CA 125 serum values in surgically treated endometriosis patients and its relationships with anatomic sites of endometriosis and pregnancy rate.

Fertil Steril. 2011 Jan;95(1):393-6. Epub 2010 Oct 8. \nCA 125 serum values in surgically treated endometriosis patients and its relationships with anatomic sites of endometriosis and pregnancy rate. \nPatrelli TS, Berretta R, Gizzo S, Pezzuto A, Franchi L, Lukanovic A, Nardelli GB, Modena AB. \nSourceDepartment of Maternal and Child Health-Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. [email protected] \nAbstract \nEndometriosis is a benign gynecologic disease defined as the presence of functional endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity, causing dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, menstrual irregularities, and infertility. Serum CA-125 measurement is now a consolidated method for diagnosing this condition, and its interpretation has posed a number of problems, particularly regarding utility in diagnosing minimal-mild endometriosis, whereas its value as a diagnostic aid in moderate-severe stages is well recognized. In our cohort, serum CA-125 values were significantly elevated in patients with ovarian and mixed endometriosis lesions (median levels 48 U/mL), compared with those who had exclusively extraovarian foci (median levels 27 U/mL), and so the correlation between this marker and the surgical and pathologic finding of ovarian and deep endometriosis was found to be statistically significant; however, the location did not affect the fertility rate.