Clinical Features of Extragenital Scar Endometriosis: A Cross-SectionalStudy

Beatriz E. Ferro, João Martins Gama, Mariana Robalo Cordeiro, Margarida Figueiredo-Dias
In: Current Women s Health Reviews · 2023 · vol. 20(2) · doi:10.2174/1573404820666230223123036 · W4321616454
article OA: closed CC0
View on OpenAlex View at publisher
⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-07 ⓘ

This study investigated the clinical features of abdominal wall endometriosis in 22 patients, finding cesarean scars and the umbilicus were common locations for painful, palpable masses appearing years after surgery.

One-sentence paraphrase of the abstract; not a substitute for reading it. No clinical advice. How this works

Abstract

Objective: Abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE) is a rare form of extragenital endometriosis that usually develops in association with a prior surgical scar. The purpose of the study was to review the clinical characteristics, diagnostic methods, treatment modalities, and outcomes of patients with AWE. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in a Gynecology Department of a Portuguese tertiary hospital, concerning patients with histologic-proven AWE, between January 2012 and December 2020 (n = 22). Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 27.00, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: The most common locations of extrapelvic endometrial ectopic implants were cesarean delivery scar (n = 13, 59.1%) and the umbilicus (n = 5, 22.7%). The median (range) age was 36 (30-42) years old, and all patients had a history of previous surgery but one. Nineteen patients had undergone a previous cesarean section, and the mean (range) time from surgery to the onset of symptoms was 100 (32-168) months. All patients were symptomatic and presented with a palpable mass at physical examination. The majority complained of a painful abdominal mass (n = 20, 90.9%) which was associated with cyclic pain in thirteen patients (65%). Ultrasound scan was performed in all patients and the nodules had a median size of 20.5 mm (5-93 mm). One patient received hormonal therapy and surgical resection was performed in the remaining patients. The nodule’s median (range) size was 31 (12-50) mm on gross examination. Conclusion: AWE should be considered in the presence of a previous pelvic surgery history associated with abdominal scar cyclic pain and swelling. A careful history and clinical examination are essential for diagnosis to avoid unnecessary delay before surgical intervention.

My notes (saved in your browser only)

Condition tags

endometriosis

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 (18)

Source provenance

openalex
last seen: 2026-06-10T17:14:06.276822+00:00
License: CC0 · commercial use OK