Reduced Bone Mass in Reproductive-Aged Women with Endometriosis*

F Comite, Florence Comite, MARCIA DELMAN, M Delman, Karen A. Hutchinson-Williams, K Hutchinson-Williams, A H DeCherney, Alan H. DeCherney, Pamela S. Jensen, P Jensen
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 1989 · vol. 69(4) , pp. 837–842 · doi:10.1210/jcem-69-4-837 · PMID:2778037 · W2159042676
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Reproductive-aged women with endometriosis exhibit significantly decreased cortical and trabecular bone mass compared to normal women, with hormonal and calcium dynamics appearing normal.

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Abstract

Cortical and trabecular bone masses were measured by quantitative computed tomography of the distal radius in 41 women (30 +/- 1 yr) with endometriosis documented by laparoscopy and compared to those in 35 normal women (32 +/- 1 yr). Hormonal status was assessed, and a subset of 10 women with endometriosis underwent evaluation of calcium absorption and excretion. Menstrual cycles were regular in all women, and hormonal medication had not been administered during the 3 months before evaluation. Estradiol and progesterone varied as expected with the day of the cycle. Fasting calcium excretion was normal. Mean cortical and trabecular bone mass values in women with endometriosis were compared to those in the normal women. Women with endometriosis had significantly decreased cortical and trabecular bone mass. Cortical bone mass in normal subjects was 1263 +/- 11 Hounsfield units (HU), whereas in endometriosis, cortical bone mass measured 1133 +/- 16 HU (P less than 0.0001). Normal trabecular bone mass was 226 +/- 10 HU compared to a mean trabecular bone mass of 173 +/- 9 HU (P less than 0.0001) in endometriosis. Despite the decrease in bone mass documented by quantitative computed tomography, hormonal and calcium dynamics were normal and, therefore, did not appear to be significant etiological factors in regard to the bone loss. Since immunological abnormalities have been reported in association with endometriosis, immune factors may play a role in the development of bone loss in endometriosis and might be of pathogenic significance in this reproductive disorder.

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Condition tags

mesh:D004715endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Bone and Bones Endometriosis Adult Bone and Bones Bone and Bones Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Estradiol Estradiol Female Humans Progesterone Progesterone Reference Values Tomography, X-Ray Computed

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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 (48)

Cited by (21)

SciLite annotations

chemicals 5
calcium estradiol progesterone calcium calcium
organisms 1
noordeloos 2009062

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