Symptoms and treatment of endometriosis
Symptoms and treatment of endometriosis. It is considered that endometriosis affects between 10 and 15% of all women of childbearing age, and can be the cause of between 40 and 50% of cases of infertility.
The incidence of this disease is difficult to measure, since several patients have no symptoms.
Symptoms and treatment of endometriosis what is endometriosis?
• Endometriosis is a proliferation of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity, which leads adhesions and fibrosis.
Endometriosis location:
• Endometriosis can be located in different pelvic structures such as ovaries, oviducts, cervix, vagina, vulva, recto vaginal perineum, uterine peritoneum, broad ligament, uterosacral ligament and round ligament, and even in remote locations, such as bladder, bowel, laparotomy scars, lungs, and so on.
• A variety of endometriosis in which endometrial tissue is located in the thickness of the uterine muscle, which is known as adenomyosis.
Causes of endometriosis:
• Currently the cause of endometriosis is not well defined, but the most plausible theory is that the menstrual flow in a retrograde spread of the oviducts into the peritoneal cavity. But it is assumed that is caused by secretory changes and menstrual shedding experienced by endometriosis which are surrounded by fibrous tissue.
• The mechanism by which sterility occurs in cases of severe endometriosis is generated great fibrosis and consequent blockage of the oviducts, but in mild cases the mechanism is unclear, but causes have been postulated immune or anovulation.
Symptoms of endometriosis:
• The cardinal symptom of endometriosis is pelvic pain, which may be associated with other symptoms depending on location. Pain occurs with variable intensity that is not related to the extent of the problem: there may be women with mild symptoms and others with severe pain and very discrete lesions.
• Pain, often intense, deep and constant, is located on the sides of the pelvis, and when that occurs is very characteristic, although it may occur during the entire cycle is recognized as pre-menstrual or peri-menstrual and is common to intensify in the time of bleeding.
• Dyspareunia, or pain during intercourse, is common, probably due to the existence of endometriosis in the vaginal fornix.
Diagnosis of endometriosis:
• Diagnosis is made by direct visualization of endometriotic implants by open surgery or by laparoscopy.
Treatment of endometriosis:
• Treatment is determined by the intensity of symptoms, the location and extent of injuries, the woman’s age and his desire to have children, for which it has the hormonal and surgical management.
• Surgical treatment involves removing all endometrioma (or endometrial cyst) and peritoneal implants destroyed, either bipolar or laser electrofulguration, and resection of adhesions.
• Hormone therapy aims to minimize the ectopic endometrial tissue to atrophy.