An appraisal of the role of laparoscopy: past, present, and future

Brosens IA, I A Brosens, Ivo Brosens, R CAMPO, Campo R, S. Gordts, Gordts S, Jan J. Brosens, J J Brosens, Brosens JJ
International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics · 2001 · vol. 74(S1) , pp. S9–14 · doi:10.1016/s0020-7292(01)00459-3 · PMID:11549394 · W2161828382
article OA: closed CC0 ⤵ 5 in-corpus citations
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Laparoscopy's diagnostic utility for chronic pelvic pain is limited by its inability to accurately identify endometriosis type and activity, with potential for misleading results and significant risks.

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To review the role of laparoscopy in the management of chronic pelvic pain (CPP). METHOD: A literature search was conducted to obtain a clear perspective on the role of laparoscopy for CPP. RESULTS: Laparoscopy has been widely used as a diagnostic tool in CPP, but often falls short in defining the type and activity of ectopic endometrial-like tissue. Because pelvic endometriosis includes a wide range of lesions, histological confirmation varies greatly. The evaluation of peritoneal endometriosis at laparoscopy can be misleading. In one study 43% of the patients with minimal or mild endometriosis were found at second-look laparoscopy to be free of lesions. Finally, laparoscopy is not without major complications and the risk of undiagnosed bowel injury is likely to be underestimated. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of endometriosis can no longer be limited to the visual inspection of the pelvis but requires a wider range of investigations to assess the reproductive system and the role of endometriotic lesions and adhesions in CPP.

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Condition tags

chronic_pelvic_painendometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Laparoscopy Pelvic Pain Pelvic Pain Chronic Disease Female Humans Laparoscopy Pelvic Pain Reproducibility of Results

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 (32)

Cited by (5)

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