Endometriosis and infertility: what do we do for each stage?

David L. Olive, Olive DL, Lindheim SR, Steven R Lindheim, Elizabeth A. Pritts, Pritts EA
Current women's health reports · 2003 · vol. 3(5) , pp. 389–94 · PMID:12959697 · W96140730
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This paper reviews treatment options for endometriosis-associated infertility, recommending surgery or superovulation with IUI for early stages and surgery or IVF for advanced stages, with IVF preceded by medical treatment for the most advanced cases.

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Abstract

Endometriosis and infertility have been linked in the discipline of gynecology for more than a century. There is evidence that endometriosis can and does decrease fertility. However, our ability to determine fertility prognosis based on a staging system is severely limited. Treatment options include medical therapy, surgical intervention, and assisted reproduction. For endometriosis-associated infertility, medical therapy seems to have no value alone. Surgical therapy is beneficial for all stages of diseases, as in assisted reproduction. The relative value of these two latter approaches, however, is untested. Our suggestions for the treatment of early-stage endometriosis are surgery and/or superovulation with intrauterine insemination as first-line treatments. For more advanced disease, with tubal damage, surgery or in vitro fertilization are options. For the most advanced cases, in vitro fertilization preceded by 3 months of medical treatment of the endometriosis is advised.

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Condition tags

endometriosisinfertility

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Endometriosis Infertility, Female Infertility, Female Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Female Fertilization in Vitro Fertilization in Vitro Humans Humans Infertility, Female Infertility, Female Infertility, Female Infertility, Female Insemination, Artificial Insemination, Artificial Insemination, Artificial

Citation neighborhood (2-hop)

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. Outer rings show 2-hop neighbours — papers reached through the immediate citers/citees. [ collapse to 1-hop ]

Cited by (14)

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License: CC0 · commercial use OK