Endometriosis and Art

Endometriosis, as a clinical entity, has been recognized and intensely investigated for well over 100 years. Despite the accumulation of an enormous amount of information, uncertainty still exists regarding aetiologies, clinical consequences, and treatment efficacy. The two most common complaints leading to a diagnosis of endometriosis are pelvic pain and infertility. There is little debate that the extensive anatomical distortion and tubal obstruction frequently attributed to severe endometriosis does impair fertility. Less clear is the reported association between minimal or mild endometriosis and infertility in the absence of any mechanical disruption. Immune dysfunction in endometriosis has become the focus of more recent efforts, as it is hypothesized that immunity plays a role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Controlled ovarian stimulation, in combination with intrauterine insemination, has proven to be a cost-effective and appropriate first-line treatment for many infertility diagnoses. However, the data does not suggest that this approach may be as effective for patients with endometriosis.