0013-7227/02/$15.00/0 The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 87(3):1085–1087 Printed in U.S.A. Copyright © 2002 by The Endocrine Society COMMENT Serum Leptin Concentrations in Endometriosis

SEVERAL MILLION WOMEN from different ethnic and social groups suffer from pelvic endometriosis, which is a complex disorder characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue in ectopic sites outside the uterus. Endometriosis is a chronic and progressive disease that may give rise to a variety of severe and disabling symptoms. It is diagnosed in approximately 25 % of women who undergo laparoscopy because of pelvic pain and in 20 % of infertile women (1). To date, one of the major concerns associated with endometriosis is that a definitive diagnosis can only be obtained via laparoscopy or laparotomy (2). Indeed, ultrasonography is effective only in detecting ovarian endometriomas, but the physical examination may be helpful in the diagnosis of deeply infiltrative endometriosis of the culde-sac and rectovaginal septum. At present, reliable serum