INGUINAL ENDOMETRIOSIS

Objectives. Inguinal endometriosis is a rare form of extrapelvic endometriosis, which is often interpreted as an inguinal hernia. Currently, the pathophysiological mechanism is not elucidated with certainty and involves both diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. The aim of this literature review is to determine the specific pathophysiological and clinical characteristics and to evaluate the current therapeutic possibilities. Materials and methods. To create this article, the bibliographic sources from the online databases Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar were studied. The search was performed according to the following keywords (MeSH Terms): inguinal endometriosis, inguinal formation. Information about the characteristic clinical manifestations, diagnostic methods and treatment possibilities was collected and processed, the collected data being analyzed, compared and synthesized. Results and conclusions. It is a pathology rarely diagnosed preoperatively. Patients complain to the presence of catamenial pain and cyclic growth in size. Preoperative identification also involves the use of magnetic resonance imaging. The treatment of choice is en-bloc surgical excision.