Entrapped by pain: The diagnosis and management of endometriosis affecting somatic nerves

Peter Thiel, Anna Kobylianskii, Meghan McGrattan, Nucelio Lemos
Best practice & research. Clinical obstetrics & gynaecology · 2024 · vol. 95 , pp. 102502 · doi:10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2024.102502 · PMID:38735767 · W4396732558
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

This review highlights somatic nerve entrapment by endometriosis as an underrecognized cause of chronic pain, emphasizing neuroanatomical understanding, MRI diagnosis, and laparoscopic/robotic surgical treatment for improved outcomes.

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Abstract

Somatic nerve entrapment caused by endometriosis is an underrecognized and often misdiagnosed issue that leads to many women suffering unnecessarily. While the classic symptoms of endometriosis are well-known to the gynaecologic surgeon, the dermatomal-type pain caused by endometriosis impacting neural structures is not within gynecologic day-to-day practice, which often complicates diagnosis and delays treatment. A thorough understanding of pelvic neuroanatomy and a neuropelveologic approach is required for accurate assessments of patients with endometriosis and nerve entrapment. Magnetic resonance imaging is the preferred imaging modality for this presentation of endometriosis. Surgical management with laparoscopic or robotic-assisted techniques is the preferred approach to treatment, with excellent long-term results reported after nerve detrapment and endometriosis excision. The review calls for increased awareness and education on the links between endometriosis and the nervous system, advocating for patient-centered care and further research to refine the diagnosis and treatment of this challenging condition.

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Condition tags

mesh:D004715mesh:D017699endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Magnetic Resonance Imaging Magnetic Resonance Imaging Magnetic Resonance Imaging Magnetic Resonance Imaging Nerve Compression Syndromes Nerve Compression Syndromes Nerve Compression Syndromes Nerve Compression Syndromes Nerve Compression Syndromes Nerve Compression Syndromes Nerve Compression Syndromes Female Female

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.

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Cited by (4)

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