Endometriomas in adolescents and young women

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate clinical aspects of endometriomas encountered in late adolescent females and young women and to review the issues specifically related to the disease in this age group. DESIGN: Retrospective medical chart review study. SETTING: Adolescent gynecology and infertility clinic of a tertiary care hospital with women's health focus. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-three late adolescent females and young women aged ≤ 24 years with endometrioma. INTERVENTIONS: Operative laparoscopy for endometriomas. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Baseline clinical characteristics of the patients including age, marital status, body mass index, symptoms on admission, family history of endometriosis, past medical history, CA-125 levels, presence of a müllerian anomaly, endometriosis characteristics at the time of surgery, and correlation between ASRM scores and patient characteristics. RESULTS: The mean age and body mass index of the patients were 22 ± 2 (range 17-24) years and 20.8 ± 2.6 (range 16.6-28.5) kg/m(2) respectively. Chronic pelvic pain was the most common symptom (44%). Two patients had a diagnosis of genital malformation. Forty-one (65%) patients had endometrioma on the right ovary, and 14 (22%) patients had bilateral endometriomas. Only one patient had posterior cul-de-sac completely obliterated. Fifty-five (87%) patients had score <16 points for adnexal adhesions calculated according to the revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine classification. CONCLUSION: Endometriomas, although rare, can be encountered in adolescents and young women. The disease in adolescent patient group offers particular importance since early intervention is essential in order to decrease pain, prevent progression of the disease and enhance future fertility.