Medical Management of Endometriosis in Patients with Chronic Pelvic Pain

Catherine Allaire, Mohamed A Bedaiwy, Paul J. Yong, Paul Yong, Sukinah Alfaraj
Seminars in reproductive medicine · 2016 · vol. 35(01) , pp. 038–053 · doi:10.1055/s-0036-1597308 · PMID:28002850 · W2565705187
review OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 48 in-corpus citations
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-08 ⓘ

This review discusses hormonal therapies for endometriosis-associated pelvic pain, including contraceptives, progestins, GnRH agonists, androgens, aromatase inhibitors, GnRH antagonists, and SPRMs, while noting the need for further nonhormonal treatment research.

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Abstract

Endometriosis is a common cause of pelvic pain in women of reproductive age. Traditional medical therapies are hormonal in nature, including estrogen-progestin contraceptives, progestins, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists. Other hormonal options are androgens and aromatase inhibitors, with research also suggesting a possible role for GnRH antagonists and selective progesterone receptor modulators. Other than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, further work is required for nonhormonal therapies such as antiangiogenic and immune-modulating drugs. Medical treatment of endometriosis can be complex, and requires consideration of side effects, the anatomic type of endometriosis, role of surgery, current infertility or future fertility desires, and other contributors to pain (e.g., central sensitization). These factors should be discussed for each patient, to ensure personalized treatment and optimal outcomes.

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Condition tags

endometriosischronic_pelvic_paininfertility

MeSH descriptors

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal Chronic Pain Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal Endometriosis Pelvic Pain Angiogenesis Inhibitors Angiogenesis Inhibitors Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal Chronic Pain Chronic Pain Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal Contraceptives, Oral, Hormonal Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Humans Immunologic Factors Immunologic Factors Pelvic Pain

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.

Cited by (48)

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License: CC0 · commercial use OK