2004 · vol. 191(5) , pp. 1539–1542 · doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2004.06.104 · PMID:15547522 · W2036458563
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This paper investigates whether rectovaginal endometriosis exhibits progressive characteristics.

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Abstract

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to observe the natural history of untreated asymptomatic rectovaginal endometriosis.Study designThis was a prospective, observational study. Eighty-eight patients with untreated asymptomatic rectovaginal endometriosis were followed for 1 to 9 years. Pain symptoms and clinical and transrectal ultrasonographic findings were evaluated before and every 6 months after diagnosis.ResultsTwo patients had specific symptoms that were attributable to rectovaginal endometriosis that was associated with an increase in lesion size and underwent surgery. In 4 other patients, the size of the endometriotic lesions increased, but the patients remained symptom free. The estimated cumulative proportion of patients with progression of disease and/or appearance of pain symptoms that were attributable to rectovaginal endometriosis after 6 years of follow up was 9.7%. For the remaining patients, the follow-up period was uneventful, with no detectable clinical nor echographic changes of the lesions and with no appearance of new symptoms.ConclusionProgression of the disease and appearance of specific symptoms rarely occurred in patients with asymptomatic rectovaginal endometriosis.

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Condition tags

endometriosischronic_pelvic_painbowel_endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Rectal Diseases Vaginal Diseases Adult Disease Progression Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Humans Longitudinal Studies Pelvic Pain Prospective Studies Rectal Diseases Rectal Diseases Severity of Illness Index Ultrasonography Vaginal Diseases Vaginal Diseases

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 (18)

Cited by (50)

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