Endometriosis and infertility

Lars Rönnberg, L Rönnberg
Annals of medicine · 1990 · vol. 22(2) , pp. 91–96 · doi:10.3109/07853899009147249 · PMID:2193663 · W1988238142
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Endometriosis's link to infertility is poorly understood, but prospective studies suggest the disease itself does not directly cause infertility, though interventions may be needed if pregnancy fails.

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Abstract

The relationship of endometriosis, the most common benign gynaecological disease during reproductive life, to infertility is generally ill understood. The association between infertility and minimal to mild endometriosis, when no anatomical defect is evident, may be explained by the following possible mechanisms: alternations in peritoneal fluid (macrophages - immunoglobulins, Interleukin-1, protease inhibitors, prostanoids, an ovum capture inhibitor), ovulatory dysfunctions (anovulation, LUF syndrome), luteal phase defect, disturbed implantation, and spontaneous abortion. These possibilities are discussed. The latest prospective controlled studies offer strong evidence that endometriosis per se is not a direct cause of infertility. On the other hand, the disease usually deteriorates if not treated, and therefore medical or surgical interventions are often needed when expectant treatment or other infertility therapies, e.g., ovulation induction, fail to result in pregnancy. Women with minimal to mild endometriosis only should be diagnosed as having unexplained infertility, which today may be treated by in vitro fertilization.

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Condition tags

mesh:D004715endometriosisinfertility

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Infertility, Female Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Humans Infertility, 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.

References (89)

Cited by (11)

SciLite annotations

chemicals 1
prostanoid

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