Periovarian peritoneal adhesions in women with endometriosis. Structural patterns.

OBJECTIVE: To draw attention to the structural features of adhesions associated with pelvic endometriosis since they are less well studied than endometriosis proper. STUDY DESIGN: Sixty-two samples of periovarian adhesions were laparoscopically obtained from 24 infertile women 26-38 years of age and were prepared for detailed histologic analyses. RESULTS: Macroscopically, the adhesions were either velamentous or cordlike and grossly were free of endometriosis. Most adhesions were attached to the connective tissue of the ovarian tunica albuginea; in two cases they were attached to the corpus luteum. Upon microscopic analysis, velamentous adhesions consisted of fibrous sheets of collagen connective tissue, with the surface lined with single-layered coelomic epithelium. The cord-like adhesions consisted of "hyalinized" fibrous tissue and were either avascular or vascularized. Irregular cystic or tubular structures that could be regarded as endometriosis were found in four patients. Hyaline cartilage within the tissue of the adhesion was an unexpected finding in one patient. CONCLUSION: Microscopic analysis permitted grouping of the adhesions in the following way: (1) Connective tissue adhesions (23 patients) with the following subcategories: (A) fibrous, either avascular or encompassing degenerating blood vessels (6 patients); (B) vascularized, containing granulomatous tissue (12 patients); (C) vascularized with stromoglandular endometrioid cysts or tubules (4 patients); (D) rare types, such as that encompassing hyaline cartilage (1 patient). (2) Fibrin adhesions (1 patient). From the clinical point of view, the presence of endometrial tissue within adhesions raises the question of whether there is a need for removal, rather than just lysis, of adhesions to avoid persistent pain.