Aspects épidémiologiques, cliniques, thérapeutiques et évolutifs de l’endométriose thoracique en Martinique : une étude rétrospective de 2004 à 2020

A rare complication of a common disease, thoracic involvement of endometriosis is frequently encountered in the current practice of Pulmonology in the Antilles. We sought to establish epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary data on thoracic endometriosis in Martinique, over a period from 2004 to 2020. Out of 71 patients retained over the target period, we retained the prevalence over this period to be 1 .2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The standardized incidence of 3.4 cases per 10,0000 inhabitants. The initial treatment consisted of offering an exclusive medical approach (GnRh agonist) after drainage, for 20 patients or 28.2% of cases. Initial surgical treatment had to be performed in 18 cases (25.4%). A majority of patients experience recurrences, and end up needing surgery. There is a significant difference between patients initially treated with combined therapy and those treated with medical treatment alone or surgical treatment alone. Our analysis confirms a genuine increase in the prevalence of thoracic endometriosis in Martinique compared to mainland France, but also to Japanese or British series. We did not find any significant difference either in the modes of clinical presentation or the initial characteristics. There does not seem to be any “Martinique specificity”. From there there remain three hypotheses: underdiagnosis, genetic particularity, and finally the environmental hypothesis. These three hypotheses will require further research in the future.