Endometriosis
Endometriosis
- Definition: All three components must be present outside uterus.
- Glands
- Stroma
- Hemosiderin
General Points
- Most common site: Ovary
- Often as "Chocolate cyst" or "endometrioma"
- (molten chocolate appearance from old blood)


- Other common sites:
- Posterior cul-de-sac (POD) >
- Broad ligament (BL) >
- Uterosacral (US) ligament
- Least common sites:
- Spleen
- Central Nervous System (CNS)
- Sampson theory of implantation/retrograde menstruation
- Most accepted theory (Ovary, POD):
- Halban theory (Umbilicus):
- Lymphatic spread
- Ivanoff theory (Distant sites, e.g., lungs):
- Lymphatic spread
- Scar endometriosis:
- Due to direct spread
- Common after:
- Episiotomy
- Caesarean section
- Hysterotomy
- Myomectomy
- Least likely after: Hysterectomy
Symptoms
- Age group:
- Reproductive age (25-35 years)
- Common in nulliparous females
- Least common in: Pubertal females
- Note: Suspect Mullerian malformations if in pubertal females
- Most common symptom: Pain
- Dysmenorrhea
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Dyspareunia
- Second most common symptom: Infertility
- Third most common symptom: Adnexal mass
- Most common cause of Secondary dysmenorrhea
- Note: Suspect Endometriosis with dysmenorrhea + dyspareunia
Examination Findings
- P/V exam: Often reveals nothing significant
- Uterus:
- May be retroverted and fixed
- Normal size, non-tender
- Adnexa:
- May show bilateral adnexal mass (chocolate cyst)
- Adnexal tenderness
- US ligament: May present with nodularity
- Note:
- Pain at surgical site increasing during periods suggests scar endometriosis
- Retroverted uterus → only 2 conditions
- Uterine Prolapse
- Endometriosis
Diagnosis of endometriosis
- 1st investigation: TVS
- Chocolate cyst may be seen
- IOC: Laparoscopy
- Gold Standard: Histopathological Examination (HPE)
- CA-125 levels: Increased (>100 IU)
- MRI: Used for bladder and bowel endometriosis
- Deep rectosigmoid endometriosis: "Mushroom cap sign"
Management of Endometriosis

Laparoscopic Findings

- "Red flame lesions" (new lesions)
- "Gunshot/powder burn appearance" (older lesions)
1. Dysmenorrhea
- Minimal/Mild:
- First line: OCPs
- If conceiving desired: NSAIDs
- Second line: Progesterone
- Third line: GnRH (continuous analogues or antagonists)
- If all three fail: Laparoscopy
- Mnemonic: Oh (OCP) Pain (Progest) Girl (Gnrh) Lie (Lap)
- Moderate/Severe:
- First line:
- Continuous GnRH analogues
- GnRH antagonists
- If it fails:
- Laparoscopy
- Helps in confirming diagnosis.
- Sampling for HPE.
- Grading the disease.
- Laparoscopic pain management:
- Fulguration of implants.
- Adhesiolysis.
- Laparoscopic uterosacral nerve ablation (LUNA).
- Other drugs:
- Letrozole
- Danazol (Side effect: Hirsutism)
- Theoretically usable (not FDA approved):
- Mifepristone (causes instant endometrial atrophy)
- Last resort: Total Abdominal Hysterectomy (TAH) (stops retrograde menstruation)
- Note: Pain is proportional to depth of lesion
- Mnemonic for drugs that decrease estrogen:
- Dominos Pizza Got Late
- Danazol
- Progesterone
- GnRH
- Letrozole
2. Endometrioma (Chocolate Cyst)
- Thick walled

- First investigation:
- TVS (rules out other disorders)
- Ground glass echogenicity
- Homogenous Internal Echoes

- If patient desires pregnancy:
- Do not treat (conservatively managed)
- Pregnancy rates
- 60% in moderate disease
- 35% in severe disease
- If patient does not desire pregnancy:
- Asymptomatic and <5 cm:
- Follow-up with USG
- Asymptomatic and ≥5 cm or symptomatic cyst:
- Laparoscopic cystectomy + HPE
3. Infertility
- Minimal/Mild symptoms
- taken as unexplained infertility:
- IUI (Intrauterine Insemination)
- Clomiphene citrate
- Mod/severe symptoms
- Infertility due to tubal block:
- IVF (In vitro fertilization)