Endometriosis and its coexistence with irritable bowel syndrome and pelvic inflammatory disease: findings from a national case–control study—Part 2

H E Seaman, HE Seaman, K D Ballard, KD Ballard, J. Timothy Wright, J T Wright, C S de Vries, CS de Vries
BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology · 2008 · vol. 115(11) , pp. 1392–1396 · doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.2008.01879.x · PMID:18715239 · W2044506173
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the increased chances of having a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women with endometriosis is due to misdiagnosis or co-morbidity. DESIGN: A case-control study of women aged 15-55 years with endometriosis and matched controls. SETTING: Data from the UK's General Practice Research Database for the years 1992-2001. SAMPLE: A total of 5540 women aged 15-55 years, diagnosed with endometriosis, each matched to four controls without endometriosis. The index date was defined as the date of diagnosis. METHODS: Data were analysed to determine whether women with endometriosis were more likely to receive a diagnosis of PIDor IBS than women without endometriosis. Odds ratios were calculated for endometriosis associated with IBS and PID before and after the index date. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Diagnosis of IBS or PID before and after the index date. RESULTS: Compared with the controls, women with endometriosis were 3.5 times more likely to have received a diagnosis of IBS (OR 3.5 [95% CI: 3.1-3.9]). Even after women had been diagnosed with endometriosis, they were still two and a half times more likely to receive a new diagnosis of IBS when compared with the controls (OR 2.5 [95% CI: 2.2-2.8]). Similarly, women with endometriosis were more likely than those without endometriosis to have been treated for PID both before (OR 5.9 [95% CI: 5.1-6.9]) and after (OR 3.8 [95% CI: 3.1-4.6]) being diagnosed with endometriosis. CONCLUSIONS: Women with endometriosis are more likely to be diagnosed with IBS and PID than controls, even after a definitive diagnosis of endometriosis has been reached.

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Condition tags

mesh:D004715endometriosisirritable_bowel_syndrome

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Irritable Bowel Syndrome Pelvic Inflammatory Disease Adolescent Adult Case-Control Studies Endometriosis Female Humans Irritable Bowel Syndrome Middle Aged Pelvic Inflammatory Disease Pregnancy Risk Factors Young Adult

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