By Yu YuA miniaturized version of endometrium: organoids for endometriosis research
By Yu Yu
Organoids are a miniaturized version of a tissue that is produced in culture through three dimensions techniques in order to better mimic the tissues of origin. These cultures are supposed to better replicate the complexity of a biological organ/disease. Endometrial…
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By Hale Goksever CelikThe accuracy of "lower endoscopic ultrasound" for the preoperative diagnosis of rectosigmoid endometriosis
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis affects reproductive-aged women most frequently with a prevalence of 5% to 15%. If the endometriotic lesions involve the bowel especially sigmoid colon and rectum, this subtype of endometriosis is named as "bowel" or "rectosigmoid" endometriosis. Rectosigmoid endometriosis is encountered in…
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By Engin AydinInside to outside or from outside to inside?
By Engin Aydin
Pathogenesis of "adenomyosis", presence of the ectopic endometrium tissue within the uterine muscles, has largely been classically based on origin from basalis endometrium. Khan and associates from Japan have published their new conceptual findings on adenomyosis in Reproductive BioMedicine Online. In…
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By Dr. Youngran ParkPlausible biomarkers for noninvasive endometriosis diagnosis
By Dr. Youngran Park
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent benign gynecological disease characterizing ectopic deposition of endometrial tissue outside of the uterine cavity. It affects about 10% of reproductive-aged women and causes enormous negative impacts on the quality of lives. However, we do not have…
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By Murat OsmanNanotechnology as a tool for targeted therapy of endometriosis
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis is a process whereby endometrial cells persistently grow and invade extra-uterine tissue through a primarily estrogen-dependent manner. These ectopic endometrial cells proliferate in sometimes an uncontrolled manner, similar to cancer or inflammatory tissues. To proliferate, cells need cholesterol to…
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By Selma OransayHow to Classify Endometriosis for a better and effective evaluation
By Selma Oransay
Endometriosis affects 10% of women in their reproductive period and causes infertility around 40% of women who have the disease. Peritoneal fluid may be one of the factors to facilitate the spread of endometriosis to ovaries, peritoneum and other deep…
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By Irem OnurMortality of 49956 midlife women with surgically verified endometriosis
By Irem Onur
Saavalainen L. et al., from Finland recently published a retrospective large cohort study in the journal Human Reproduction, where they retrospectively examined the data of surgically verified endometriosis patients to find out if all-cause and the cause-specific mortality rate is…
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By Özge ÖzkayaWhich Diagnosis Technique is Better?
By Özge Özkaya
Transvaginal ultrasound provides a more accurate localization of vaginal and recto-vaginal endometriosis compared to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) according to a study published in the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics. However, MRI has better accuracy in detecting bladder endometriosis…
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Infertility in women with endometriosis
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent gynecological disease mostly encountered in reproductive-aged women. The most common presenting complaints are dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. Despite extensive research, the etiopathogenic mechanism underlying the two has not been fully elucidated. Although human…
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The Effect of Imbalanced Progesterone Receptors-A/B on Gelatinase Expressions in Endometriosis
By Dr. Youngran Park
Endometriosis is a benign disease which affects approximately 10% of reproductive-aged women and is one of the most common reasons for infertility. Though the underlying mechanisms of disease progression have not been clearly understood, it develops as a consequence of…
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Endometriosis that involves the nerves: how Radiologists can help
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis is a disease with variable clinical symptoms. While rare, nerve involvement by endometriosis may cause neurologic symptoms such as pelvic pain, muscle weakness, bowel and bladder incontinence, and paraplegia depending on the specific nerve involved. Thus, abdominal radiologists should…
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A position statement of diagnosing and treating endometriosis for gynecologists.
By Selma Oransay
Endometriosis Treatment Italian Group recently declared 10 "valuable" conducts to evaluate endometriotic patients and published them in Hum. Reprod. Open. This society consists of 16 university departments and training center with expert clinicians on endometriosis from Italy. After arising the idea of…
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Babies Born Lighter May Have a Higher Risk of Developing Endometriosis Later in Life
By Özge Özkaya
Being exposed to growth restriction before birth seems to be associated with a higher risk of developing endometriosis during a woman’s reproductive years. Other factors such as having fewer liveborn children and prior infertility problems, also seem to be important…
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Health care resource utilization and cost in women with endometriosis
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting 6-10% of reproductive-aged women. The clinical picture of the disease range from asymptomatic findings to dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. Endometriosis has also complex etiopathogenetic background. This broad clinical spectrum, the…
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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Endometriosis: Comorbid Conditions
By Irem Onur
In the study of Dr. Boneva et al., from Atlanta, GA, the United States which has recently been published in the journal Frontiers in Pediatrics evaluated the impact of endometriosis on the health of women with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The authors compared…
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A study about adnexial torsion doubts in patients with endometriosis.
By Selma Oransay
Endometrioma is the presence of endometriosis cysts in the ovary, and is one of the most common forms of endometriosis, with unknown pathophysiology. Adnexal torsion results in twisting ovarian tissues resulting in a decreased blood flow. The causes for adnexal torsion due…
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Patients with Pelvic Pain Most Likely to Benefit from Endometriosis Surgery
By Özge Özkaya
Women who experience higher levels of pain are more likely to show improvement in their quality of life (QoL) following endometriosis surgery, according to a study published in The Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology. Chronic pelvic pain seems to be…
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By Demet Candaş GreenSurgical treatment of deeply infiltrating endometriosis in tertiary treatment centers
By Demet Candaş Green
In the present study, data from patients who were surgically treated for deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) in a tertiary referral unit, the Avicenna Centre for Endometriosis and Minimally Invasive Gynecology (ACEMIG, Tehran, Iran), were examined for rates of intraoperative and…
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The predictors for the coexistence of uterine leiomyomas and endometriosis
By Hale Goksever Celik
Uterine leiomyomas are the most common gynecological benign tumors affecting 20-25% of reproductive-aged women. Abnormal bleeding, pelvic pain, pelvic pressure, and infertility are major symptoms of these tumors. Endometriosis is another gynecological disease encountered in 10-15% of reproductive-aged women. The…
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Transvaginal Ultrasound and the Imaging of Endometriosis
By Murat Osman
Ultrasonography (US) is an imaging tool that uses sound waves to produce a two-dimensional picture inside of the body. The ultrasonography has become especially useful in the assessment of gynecologic pathologies such as endometriosis. Depending on the severity of endometriosis,…
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Importance of monocytic myeloid derived supressor cells in endometriosis
By Engin Aydin
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells MDSCs are immature myeloid cells that play a major role in immunosuppression in various disease processes. Ya Sun and associates have investigated these cells in endometriosis utilizing various laboratory methods. published their results in the "American Journal of…
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Seven Hormonal Biomarkers for Diagnosing Endometriosis
By Dr. Youngran Park
Endometriosis is an inflammatory condition characterized by implantation and invasive growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. Although it is benign, endometriosis has cancer-like features, a mutation profile similar to that of ovarian cancer, and increased ovarian cancer risk.…
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The link between autoimmunity and endometriosis
By Yu Yu
A popular model to explain the etiology of endometriosis is Sampson’s theory of retrograde menstruation. In this model, the viable endometrial tissue is spread and attached to the peritoneal cavity through the fallopian tubes during menstruation, resulting in an inflammatory…
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Analogous pathways of peritoneal tumor wound healing and endometriosis.
By Selma Oransay
Endometriosis, diagnosed around 10-15% of women population in their reproductive period, is a chronically progressive inflammatory disease to cause peritoneal lesions while spreading into the abdominal cavity. The pathophysiology of the adhesions between the peritoneum and pelvic organs can be…
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Endocrine-disrupting chemicals – yet another environmental factor associated with endometriosis?
By Demet Candaş Green
This study by Wen et al., published in Gynecological Endocrinology, analyzed evidence connecting endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) to the incidence of endometriosis in a collection of 30 previously published studies. Results show that exposure to many EDC's are linked to the…
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Urocortin: A biomarker deserving investigation for endometriosis patients
By Irem Onur
Urocortin is a neuropeptide in the corticotropin-releasing hormone family and is expressed by eutopic and ectopic human endometria. Since it has paracrine and immunomodulatory effects, urocortin is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Its expression has been thoroughly…
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The coelomic metaplasia hypothesis of endometriosis in MRKH cases
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis is defined as the localization of endometrial glandular and stromal tissue outside the uterine cavity and its incidence is approximately 10% in the general female population. Although the pathophysiological mechanism is not clearly understood, the implantation theory by Sampson…
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ENDORECT scoring system to identify patients at risk for rectosigmoid endometriosis
By Murat Osman
Patients who suffer from endometriosis may benefit from a preoperative score that predicts rectosigmoid involvement. A recent paper published by Huchon et al. at Poissy Saint-Germain en Laye, France, recruited 119 women who underwent laparoscopy for endometriosis between 2011 and…
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Novel inhibitors of estrogen biosynthesis
By Dr. Youngran Park
Endometriosis is a chronic benign disease which is estrogen-dependent. Estradiol creates a positive feedback loop with the synthesis of pro-inflammatory mediators, which sustains further disease establishment and causes the pain symptoms. However, hormone therapies do not cure definitively endometriosis, because…
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Another Genetic Polymorphism That May Increase Risk of Endo
By Özge Özkaya
A single letter change in the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) gene may significantly increase the risk of endometriosis. This is according to a study conducted among women in Southwest China and published in the journal Medicine. Identifying genetic risk…
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Searching new biomarkers for endometriosis
By Selma Oransay
This recent article published in Advances in Clinical Chemistry, is an overall summary of characteristics, physiopathological theories, diagnostic approaches and variety of biomarkers to diagnose endometriosis and penned by Coutinho et al. from Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Belo Horizonte,…
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The association of significant hemoperitoneum (blood in the abdominal cavity) and deep pelvic endometriosis
By Irem Onur
Although there are several theories to explain the etiology of deep endometriosis, the cause is unknown and there are currently no effective strategies to prevent its development. Bean E. et al., from University College London Hospital, UK, observed that some…
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Non‑invasive biomarkers for endometriosis diagnosis
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis is a disease of women in reproductive age and its incidence varies between 5-10%. Since the diagnosis is based on the histological confirmation, there is an average of 7 to 11 years of delays in the diagnosis. Promising non-invasive…
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Does Endometriosis Reduce Ovarian Reserve?
By Özge Özkaya
Markers of ovarian reserve are worse in infertile women with endometriosis compared to women who cannot conceive due to male factor infertility regardless of whether or not they have had ovarian surgery. This finding is important because it suggests that…
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Fibrogenesis in endometriosis: The role of neuropeptides
By Dr. Youngran Park
Endometriosis is a debilitating gynaecologic disease affecting 6–10% of women of reproductive age. Endometriotic lesions are known to be hyperinnervated due to neurogenesis resulting from neutrophins secreted by endometriotic lesions and possibly platelets. These neutrophins seem to preferentially favor the…
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New findings in adenomyosis (endometriosis interna) patients with potential theraupetic research implications
By Engin Aydin
Xue Shen and associates from Beijing, China have published their observations related to cannabinoid receptors, i.e., CB1 and CB2, in patients with adenomyosis, recently in the journal "Biomed Research International". Adenomyosis is an estrogen-dependent uterine disorder where a nonmalignant invasion…
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By Serdar BalciPathophysiology of peritoneal endometriosis pain.
By Serdar Balci
This article is an invited editorial by Ferrero S et.al. from IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy, published in the Annals of Translational Medicine. The authors describe the pathophysiology and underlying mechanisms of pain in peritoneal endometriosis with reference to the…
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The genetic predisposition to endometriosis
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent gynecological disease mostly encountered in reproductive-aged women. Although endometrium is a non-malignant disease, its symptoms can range from mild to severe due to the inflammation that ectopic endometrial tissue forms around itself. The exact etiopathogenetic mechanism…
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Anti-angiogenic treatment for endometriosis
By Dr. Youngran Park
Endometriosis is a benign, estrogen-dependent gynecological disorder. The wide variety of surgical and medical treatment has been applied for treating endometriosis, but a definitive therapy has not been achieved so far. Thus, new therapeutic strategies need to be developed. Among…
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Proposed algorithm for a clinical diagnosis of endometriosis.
By Selma Oransay
This recently published article in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology is about the challenge of diagnosing endometriosis, its impact on women's daily life and authored by Agarwal et al. from The University of California, San Diego, CA, USA. Authors called attention…
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Adenomyosis (endometriosis interna): an enigmatic disease that has to be discovered yet
By Engin Aydin
Scientists, Drs. Vannuccini and Petraglia from Italy have published an open access comprehensive review of Adenomyosis in "F1000Research" in March 2019 issue. Adenomyosis is a uterine disorder in which endometrial glands and stroma are pathologically demonstrated within the myometrium, i.e.…
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Reducing the Risk of Recurrence After Endometriosis Surgery
By Özge Özkaya
The use of compounds called NF-κB inhibitors and β-blockers before and after endometriosis surgery may reduce the risk of the disease recurring, according to a study conducted in a mouse model. According to the study published in the journal Reproductive…
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Antibiotic therapy for endometriosis
By Yu Yu
Current treatments for endometriosis are surgery and hormone therapy; however, these approaches may have significant side effects and do not prevent a recurrence. Therefore, alternative treatment modalities for endometriosis is needed. Recently, the idea that endometriosis may be influenced by…
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The postoperative functional outcomes of deep infiltrating endometriosis
By Hale Goksever Celik
Rectosigmoid endometriosis is defined as the infiltration of the bowel wall with the endometrial-like glands and stroma, reaching at least the muscular layer. The most commonly involved sites are the rectum and sigmoid colon. For the management of deep infiltrating…
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A new trial to reduce the failure of IVF/ICS protocols in severe endometriosis
By Selma Oransay
Kong et al., from the first affiliated hospital of Zhengzhou University, China, recently published this single-blinded, a multicentered and randomized controlled study in the Journal of Reproductive Health, with the aim to find a safer and more effective ovulation induction regimen for patients with…
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Endometriosis and nuclear receptors
By Dr. Youngran Park
It is well recognized that endometriosis is a steroid-dependent disorder. In endometrial stromal cells, progesterone regulates retinoic acid production and action. Retinoids also act via a number of nuclear receptors (NRs) and are involved in normal endometrial function and endometriosis. Estrogen…
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The role of adhesion molecules, E-cadherin and hScrib, in endometriosis
By Engin Aydin
Dr. Zhuo Ouyang and associates from the Capital Medical University, Beijing, China have recently published their research related to adhesion molecules in "Medicine (Baltimore)". Endometriosis is a “benign gynecological disease with some similarities to cancer”. Adhesion molecules E-cadherin and hScrib…
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Bladder Endometriosis
By Demet Candaş Green
Bladder endometriosis is rare – about 1-2% of women with endometriosis may have endometrial lesions in their urinary tract. Diagnosis of bladder endometriosis is difficult because of its nonspecific symptoms such as frequent urination, pelvic pain, and burning sensation when…
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The coexistence deep infiltrating endometriosis and fibromyalgia
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis is defined as the localization of endometrial glandular and stromal cells outside the uterine cavity. The main symptoms of endometriosis which are dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and chronic pelvic pain impair the quality of life of these women. This disease may…
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MRI-based "ENZIAN" scoring system and intra-operative endometriosis findings
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease whereby endometrial-like glands grow and invade the extra-uterine structures. Endometriosis may affect various parts of the body, including the peritoneum, ovaries, or retroperitoneum. Recently, non-invasive methods for detecting these lesions have included trans-vaginal ultrasound…
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Epithelial Mutations in Endometriosis
By Dr. Youngran Park
A substantial body of epidemiologic evidence suggests a link between endometriosis and epithelial ovarian cancer, but a plausible underlying mechanism has remained elusive. Here, Dr. Bulun group from Northwestern University provide a focused review of the literature and discuss the…
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Antimullerian Hormone, endometrioma and ovarian reserve
By Selma Oransay
Younis et al. from Baruch-Padeh Medical Center, Poriya, Israel, designed a review study on ovarian reserve alterations before and after endometrioma surgery that recently documented in "Human Reproduction Update". The authors examined the electronic databases of articles published between January…
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A highly sensitive Immunohistochemical Marker for Stromal Cells in endometriosis
By Engin Aydin
Endometriosis is diagnosed histopathologically by the presence of endometrium-like tissues outside the uterus. Positive CD10 immunohistochemistry, highlighting stromal cells of the endometrium, is a useful adjunct for pathologists in the tissue diagnosis. However, CD10 expression is not specific to endometrial stromal…
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Ovarian stimulation regimes: Concerns on progression or recurrence of endometriosis
By Selma Oransay
Somigliana et al., from the University of Milan, Italy, performed a literature review to predict the endometriosis-enhancing effect of ART regimes on infertile women and reported their results in Reproductive Biomedicine Online. Their points of interest were increasing dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, non-menstrual pain and…
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Impact of Menstrual Symptoms on Everyday Life
By Dr. Youngran Park
Menstrual symptoms, including heavy menstrual bleeding, dysmenorrhea, and significant perimenstrual mood disorders, are common gynecological conditions. About 30% of women consider their menstrual bleeding heavy, and 34–94% of women experience pain during their menstrual period. Menstrual symptoms have a significant…
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Preoperative factors to predict unresponsiveness in women undergoing endometriosis surgery
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis is defined as the localization of endometrial glandular and stromal cells outside the uterine cavity. Despite extensive research, the optimal management of endometriosis still remains unclear. Several treatment options include analgesic medication, hormonal treatments, and surgical intervention. There is…
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Breast cancer incidence in women with endometriosis
By Yu Yu
The relationship between endometriosis and breast cancer remains unclear. Some studies have shown an increased risk of breast cancer among women with endometriosis, while others suggested no change in the risk of breast cancer. Previously, the authors have found that…
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Impact of Endometriosis-Related Adhesions on Quality of Life among Infertile Women
By Dr. Youngran Park
Endometriosis is considered the most common cause of pelvic adhesions in women. It is considered one of the main underlying causes of the development of adhesions. Adhesions are bands of connective tissue, which connect two different tissues that are normally…
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Menstrual blood-derived stem cells
By Selma Oransay
Chen et al. from the Center of Diagnosis and Treatment of İnfectious Disease, Zhejiang University, China penned this recent review in the Journal of Stem Cell Research Therapy which is presenting the clinical potential of MenSCs (Menstrual blood-derived stem cells). …
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Endometriosis involving the superficial peritoneum in Adolescents: Surgical Management
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis is a chronic disease whereby endometrial glands and stroma grow and survive outside of the uterus. In some cases, endometriosis may become symptomatic and cause debilitating, chronic pelvic pain. Among pelvic organ and other surfaces that endometriosis can involve…
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Polymorphisms of STAT4 gene in the pathogenesis of endometriosis
By Dr. Youngran Park
Endometriosis is one of the most common gynecological diseases in reproductive-age women characterized by the occurrence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. Researchers have put forward numerous hypotheses to explain ectopic endometrial tissue, and the bulk of the evidence…
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The appearance of postoperative endometriosis by imaging methods
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease mostly encountered in reproductive-aged women. Endometriosis can occur in three different entities: peritoneal, ovarian and deep endometriosis. Golden standard diagnosis is made by histopathological examination of surgical material after laparoscopic surgery in women with…
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Endometriosis and infertility: current concepts
By Engin Aydin
Hungarian and US scientists have published a comprehensive review on infertility related to endometriosis in Frontiers in Endocrinology, November 2018 issue. Endometriosis is a common entity in women of reproductive age which often leads to infertility. Compiled research data reveal…
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Gal-3 can be a pharmacological target in endometriosis treatment
By Demet Candaş Green
Galectins are known to play a significant role in angiogenesis, which is a key event contributing to the development of many disease conditions, one of which is endometriosis. Past studies, upon examining several human endometriotic lesions, showed that Galectin-3 (Gal-3)…
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Estrogen Receptor Signaling and Endometriosis-Associated Ovarian Cancer
By Selma Oransay
Andersen et al. published a prospective cohort study in the Journal of Hormones and Cancer to enlighten the estrogen signaling pathway during the transition from endometriosis to endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer. Given the shared pathway of endometriosis and ovarian cancer as…
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Immunologic Disorder in the Progression of Endometriosis
By Dr. Youngran Park
Endometriosis becomes increasingly a health-social problem. However, definite diagnostic biomarkers and more effective treatments for endometriosis are still missing to this day. Many researchers focus on the peritoneal microenvironment of patients with endometriosis, especially the immunological microenvironment. Recently, Jørgensen et…
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The duration of impairment of ovarian reserve after laparoscopic surgery
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis is a chronic medical condition characterized by ectopic endometrial tissue that grows and invades extra-uterine tissues. It is a significant contributor to chronic pelvic pain in women of reproductive age. Endometriosis involving the ovaries and causing a cystic growth…
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A link between endometrioid ovarian carcinoma and endometriosis.
By Selma Oransay
Ciavattini et al.from Polytechnic University Ancona, Italy create a pilot study which recently published in Oncology Letters to clarify the link between endometriosis and endometrioid ovarian cancer. The unfolded protein response (UPR) activity as a promoter of neoplastic progression of malignancies is…
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Which comes first in endometriosis management: In vitro fertilization or surgery?
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis is defined as the localization of endometrial glandular and stromal tissue outside the uterine cavity. The prevalence is found to be 7%–10%, but among infertile women, it increases up to 50%. Early diagnosis and personalized management are important to…
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Self-management of endometriosis symptoms: from Australia
By Demet Candaş Green
Effective self-management techniques and lifestyle changes may play an important role in the management of endometriosis symptoms by many women. Due to various reasons such as limited effectiveness of some medications, potential side effects, availability of medical resources, self-desire to…
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Endometrioma, Fertility, and Assisted Reproduction
By Dr. Youngran Park
Endometriosis can negatively impact a woman’s health and quality of life. Surgery has been considered the primary treatment to overcome infertility in cases of ovarian endometrioma. Patients struggling with endometriosis often pursue assisted reproductive technologies (ART) due to fertility issues.…
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Extra-ovarian malignancies risk among women with endometriosis
By Yu Yu
For some time, an association between endometriosis and subsequent cancer risk have been reported. In particular, scientific evidence has shown that endometriosis is linked with risk of certain ovarian cancer subtypes known as clear cell and endometrioid. Since endometriosis is…
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Building an ultrasonographic database for superficial endometriosis.
By Selma Oransay
Chowdary et al. from University of Auckland, Australia, recently published a retrospective, small group study in Australian New Zeland Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, to demonstrate ultrasonographic findings of mild endometriosis patients with pelvic pain are associated with their laparoscopic diagnosis.…
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The association between the development of endometriosis and dietary habits
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis is a chronic disease defined as the localization of endometrial glandular and stromal tissue outside the uterine cavity. The prevalence is found to be approximately 10% in the general population. Endometriosis is associated with infertility, pelvic pain, and increased…
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Additional research in understanding the causative link between Notch signaling and endometriosis
By Engin Aydin
Dustin M. Brown and associates from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences published their unique complex molecular research in the Journal of the Endocrine Society. This study group previously showed that decreased expression of the progesterone receptor (PGR) resulted from…
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Women with Persistent Pelvic Pain Have a Lower Pain Threshold
By Özge Özkaya
Women with persistent pelvic pain, whether this is caused by endometriosis or other reason, have a significantly reduced pain threshold compared to women without persistent pelvic pain. This is according to a study by researchers in Sweden, which was published…
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Endometriosis and female pelvic pain in all aspects
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis is defined as the localization of endometrial glandular and stromal tissue outside the uterine cavity. The prevalence of the disease ranges between 6-10% in reproductive-aged women. However, endometriosis is more frequently encountered in women with chronic pelvic pain and…
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The relationship between periodontal disease and endometriosis
By Irem Onur
Thomas et al. have recently studied the association between endometriosis and periodontal disease which may share a common pathogenesis, and have published it in the Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences. The authors screened a total of50 women; 25 with and 25…
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Clonal Proliferation and Cancer Associated Mutations in normal uterine endometrium and endometriosis
By Serdar Balci
Suda et. al., from Niigata University, Japan, has published the article entitled "Clonal Expansion and Diversification of Cancer-Associated Mutations in Endometriosis and Normal Endometrium" in Cell Reports. There are many theories for endometriosis development (retrograde menstruation, coelomic metaplasia, Müllerian remnants),…
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Vaginal Sexual Intercourse during Menstruation
By Irem Onur
Mazokopakis and Samonis from Greece examined and discussed the vaginal sexual intercourse during menstruation from a biblical as well as a modern medical point of view in their paper published in MAEDICA – a Journal of Clinical Medicine in September 2018.…
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HOXA-10 levels are related to infertility in endometriosis patients
By Demet Candaş Green
The current study by Ozcan et al., published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology aimed to investigate the levels of HOXA-10 gene in fertile versus infertile women with endometriosis. HOXA-10 protein (expressed by HOXA-10 gene)…
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Somatic mutations in iatrogenic endometriosis.
By Selma Oransay
Lac and al., from the Department of Molecular Oncology in BC Cancer Research Center, Vancouver, Canada, planned a retrospective and multinational research to investigate the prevalence of somatic cancer-driver mutations in incisional endometriosis and recently published in the "Journal of Human Reproduction". Their…
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Surgical techniques for rectosigmoid endometriosis, and functional outcomes
By Hale Goksever Celik
Rectosigmoid endometriosis is defined as the infiltration of bowel wall with the endometrial-like glands and stroma, reaching at least the muscular layer. Rectosigmoid endometriosis is encountered in approximately 8-12% of patients with a diagnosis of endometriosis. The most commonly involved…
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New scientific evidence supporting robotic surgical approach to ureteric endometriosis
By Engin Aydin
Surgical treatment of ureteral endometriosis aims to relieve urinary obstruction besides preserving renal functions. In accomplishing these, the best method of surgical approach is still unclear. Andrea Giannini and her colleagues from the University of Pisa, Italy conducted a retrospective…
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Conservative Surgery May Be Sufficient to Halt the Development of Deep Endometriosis
By Özge Özkaya
Deep endometriosis develops as a result of collective cell migration and nerve recruitment from surrounding organs, suggests a study published in the scientific journal Fertility and Sterility. Collective cell migration is the biological process whereby a group of cells moves…
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The association of endometriosis and peritoneal malignant mesothelioma
By Irem Onur
Endometriosis is well known to cause chronic inflammation of the serosa and incite mesothelial hyperplasia. Although multilocular peritoneal inclusion cysts and well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma were reported to be associated with endometriosis, the association of malignant mesothelioma has not been reported…
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Is the mystery for progression of endometriosis hiding out in abnormally located endometrial cells?
By Selma Oransay
This prospective study was conducted by Hapangama et al. in Research İnstute of the University of Liverpool, UK, and the results have recently published in the Journal of Human Reproduction. The authors hypothesized that abnormally located endometrial basalis-like (SSEA1/nSOX9+)cells could be contributing to…
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The role of circulating microRNA's in Endometriosis
By Dr. Youngran Park
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disorder. This disease affects approximately 10% of reproductive-aged women and 20% to 50% of infertile women. Steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1) is an essential transcriptional regulator coordinately regulating multiple genes involved in estrogen biosynthesis. SF-1 is known…
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Endometriosis-associated pain control by contraceptive implant or intrauterine system
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis is defined as the localization of endometrial glandular and stromal cells outside the uterine cavity. The most common symptoms are dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and chronic pelvic pain, all of which affect the quality of women’s lives. Several studies investigating the…
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Factors related to delay in endometriosis diagnosis
By Engin Aydin
Dr. Moniek van der Zanden, a gynecologist from Netherlands has recently made a nationwide survey on the impact of key recommendations of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) guidelines on endometriosis and aimed to assess factors influencing diagnostic delay of…
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Does the presence of endometriosis increase the risk of gynecologic malignancies?
By Serdar Balci
Endometriosis shares common risk factors with endometrial carcinoma and ovarian carcinomas such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hyperestrogenism, and reproductive characteristics. Endometriosis is also known to be a risk factor for gynecologic malignant tumors. In this study, Li et.al. have…
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Extragenital endometriosis and ultrasound
By Irem Onur
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a non-invasive imaging method with no exposure to radiation. There are a few reports on the use of CEUS in the assessment of endometriosis in the literature. Dong et al. reported 3 histopathologically proven cases of…
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Lipophilic Statins inhibit growth and invasiveness of human endometrial cells
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis is a disease process whereby cells of the endometrium grow and invade structures outside of the uterus. Through recent research, it has been seen that endometriotic foci in women with endometriosis exhibit an altered phenotype that contributes to its…
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Can we Inhibit the Survival of Endometriosis?
By Dr. Youngran Park
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent gynecological inflammatory disease. The current anti-estrogen therapies can be prescribed only for a short time due to the undesirable side effects on menstruation, pregnancy, bone health, and recurrence. Therefore, the development of specific therapy which targets…
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Pelvic pain, congenital genital tract anomalies and endometriosis
By Hale Goksever Celik
Any failure during development and differentiation of female genital tract results in congenital tract anomalies. The origin of the hymen is the union of the caudal portion of the paramesonephric ducts and the urogenital sinus. It functions as a mechanical…
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What clinicians know about adenomyosis? Any association with severe endometriosis?
By Selma Oransay
Dior et al. from the Royal Women's Hospital in Parkville, Australia, designed a prospective study to assess the association between severity of endometriosis and sonographic evidence of adenomyosis (SEOA) in their recently published article appearing in The Journal of Minimally…
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Presumed molecular mechanisms for herbal medicinal therapies in endometriosis
By Engin Aydin
Pharmaceutical agents for the management of endometriosis are associated with side effects and are not completely effective. In regard to this, Bina and associates from Tehran University of Medical Sciences have reviewed extensively the literature for herbal remedies. Herbal medicinal products…
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Laparoscopic mesenteric vascular and nerve sparing surgery as a tool for DIE resection
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis can be characterized by a wide range of clinical aggressiveness based upon the location, character, and growth of ectopic endometrial implants. As one of the most aggressive forms of endometriosis, deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) is known to involve the…
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Are women with histologically confirmed endometriosis satisfied with their medical support?
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis is defined as the localization of endometrial glandular and stromal cells outside the uterine cavity. The most common symptoms are dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, dyschesia, dysuria, musculoskeletal pain, fatigue and infertility, all of which affect the quality of…
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Anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects of "Quercetin" on endometriosis
By Dr. Youngran Park
Quercetin is a major flavonol that is mainly derived from capers and involves a daily consumption of approximately 25–50 mg through various vegetables. In recent studies, Quercetin is reported as a functional compound in obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This compound…
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Not True That Women With Endometriosis Can’t Conceive
By Özge Özkaya
The common assertion that women with endometriosis are unlikely to conceive is countered by a new study published in The European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care. This finding supports the need for healthcare and information to address all…
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The use of Elagolix in Women with Liver and Kidney Impairments
By Özge Özkaya
Elagolix may be used in women with moderate liver impairment, when necessary, for up to six months at a dose of 150 mg a day, according to a study published in the scientific journal Clinical Pharmacology in Drug Development. The…
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Progesterone Receptor Status in Endometriosis
By Serdar Balci
Some patients do not respond to progesterone hormone therapy. In this study recently published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the authors led by Hugh S. Taylor from the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences from Yale…
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Programmed-cell death pathway and immune dysfunction in endometriosis
By Irem Onur
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent, immune-associated disease. Women with endometriosis have different proportions of the activated forms of immunocompetent cells, such as T cells and macrophages compared to those from women without. Immune cell dysfunction in the uterine and abdominal cavity…
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Drugs targeting estrogen biosynthesis opening up new approaches to the treatment of endometriosis.
By Selma Oransay
Gibson et al., from the Univerity of Edinburgh, UK, take over a new interest about endometriosis occurrence and progress by endometrial tissue intracrinology in their recently online published article in International Journal of Molecular Sciences. The authors summarize the last…
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How to predict natural conception in women underwent endometriosis surgery?
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis is defined as the localization of endometrial glandular and stromal cells outside the uterine cavity. The most common symptoms are dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. The prevalence of endometriosis increases in the infertile population. Thus, the important…
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The pain and its severity in deeply infiltrating endometriosis patients
By Selma Oransay
Liang et al. from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, China, recently published an interesting paper in the Journal of Pain Research, a prospective study to reveal the relationship between neurogenesis and other potential…
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Does ovarian endometrioma damage the ovarian reserve?
By Dr. Youngran Park
Ovarian endometriomas are commonly present in 17% to 44% of women with endometriosis and are often associated with infertility and pelvic pain. There are several treatment options including surgical treatment. Cyst excision is associated with better results in terms of…
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Four cases of endometrioid borderline ovarian tumour: case reports and literature review
By Engin Aydin
Physicians from Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan, report four cases of ovarian EBTs and a review literature in a recently published manuscript at British Medical Journal, case reports. Endometrioid borderline tumors (EBTs) of the ovary are uncommon…
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The diagnosis and management of endometriosis in Korea
By Selma Oransay
The Korean Society of Endometriosis has scrutinized the present published literature of endometriosis in the domestic and international platform to provide new guidelines and the clinical management of the disease. The study was recently published in the journal "Obstetrics and Gynecology…
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A novel neurotransmitter, Ninj1, has been found to be expressed in endometriosis
By Irem Onur
Chronic inflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis and adenomyosis, and inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1b are highly expressed in them. Inflammation and subsequent hyperinnervation are involved in the pathophysiology of pain generation. High levels of expression of various…
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Can MRI be used to detect anterior pelvic endometriotic lesions?
By Hale Goksever Celik
Deep infiltrating endometriosis is the most severe manifestation of endometriosis. It is defined as the infiltration of ectopic endometrial tissue under the peritoneum, pelvic structures, and the organ walls such as the uterosacral ligaments, colon, vagina, bladder, ureter, rectovaginal septum,…
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Programmed cell death 4 suppresses endometriosis by inhibiting autophagy and NF-κB/MMP2/MMP9 signal pathway
By Dr. Youngran Park
Endometriosis is a kind of benign disease but shares many similar features with cancers, such as abnormal cell migration, invasion, and unrestrained growth. It has been known that some genes are expressed differentially in eutopic endometrium of EM patients compared…
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Anatomic distribution of endometriosis
By Irem Onur
In the study of Audebert et al. which has been published in the journal European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the anatomic distribution of endometriosis, the rate of deep infiltrating endometriosis during the various study periods, laterality of endometriosis, pelvic…
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How Ovarian Endometriomas and DIE affect ART outcomes
By Murat Osman
Previous studies have evaluated the impact of an ovarian endometrioma on ovarian reserve and its impact on the success of assisted reproductive technology (ART) outcomes have controversial results. ART is a method by which a woman’s own hormones are used…
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Maternal and fetal outcomes in women with endometriosis : A review and meta-analysis
By Selma Oransay
Lalani et al from Dept. of Obstet. and Gynecol. , University of Ottowa, Canada, recently published this systemic review and meta-analysis of observational studies in the Journal of Human Reproduction, aimed to present the difference in the maternal and fetal…
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Could Endometriosis-Related Infertility Be Genetic?
By Özge Özkaya
Researchers identified genetic polymorphisms or individual differences in two genes called AMA5 and KAZN among women with endometriosis who were infertile and control women who were fertile. The identification of these polymorphisms could help scientists better understand why some women…
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Non-assisted reproductive technology treatment: Is it effective in infertile patients with advanced endometriosis?
By Hale Goksever Celik
The marriage and childbearing ages delay due to the life-style changes in developed countries. As a result, advanced age becomes a major concern in infertility treatments which consist of non-ART and ART modalities. Non-ART treatments include mild ovarian stimulation together…
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PROPOFOL: a new combat for endometriosis?
By Selma Oransay
Feng et al, from the Department of Gynecology Weifang Medical University Hospital, Shandong, China, recently published their prospective experimental research in the journal Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine. Propofol, a rapid and short-term anesthetic substance, recently has been shown to prevent cancer through inhibiting…
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Parametrial endometriosis: A harder form of endometriosis
By Hale Goksever Celik
Deep infiltrating endometriosis is the most severe manifestation of endometriosis, affecting 20% of all patients with endometriosis. It is defined as the infiltration of ectopic endometrial tissue under the peritoneum, pelvic structures, and the organ walls such as the uterosacral…
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Quality of life for women with endometriosis
By Irem Onur
Endometriosis symptoms may cause difficulties in daily activities and social life, altering general health and personal relationships and severely decrease the quality of life. Yoldemir T. evaluates the factors affecting the quality of life in endometriosis patients and the management strategies in…
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Vitamin D and Endometriosis
By Engin Aydin
Scientists from Milan, Italy reviewed the effects of vitamin D on the reproductive health, and in particular "endometriosis" in their article which appeared in International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Vitamin D (VD), is a steroid hormone that is activated in…
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Endometriosis involvement of the pouch of Douglas: TVUS vs pelvic exam
By Murat Osman
Deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) can lead to a partial or complete obliteration of the pouch of Douglas (POD). POD involvement has been associated with dyschezia, deep dyspareunia, and increased infertility rates. Assessing the extent of endometriosis involvement of the cul-de-sac allows…
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Will I Have Complications After Endometriosis Surgery?
By Özge Özkaya
The rate of complications after surgery to treat deep infiltrating endometriosis is low, confirmed a study by researchers in Germany. It is important to know whether major or minor complications following surgery are likely to develop and what the outcome…
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Laparoscopic surgery of endometriosis through three compartments
By Selma Oransay
This case study which is published in the J. of Minimally İnvasive Gynecology is the video demonstration of Collin et al who performed the laparoscopic operation of their patient in Gynecologic Surgery Department of Strasburg Hospital University, France. 37 years old…
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How to preserve fertility in women with “ovarian endometriosis”?
By Hale Goksever Celik
Although there are many treatment modalities in endometriosis, optimal treatment has not been developed yet. The aim of the treatment is to reduce pain, to preserve and improve fertility and to delay recurrence. Ovarian ischemic and perfusion damage during endometriosis…
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Kidney Hormone Potential Treatment for Endometriosis?
By Özge Özkaya
Erythropoietin, a hormone produced by the kidneys to promote the production of red blood cells could be a promising candidate for the treatment of endometriosis. This is according to a study published in the Journal Of The Turkish-German Gynecological Association by…
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MTA1 as a predictor for the progression of endometriosis.
By Selma Oransay
Jing Zhang et al. from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Affiliated Haikou Hospital, Xiangya Medical College of Central South University, Hainan, China, published their article in the open access medical journal "Medicine". Their aim was to evaluate the relationship between…
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By Kasthuri NairBRAF: A Key Suspect in the Endometriosis Mystery
By Kasthuri Nair
LV et al., a group of researchers from China, recently published a study titled “Analysis of the oncogene BRAF mutation and the correlation of the expression of wild-type BRAF and CREB1 in endometriosis” in the International Journal of Molecular Medicine.…
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By Deniz KocasShedding light on the fertility preservation debate in women with endometriosis: a swot analysis.
By Deniz Kocas
There is little known about fertility preservation in women with endometriosis. Researchers from France and Switzerland conducted a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis to better understand this topic. Applied to clinical problems, SWOT gives a thorough analysis of…
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Fighting with endometriosis
By Irem Onur
Maduro M.R. reviewed three separate studies on potential new targets to successfully manage endometriosis in her recent paper titled “Novel Strategies to Fight Endometriosis” published in the journal Reproductive Sciences. In the autotransplantation rat model of Torres-Reveron et al., the…
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Endometriosis Surgery Reduces Pain and Improves Quality of Life
By Özge Özkaya
Endometriosis surgery improves pelvic and sexual pain according to a study published in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology. This improvement stays stable over time meaning that the benefits of surgery last for years. In order to assess the effect…
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Cosmetics and some household products could be responsible for worsening endometriosis.
By Selma Oransay
A controlled clinical study recently published in the Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences, composed by Nazir et al. from the University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan. The study compared the blood diethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP) levels of fifty infertile women laparoscopically diagnosed…
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Transvaginal ultrasound for "rectosigmoid endometriosis" diagnosis: Is bowel preparation necessary?
By Hale Goksever Celik
Rectosigmoid endometriosis is a severe form of deep endometriosis. Women having rectosigmoid endometriosis present with pain and several intestinal complains such as constipation, diarrhea, intestinal cramping, abdominal bloating, feeling of incomplete evacuation, the passage of mucus and rectal bleeding during…
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Toxic Pelvic Cavity and Infertility
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis is a disease defined by the presence of endometrial tissue outside of the uterine cavity and has an incidence of approximately 10% in women of reproductive age. Thus, it is an important consideration in chronic pelvic pain and infertility…
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Reduced pain and increased fertiliy rates after surgery for colorectal endometriosis
By Selma Oransay
This prospective cohort study which recently published in AOGS by Hudelist et al. from Oslo University, Norway is about their one hundred thirty-four laparoscopic operations of DIE cases performed between 2011 and 2016, in a tertiary center in Oslo. The…
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IVF Is the Best Option to Become Pregnant for Women with Severe Endometriosis, or Is It Not?
By Özge Özkaya
Treating rectal endometriosis with surgery seems to increase the chance of a woman conceiving, with most pregnancies occurring naturally. This is according to a study published in the medical journal Human Reproduction. The optimal treatment for women with severe endometriosis…
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Endometrioma and endometriosis
By Irem Onur
Exacoustos C. et al. published an article titled “The isolated ovarian endometrioma: a history between myth and reality” in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology in 2018. They aimed to examine the association between ovarian endometriomas detectable at the transvaginal ultrasound…
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How to evaluate ureteral endometriosis : A review of the literature
By Selma Oransay
In this recently published review of the literature, Barra et al. from Genova, Italy intend to provide a useful tool to guide physicians in the management of deep infiltrating endometriosis. Authors elected 67 abstracts from Pubmed and Medline in accordance with PRISMA…
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Molecular Susceptibility to Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
Fayez et al., a group of researchers from various institutions in Iran, recently published a paper in the Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology titled “Arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2 Polymorphisms and the Risk of Endometriosis.” This study focused on the relationship between…
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Endometriosis in adolescents
By Irem Onur
Dr. Mama S. T. from Cooper University Hospital, Camden, New Jersey, USA, recently has published his review on advances in the management of endometriosis in the adolescent in the journal “Current Opinion Obstetrics and Gynecology”. In adolescence, there is a…
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A Better Way to Diagnose Endometriosis?
By Özge Özkaya
Three proteins found in the blood and endometrial tissues could be used to determine the stage of endometriosis and the severity of painful periods according to a study published in the journal Current Medical Science. Evaluating the levels of these…
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Endometriosis as a chronic disease: The benefits for the patients
By Selma Oransay
Rebecca O'Hara et al. from Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, recently published their qualitative case study in the Journal "Australian Health Review", to build a National Policy about endometriosis considering as a chronic disease. In Australia, long-term complex diseases are managed…
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How are endometriosis patients managed clinically?
By Irem Onur
This review paper by Falcone and Flyckt, entitled “Clinical Management of Endometriosis” published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology aims to summarize the current strategies for treating endometriosis patients with pain, pelvic dysfunction, and subfertility related to their disease. There are many…
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Should I Have Surgery Before Trying to Conceive?
By Özge Özkaya
The presence of rectouterine nodules is associated with a lower chance of becoming pregnant with in vitro fertilization (IVF), according to a study published in the Journal of Gynecology Obstetrics and Human Reproduction. This finding is important as it can…
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The vaginal delivery rate of singleton term pregnancies still remains the same after total deep infiltrating endometrosis excisions
By Selma Oransay
This recently published report in the Journal of Fertility Sterility is planned as a matched case-control study, by Nirgianakanis et al. from the University of Bern, Switzerland. Authors claimed their study is the first because previous studies on pregnancy outcome after laparoscopic…
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Prior endometriosis surgery and the risk of pregnancy complications
By Irem Onur
Koninckx et al. discussed the association of pregnancy complications with endometriosis and endometriosis surgery in their recently published paper in the journal Fertility and Sterility. They especially mentioned about the retrospective study of Nirgianakis et al. published in the same…
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Vitamin C supplementation in the patients with endometriosis undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis is defined as the localization of endometrial stromal and glandular cells outside the uterine cavity. Women having endometriosis present with dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. Thus, infertility remains a significant problem for women with endometriosis. Endometriosis is…
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Complementary treatments for endometriosis symptoms: acupuncture, exercise, electrotherapy, or yoga?
By Yu Yu
Endometriosis is associated with debilitating symptoms in some women including dysmenorrhea, chronic pelvic pain, deep dyspareunia, dyschezia, and dysuria. There are a few therapeutic options to treat these symptoms; however, only a few studies have considered treating the pain symptoms…
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GnRH Analogues Not Beneficial For Superovulation and Intrauterine Insemination
By Kasthuri Nair
Bansal et al, a group of authors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, recently published a paper titled “The Role of GnRH Analogues in Improving Outcome in Women Undergoing Superovulation and Intrauterine Insemination after Surgical Correction of Mild…
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Coumarin based compounds found to inhibit the estradiol synthesis pathway
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis is a disease characterized by ectopic endometrial tissue outside the endometrium. Several biochemical and molecular pathways have been researched and used to alleviate endometriosis symptoms by inhibiting key molecules involved in the menstrual cycle. This review paper by Niinivehmas…
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Comparing opioid and nonopioid therapy for chronic pain
By Deniz Kocas
Over the last few decades, North-America and Europe show continued increase in prescription rates of opioids. Evidence shows significant pain reduction with opioids in the short term compared to placebo, however whether opioids are superior to non-opioids even in the…
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Fluorescence Guided Surgery: a New Technique to Treat Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis
By Özge Özkaya
Fluorescence-guided surgery could help differentiate recto-vaginal deep infiltrating endometriosis nodules (RVDIEN) from healthy rectal tissue and remove them successfully without perforating the rectum, according to a study published in the scientific journal Surgical Innovation. The method could offer a better,…
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The role of peritoneal washings in the diagnosis of endometriosis
By Irem Onur
Endometriosis is a common entity seen in the gynecologic tract and pelvic surfaces. It may be frequently asymptomatic and/or undiagnosed at the time of gynecologic surgery. Pathologists diagnose endometriosis based on the presence of at least two of the following elements: endometrial glands,…
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How to improve the current ASRM classification of endometriosis?
By Selma Oransay
In this article which recently published in Best Practice&Research Clinical Obst&Gyn. from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Andres et al. penned a review of the classification of endometriosis in chronological order, and discussed the limitations of existing classification systems to…
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CARD10 and CARD11 Mutations: Another Piece of the Puzzle
By Kasthuri Nair
Zou et al., a research group from China, recently published a study titled “Analysis of CARD10 and CARD11 somatic mutations in patients with ovarian endometriosis” in Oncology Letters. The paper looked at the effects of caspase recruitment domain family member…
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Oxidative Stress and Endometriosis
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis is a disease characterized by ectopic endometrial tissue outside the endometrium and is associated with a background of a chronic inflammation. Recent studies have aimed to elucidate the inflammatory mediators involved in endometriotic lesions by studying immune cell interactions,…
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Can we predict the complexity of laparoscopic surgery by ultrasound?
By Selma Oransay
This is a multicentric, retrospective cohort study recently published in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology by Tompsett et al. in which the results of the transvaginal ultrasonographic examinations (TVS) are compared to the results of the laparoscopic operations performed…
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Could the Sleep Hormone Treat Endometriosis?
By Özge Özkaya
Melatonin blocks cell proliferation, invasion, and migration in both normal and endometriotic epithelial cells, according to a study published in the scientific journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology. Melatonin could, therefore, be a potential treatment for endometriosis The formation and progression…
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Health-related quality of life in women with Endometriosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is defined by the presence of ectopic endometrial tissue outside of the uterus. Unfortunately, endometriosis continues to be a leading cause of chronic pelvic pain and long-term morbidity in women of reproductive age.…
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Endometriosis Development: Pathogenesis and genomics
By Selma Oransay
In this review recently published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Baranow et al from Saint Petersburg, Russia, hypothesize the existence of an endometriosis development genetic program (EMDP) that governs the origin of endometrium stem cells programmed for endometriosis; their transition…
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The association between endometriosis, adenomyosis and preterm delivery
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis and adenomyosis are diseases of the same spectrum which have common features and coexist in some but not all patients. Both diseases are characterized by endometrial implants outside of the uterine cavity. Endometriosis is defined as the localization of…
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Polymorphism of IL12B May Help Solve Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
Zhao et al. recently published a paper titled “A functional promoter polymorphism in interleukin 12B gene is associated with an increased risk of ovarian endometriosis” in Gene. The research group from Hebei Medical University wanted to explore the potential roles…
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Detecting endometriosis using peripheral blood
By Yu Yu
Laparoscopic visualization of endometriotic lesions with histological confirmation is the gold standard for the diagnosis of endometriosis. However, this diagnostic procedure, due to the need for laparoscopy and variability of disease/symptoms, can have a major delay up to 8-10 years…
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The pathogenesis of endometriosis : New discoveries with clinical impact
By Engin Aydin
In this recent review article that appeared in Current Women’s Health Reviews, compiled by researchers from the Department of Molecular Cell Biology and Human Genetics, Institute of Cell Biology and Neuroscience Frankfurt, Germany the following important points in regard to the molecular and cellular pathogenesis of…
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East/South East Asian Ethnicity and Moderate-to-Severe Endometriosis
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is defined by the presence of ectopic endometrial tissue outside of the uterus. Understanding how this disease affects diverse groups of people will aid doctors in assessing and diagnosing populations that are high-risk…
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A Doctor's Guide to Making Endometriosis Less Scary
By Kasthuri Nair
Canis, Bourdel, and Chauvet, doctors from CHU Estaing, recently published an article titled “Endometriosis: frightening the patients is not an acceptable alternative to inadequate surgical management and or pathophysiology ignorance” in Fertility and Sterility. Their paper delineated proper health practices…
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Pain catastrophizing, perceived injustice, and pain intensity impair life satisfaction
By Deniz Kocas
Cognitive appraisals have been shown to have an effect on the experience of pain. Notably, perceived injustice and pain catastrophizing have been shown to play a role, but are rarely examined together. In addition, variability in appraisal processes has been…
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Personalised Medicine for Endometriosis?
By Özge Özkaya
The lining of the uterus of women with endometriosis is different from that of women without the disease even if they have chronic pelvic pain found a study published in the scientific journal Biology of Reproduction. The difference is found…
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Alternative Solutions: Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for Endometriosis Pain
By Kasthuri Nair
Bi and Xie, researchers from The Yan’an People’s Hospital, recently published the results of their retrospective study titled “Effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation for endometriosis-associated pain” in Medicine. The study hoped to elucidate the effects of using a complementary and…
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Epigenetic link between endometriosis and cancer
By Engin Aydin
Although endometriosis is considered a benign condition the cellular, histologic, and molecular data strongly demonstrate that endometriosis has neoplastic characteristics. There is strong evidence that endometriosis shares striking features with malignancy like normal tissue dissemination, invasion, and organ damage, as well as new vessel formation (neoangiogenesis). In…
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Is there a definitive guideline for the surgical management of endometriosis?
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that is defined by the presence of ectopic endometrial tissue outside of the uterus. Unfortunately, endometriosis continues to be a leading cause of chronic pelvic pain in women of reproductive age. This article titled,…
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Predictors of psychological distress
By Deniz Kocas
Studies have now established that endometriosis can negatively impact mental health and quality of life, however, some studies show that not all women with endometriosis are necessarily more distressed than healthy women. This suggests that individual differences may explain women’s’…
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Key to Understanding Ovarian Endometriosis may lay in the Peptides
By Kasthuri Nair
Xue et al. recently published a paper titled “Peptidomic Analysis of Endometrial Tissue from Patients with Ovarian Endometriosis” in Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry. The research group from various departments of Nanjing Medical University wished to better understand the pathogenesis of…
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Oral Contraceptives and Low-Cost Progestins to Reduce Endometriosis-Associated Pain
By Özge Özkaya
Most women with endometriosis-associated pain did not feel the need to use expensive progestin or undergo surgery. Instead, they were satisfied with a low-cost progestin to treat their symptoms. This is according to a study published in the journal Fertility…
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What is being done to help surgeons detect endometriosis during laparoscopy
By Murat Osman
The gold standard for the diagnosis of endometriosis is diagnostic laparoscopy and histologic confirmation. During laparoscopy, visualization of as many lesions as possible may hold better long-term clinical outcomes. Peritoneal endometriosis is difficult to diagnose intraoperatively due to the heterogeneity…
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Link Between Type of Endometriosis and Cancer
By Özge Özkaya
The type of endometriosis a woman has could determine her risk of gynecologic cancer, according to a study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. This is important because it means that those women who are at a higher risk…
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Catching Endometriosis Early
By Kasthuri Nair
Li et al., a group primarily from Sun Yat-sen University in the People’s Republic of China, recently published an article titled “Endometrium metabolomic profiling reveals potential biomarkers for diagnosis of endometriosis at minimal-mild stages” in Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology. The…
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Altered Immunity in Endometriosis
By Yu Yu
In recent years, there has been increased attention on the role of immune system in endometriosis development. Normally, immune reactions are supposed to destroy endometrial cells seeding in the peritoneal cavity. Nonetheless, in endometriosis, these cells are able to evade,…
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Ambiguous experience: Destructive or Constructive
By Deniz Kocas
A diagnostic delay of 4-12 years is reported among women with endometriosis, which is explained by the lack of awareness of endometriosis as a medical condition among patients and healthcare professionals. In searching for a diagnosis, patients encounter many healthcare…
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Could Gabapentin Make my Pain Go Away?
By Özge Özkaya
Gabapentin could effectively reduce endometriosis-associated pain, according to a new study published in the Journal of Pain Research. The study that was conducted in mice and endometriotic tissues from patients suggests that certain proteins present on the surface of cells…
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Patient-centered endometriosis care
By Hale Goksever Celik
Endometriosis is defined as endometrial glands and stroma that exist outside the uterine cavity. Ectopic endometrial tissue and resultant inflammation can cause dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pain, and infertility, all of which reduce the quality of life. The aim of the…
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Difficulties Associated with Diagnosing Ascites and Encapsulating Peritonitis in Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
De Magalhães et al. recently published a paper titled “Ascites and Encapsulating Peritonitis in Endometriosis: a Systematic Review with a Case Report” in Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia. The team from the Universidade Federal do Ceará and the Universidade…
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Will my Endometriosis Respond to Hormone Therapy?
By Özge Özkaya
Every woman has a different set of hormone receptors in the lining of their uterus. Yet, hormone-based therapies that are used to treat women with endometriosis do not take into consideration these differences among patients. Analyzing, which particular hormone receptors…
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A clearer picture of "endometriosis after menopause"
By Irem Onur
Delfin Avendano Tan and Marie Josephine Guanlao Almeria are obstetrician-gynecologists from the Philippines. They recently published a review article titled "Postmenopausal endometriosis: drawing a clearer picture". In this paper, the authors discussed the pathogenesis, risk factors, and management of postmenopausal…
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Psychosocial impact of endometriosis
By Deniz Kocas
In this review article, researchers from Switzerland report a review to outline the consequences of endometriosis on the psychological, sexual, and interpersonal functioning of both patients and their partners, in the journal Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology.…
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Therapeutic strategies involving uterine stem cells in reproductive medicine
By Murat Osman
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that often serve to regenerate tissue in states of injury or apoptosis. The endometrium has progenitor cells that replace tissue lost after each menstrual cycle. It has been postulated that excessive stem cell recruitment to…
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Abnormal Regulation of Pathways Seen in Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
Sikora et al., a team from the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, published a study in the Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics titled “The role of complement components C1q, MBL and C1 inhibitor in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.” It has been said that complement system…
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Stenoses in the colorectal anastomose sites after DIE surgery
By Hale Goksever Celik
Deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) is a particular form of endometriosis that penetrates at least 5 mm under the peritoneal surface. DIE is primarily located in the rectosigmoid junction and the rectum with an incidence of 70% and 90%, respectively. The…
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A Way to Better Diagnose Colorectal Endometriosis
By Özge Özkaya
Combining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with computed tomography-based virtual colonoscopy (CTC) can make the assessment of colorectal endometriosis more accurate. This is important because it can help doctors plan the surgery better and inform their patients. In order to evaluate…
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Non-coding RNAs in endometriosis
By Dr. Youngran Park
The pathophysiological mechanisms causing the development of endometriosis, which is a heterogeneous disease remain enigmatic, and a lack of effective biomarkers necessitates surgical intervention for diagnosis. Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) molecules, which are important regulators of cellular function, have been implicated…
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Managing of endometriosis and associated ovarian cancer risk
By Yu Yu
According to a number of studies, endometriosis is associated with moderate increase in ovarian cancer risk. This risk is elevated in subjects with a long-standing history of untreated ovarian endometriosis. Endometriosis is particularly associated with risk for certain histological subtypes…
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Emerging medical treatments for endometriosis
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis is a disease whereby uterine tissue grows outside the walls of the uterus to the surfaces of other tissues in the body. It is a chronic disease and relies upon estrogen to grow and survive. Current medical therapies take…
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Is the Endometriosis Fertility Index Reliable?
By Kasthuri Nair
Zhang et al. recently published a paper titled “Prediction of Endometriosis Fertility Index in patients with endometriosis-associated infertility after laparoscopic treatment” in Reproductive BioMedicine Online. The research group from the West China Second University Hospital in Sichuan University wanted to…
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Could Endometriosis Be Caused by Bacteria?
By Özge Özkaya
A new concept called the bacterial contamination hypothesis in endometriosis has been proposed for the first time by researchers in Japan. This means that new potential therapies approaches could exist for this condition in addition to the conventional estrogen-suppressing therapies.…
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Extending the Female Fertility Clock
By Kasthuri Nair
Varela, Sanchez-de-Puerta, and Garcia-Velasco are a group of scientists from various institutions in Spain and they recently published a review article titled “Fertility, IVF and reproductive genetics” in Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology. In this publication, the authors discussed…
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Increasing IVF Success Rates
By Özge Özkaya
DuoStim or double ovarian stimulation is the most promising approach to increase the number of eggs collected to be used in IVF, according to a review article published in the journal Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Pain and infertility…
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S100A6 May be a Promising Target for Endometriosis Treatments
By Kasthuri Nair
Peng et al., a group primarily from the Zhejiang University Medical College, recently published a paper in Gynecological Endocrinology titled “Upregulation of S100A6 in patients with endometriosis and its role in ectopic endometrial stromal cells.” This paper delineates a study…
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HOXA10: A Culprit in Endometriosis Disease Progression
By Kasthuri Nair
Zheng et al., a group of authors from the Aerospace Center Hospital in Bejing and from the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University in Wenzhou, recently published a paper in Reproductive Sciences entitled “Decreased Expression of HOXA10 May Activate the…
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Endometriosis surgery and preservation of fertility, what surgeons should know
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis can involve most of the pelvic organs including the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes and thus has the potential to cause infertility. This article titled, “Endometriosis surgery and preservation of fertility, what surgeons should know” written by H. Roman…
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Stem cell therapy for the premature ovarian failure
By Dr. Youngran Park
Premature ovarian failure (POF) is one of the common disorders found in women. The cause of POF is not fully known, but various factors have been suggested. In genetically, X and autosomes chromosome abnormalities could result in some POF. The…
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Most Effective Embryo Transfer Strategy
By Kasthuri Nair
Bourdon et al., a group of scientists mainly from the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, recently published a paper in PLOS ONE titled “The deferred embryo transfer strategy improves cumulative pregnancy rates in endometriosis-related infertility: A retrospective matched cohort study.” This study…
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miRNAs, Could Be a Reliable Biomarker of Endometriosis
By Özge Özkaya
miRNAs, small pieces of genetic material found in the blood could be used as a reliable marker to diagnose endometriosis, according to a study by U.S. researchers. They could also be used to follow the progression of the disease and…
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Reproductive delay and social egg freezing
By Yu Yu
The data collected from Office for National Statistics in England and Wales has suggested a major shift in the timing of motherhood. In the mid-1970s, the average age of motherhood was 26.4 years of age to, while in 2016, it…
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Highlights Thoracic Endometriosis Case
By Kasthuri Nair
Dr. Tamer Seckin, MD, the co-founder of the Endometriosis Foundation of America, was recently featured in a New York Times article titled “The Woman Was Fit and Healthy. Why Did Her Lung Mysteriously Collapse?” The article describes a rather unusual…
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Endometriosis From an Epigenetic Lens
By Kasthuri Nair
Samadieh et al. from the Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, recently published an article in Reproductive Sciences titled “Epigenetic Dynamics of HOXA10 Gene in Infertile Women With Endometriosis.” In this paper, the researchers wanted to observe HOXA10 gene expression in…
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Exercise can improve pelvic pain and posture associated with endometriosis
By Yu Yu
Nearly half of women affected by endometriosis have mild to severe chronic pelvic pain (CPP). Clinically, postural changes are frequently seen in CPP sufferers. These postural changes can include uneven positions, shortenings, antalgic postures, and tensions. Moreover, endometriosis is also…
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Picture This: 8K UHD Television System for Endometriosis Surgery
By Kasthuri Nair
This case report by Aoki et al. was published in the journal "Videosurgery and Other Miniinvasive Techniques" under the title “Effect of an 8K ultra-high-definition television system in a case of laparoscopic gynecologic surgery.” In this publication, the authors delineated…
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Using the "Mushroom Cap" sign to describe endometriotic masses
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis is a disease whereby ectopic endometrial cells attach and grow outside of the uterus. A number of imaging techniques have been used to evaluate and assess endometriotic lesions. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a type of imaging modality used…
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Endocrine and inflammatory factors in current understanding of endometriosis
By Yu Yu
There are three forms of endometriosis: peritoneal, ovarian, and deep infiltrating. All three forms consist of endometriotic lesions containing endometrial glands, stroma, nerves, blood vessels, and inflammatory cells. Endometriosis symptoms can be accounted by these elements and the involving organs.…
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Endometrial stem cells and Endometriosis
By Dr. Youngran Park
Human endometrium is a cyclically proliferative tissue, and this monthly regeneration is likely mediated by endometrial stem (or progenitor) cells.The upper functional layer of the endometrium breaks down and is shed into the uterine cavity during menstruation. Re-epithelialization and repair…
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Endometriosis can Adversely Affect Oocyte Quality
By Kasthuri Nair
Kasapoglu et al. recently published a study in Gynecological Endocrinology titled “Detrimental effects of endometriosis on oocyte morphology in intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles: a retrospective cohort study.” In this paper, they compared the oocytes recovered from women who have endometriosis…
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The Long-Term Effect of Endometriosis
By Özge Özkaya
Women with endometriosis have a decreased pain tolerance even after fertile age and therefore require long-term treatment and psychological support Endometriosis has a long-term effect on the pain tolerance of women, suggests a study published in The Journal of Pain.…
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An Unusual Case "Free Floating Omental Endometrioma"
By Kasthuri Nair
Capaccione et al. published an article in Radiology Case Reports titled “Massive endometrioma presenting with dyspnea and abdominal symptoms.” This publication is centered around a particularly unique case report of a woman who was ultimately diagnosed with endometriosis. The patient…
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The Chance of Getting Pregnant of a Woman with Endometriosis May Soon Be Predictable
By Özge Özkaya
Researchers have found a new way of predicting whether or not an embryo will be able to successfully implant into the womb of a woman with endometriosis. These findings could make it possible to predict whether she is likely to…
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Enhanced UGT1A1 Gene and Protein Expression in Endometriotic Lesions.
By Dr. Youngran Park
The estrogen plays an essential role in endometriosis. Lately, it is becoming evident that, besides the circulating levels of estrogens, the balance of synthesis versus inactivation (metabolism) of estrogens by intralesional steroid-metabolizing enzymes also determines the local net estrogen availability.…
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Recurrence of Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis
By Yu Yu
There are mainly three types of endometriotic lesions. These are ovarian endometriosis, superficial peritoneal endometriosis, and deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE). The latter is often described as a lesion with greater than 5 mm invasion of the peritoneal surface. DIE lesions…
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A How-To Guide for Endometriosis Surgery
By Kasthuri Nair
The European Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE), ESHRE, and the World Endometriosis Society (WES) recently published a document titled “Recommendations for the surgical treatment of endometriosis—part 1: ovarian endometriomas.” This publication provides surgeons with recommendations for the technical aspects of…
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Menstrual Effluent Can Change the Future of Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
During Endometriosis Awareness Month, Warren et al. published a paper entitled “Analysis of menstrual effluent: diagnostic potential for endometriosis” in Molecular Medicine. This paper relies heavily on the theory of retrograde menstruation, where menstrual effluent flows into the peritoneal cavity.…
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Does Endometriosis Cause Infertility?
By Özge Özkaya
Infertility may be related to the localization of endometriosis involvement according to a study published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. This finding is in agreement with the results of previous studies and could help clinicians in their decision…
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Another Marker to Predict the Outcome of IVF for Women with Endometriosis
By Özge Özkaya
AOPPs or advanced oxidative protein products may be new markers to predict egg quality and the outcomes of IVF in infertile women with endometriosis according to a study published in the journal Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine. This finding suggests that anti-oxidative treatments…
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A review on the role of immune cells on the pathogenesis of endometriosis
By Murat Osman
Immune cells play a vital role in the homeostasis against infectious pathogens but also in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Recent research has suggested that different immune cells have unique roles in this pathogenesis. Neutrophils, which are typically the primary acute…
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Collaboration Between the Surgical and Medical Experts of Endometriosis Needed
By Murat Osman
The authors of this perspective article aim to initiate a dialogue regarding the current evidence regarding the surgical and medical treatment of endometriosis. In their view, the quality of data regarding the outcomes of surgery for endometriosis is lacking and…
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Irritable bowel syndrome and endometriosis.
By Dr. Youngran Park
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and endometriosis are two diseases affecting a significant part of the female population, either together or individually, with remarkable consequences in the quality of life. Several studies suggest an epidemiological association between them. Their association may…
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Ectopic Pregnancy Risk Factors
By Kasthuri Nair
Jacob, Kalder, and Kostev recently published an article titled “Risk factors for ectopic pregnancy in Germany: a retrospective study of 100,197 patients” in German Medical Science. The retrospective German study hoped to elucidate the risk factors for ectopic pregnancies. The…
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Inflammatory mediators in endometriosis pathogenesis
By Yu Yu
Proinflammatory cytokines play an important function in mediating inflammatory reactions in chronic inflammatory diseases and in endometriosis. IL-32 is a new proinflammatory cytokine, and can also induce other proinflammatory cytokines in the body such as Tumour Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) and…
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The Past, Present, and Future of Diagnosing Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
This review titled “Endometriosis: Epidemiology, Diagnosis and Clinical Management” published in Current Obstetrics and Gynecology Reports examines the distribution and factors associated with endometriosis. The analysis by Parasar, Ozcan, and Terry also delineates potential biomarkers and risk factors that could…
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The Challenging Path to Diagnosis
By Kasthuri Nair
Kallia O. Wright, a professor at Illinois College, recently published her essay titled “You have Endometriosis”: Making Menstruation Related Pain Legitimate in a Biomedical World” in Health Communication. This essay delineates the author’s experience with endometriosis. The author started experiencing…
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Potential New Target to Treat Endometriosis?
By Özge Özkaya
Special cells called myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) could be playing a role in the development of endometriosis, suggests a study published in the European Journal of Immunology. These cells could, therefore, be targeted by novel therapeutic agents to treat endometriosis. …
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Blood vessels formation in endometriosis
By Yu Yu
The endometrium undergoes dynamic changes during the menstrual cycle. Estrogen-driven angiogenesis is associated with the proliferative phase, and progesterone-driven vascular maturation occurs in the secretory phase. Hence, it is reasonable that the vascularization of endometriosis is also under complex regulation…
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Can Getting Pregnant Make my Pain Go Away?
By Özge Özkaya
The association between pregnancy and symptoms of endometriosis are controversial and strongly biased, and there is no evidence suggesting that pregnancy reduces the size and number of endometriotic lesions, according to a study published in the journal Human Reproduction Update.…
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Switching to a Low-Cost Progestin May Help Reduce Endo Pain When Oral Contraceptives Won’t Work
By Özge Özkaya
The majority of women with endometriosis-associated pain were satisfied to have switched to a treatment with norethisterone acetate or NETA, a synthetic, orally active progestin, when their oral contraceptive was ineffective, found a study published in the journal Reproductive Sciences.…
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Elevated Neutrophil Traps in Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis
By Yu Yu
Neutrophils are a part of the innate immune system and act as a first-line host defense system by phagocytosis, intracellular killing and more recently describes mechanism involving extracellular killing by means of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). These traps are defined…
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Benign Gynecological Tumors in Women with Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
Matalliotaki et al. recently published a paper titled “Coexistence of benign gynecological tumors with endometriosis in a group of 1,000 women” in Oncology Letters. The study had two main objectives. The first goal was to understand the link between endometriosis…
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Novel lipid biomarkers may make early detection of endometriosis possible
By Murat Osman
Currently, specific clinical diagnostic indicators for the early detection of endometriosis have not been found with enough specificity and sensitivity for widespread use. Novel diagnostic biomarkers are needed that are both effective and non-invasive to detect endometriosis as early as…
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"N-myc Downstream-Regulated Gene 1" and Endometriosis.
By Dr. Youngran Park
NDRG1 is implicated in many different cellular functions such as differentiation, proliferation, migration, invasion, and vascularization. In endometriosis, NDRG1 is identified as an inhibitor of several important pathways. To focus on the potential function of NDRG1 in endometriosis, Lou et…
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Which cell defines endometriosis?
By Murat Osman
A well-accepted theory regarding the pathogenesis of endometriosis hypothesizes that the origin of endometriosis is from peritoneal dissemination of endometrial cells and stroma during the neonatal period or menarche. Varying cellular components of endometriosis have been observed in the setting…
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O6-Methylguanine-DNA Methyltransferase Plays a Role in Endometriosis Development
By Kasthuri Nair
Shchegolev et al. recently published a paper in Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine that explores the localization and behavior of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase, otherwise known as MGMT, a protein that repairs DNA and could potentially possess therapeutic properties. Their paper…
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Long-term Use of Dienogest can Prevent Recurrence of Endometriomas
By Kasthuri Nair
Chandra et al. recently published a paper titled “Clinical experience of the long-term use of dienogest after surgery for ovarian endometriomas” in Obstetrics and Gynecology Science. The publication explored the benefits and repercussions associated with long-term use of dienogest, a…
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Are there any risk factor associated with the progression of endometriosis to ovarian cancer?
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis is a disease whereby endometrial glands proliferate outside of the endometrial lining. Apart from causing significant morbidity, It has been found that endometriosis is associated with an increased risk of progression to endometroid and clear cell ovarian cancer. However,…
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Is the presence of endometriosis associated with a survival benefit in pure ovarian clear cell carcinoma?
By Dr. Youngran Park
Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) has been known to be associated with endometriosis for a long time. However, the impact of the presence of endometriosis around the tumor on the prognoses of women with OCCC is still controversial. To shed…
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Reason Why Hormone Therapy Alone Cannot Cure Endometriosis Uncovered
By Özge Özkaya
Researchers in Belgium have shed light on why hormone therapy cannot cure endometriosis on its own in a study published in the scientific journal Gynecological Endocrinology. Their findings could shape the direction of future research and may help to find…
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When Endometriosis Becomes Malignant
By Kasthuri Nair
Anglesio and Yong recently wrote a review titled “Endometriosis-associated Ovarian Cancers” that was published in Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology. This review explored the relationship between endometriosis and ovarian cancers. It is important to note that this review is a compilation of…
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Women with Endometriosis Should Not Worry About Ovarian Cancer
By Kasthuri Nair
Kvaskoff, Horne and Missmer recently published an article in The Lancet titled “Informing women with endometriosis about ovarian cancer risk.” This article was written to address the growing concern surrounding the information that women suffering from endometriosis are at increased…
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Intestinal Endometriosis and Colorectal Cancer versus T4 Colorectal Cancer
By Kasthuri Nair
Ishii et al. recently published a paper titled “Intestinal endometriosis combined with colorectal cancer: a case series” in the Journal of Medical Case Reports. This case report follows 7 Japanese women who have intestinal endometriosis and colorectal cancer. These women…
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EFA Medical Conference 2017: "Ovarian Cancer" Presentation by Dr. Jeannine Villella
By Kasthuri Nair
Dr. Jeannine Villella, the Chair of Gynecologic Oncology in the Department of OBGYN at Lenox Hill, presented at the 2017 EFA Medical Conference. Her presentation was titled “Ovarian Cancer, ” and she discussed the similarities, differences, and links between ovarian…
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Diagnostic and treatment guidelines for gastrointestinal and genitourinary endometriosis.
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis may affect the pelvic reproductive system, but it can also be found in non-reproductive organs such as the gastrointestinal and urinary tract. The article outlined below discusses the diagnosis and management of genitourinary and gastrointestinal endometriosis. Gastrointestinal endometriosis: The…
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Atypical Sites of Deeply Infiltrative Endometriosis
By Yu Yu
Endometriosis is the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity and is characterizes by fibrosis and inflammatory reaction. The pelvic cavity is the most common location for endometriotic lesions, which involves the retro-cervical space, ovaries, vagina, rectosigmoid colon, bladder…
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How to Minimize the Costs Associated with Endometriosis Care
By Kasthuri Nair
Paolo Vercellini, Maria Pina Frattaruolo and Laura Buggio, from Milan, Italy, recently published an editorial titled “Toward minimally disruptive management of symptomatic endometriosis: reducing low-value care and the burden of treatment” in Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research. The…
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Endometriosis Not a Risk for Pregnancy
By Özge Özkaya
Women with endometriosis do not seem to be more at risk of having pregnancy-related complications compared to those without endometriosis, according to a study published in the Italian scientific journal Minerva Ginecologica. However, the authors say that larger studies are…
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How to Improve the Psycho-Social Well Being in Endometriosis Patients?
By Kasthuri Nair
Endometriosis and its various symptoms can negatively impact an individual’s psycho-social wellbeing. Additionally, current endometriosis treatments do not adequately alleviate the symptoms and improve a patient’s health-related quality of life (HRQOL). In their article titled “The association between experiences with…
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Deep endometriosis and pregnancy
By Yu Yu
Several previous studies have investigated whether endometriosis can affect the normal development of pregnancy, although the results have been controversial. The aim of this review article by Leone Roberti Maggiore et al. is to provide an updated overview of health…
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The effect of endometriosis on preterm birth risk
By Demet Candaş Green
Some studies show that women with endometriosis develop significant complications during pregnancy that lead to preterm labor, and newborns of these women often need neonatal intensive care unit admissions. However, other studies argue that endometriosis have no significant effect on…
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Laparoscopic Bowel Resection Can Be Beneficial Rectosigmoid Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
Riiskjær et al. recently published a paper titled “Pelvic Pain and Quality of Life Before and After Laparoscopic Bowel Resection for Rectosigmoid Endometriosis: A Prospective, Observational Study” in Diseases of the Colon & Rectum. This paper focuses on the effects…
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The Use of Resveratrol as an Adjuvant Treatment of Pain in Endometriosis
By Dr. Youngran Park
Endometriosis is considered a predominantly estrogen-dependent disease, and therefore hormonal suppression might be an attractive medical approach to treat this disease and its symptoms. Resveratrol is a natural phytoestrogen synthesized by plants and has known to have side effects such…
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Biomarker Networks Might Help Reveal the Mechanism Behind Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
Scientists have yet to uncover the molecular mechanisms that promote endometriosis disease progression. Xiao et al. recently published a study in Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine where they hoped to shed new light on the pathogenesis of endometriosis. In their study…
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Should Women with Endometriosis have IVF Treatment to Conceive Following Laparoscopic Surgery?
By Özge Özkaya
Women affected by endometriosis-associated infertility who are younger than 35, and have a good ovarian reserve and a partner with normal semen parameters can benefit from a so-called integrated approach for the management of their infertility, according to a study published…
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Diseases that Coexist with Adenomyosis and Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
Adenomyosis, defined by endometrial glands and stroma found within the muscular uterine wall, and endometriosis are two common gynecological diseases that are similar pathologically and symptomatically. Choi et al. recently conducted a study where they hoped to determine the prevalence…
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Centralization of Pelvic Endometriosis Care
By Kasthuri Nair
Dr. Patrick Chien, the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of BJOG, recently wrote an article titled “Pelvic endometriosis: will centralization of services improve patient care?” In this article, Dr. Chien formulated an opinion on the centralization of pelvic endometriosis care based on the…
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A Potential New Drug for Endometriosis?
By Özge Özkaya
A steroid derivative called PBRM could be a new emerging drug to treat endometriosis according to a study by Canadian scientists. In the study that was published in The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, researchers characterized the pharmaceutical…
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The Heritability of Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
The mechanisms underlying endometriosis, genetic or otherwise, have yet to be understood. Thus, very little is known about how one can be afflicted with this disease. Isidor et al. recently published a paper titled “Familial deep endometriosis: A rare monogenic…
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Changes in Complement Proteins Affect Infertility in Women with Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
Palomino et al. recently published a paper titled “The endometria of women with endometriosis exhibit dysfunctional expression of complement regulatory proteins during the mid-secretory phase” in the Journal of Reproductive Immunology where they look at the expression of CRPs during the menstrual cycle of…
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Bowel Function not Affected by Type of Surgery in Deep Rectal Endometriosis, Clinical Trial Shows
By Özge Özkaya
Conservative surgery for the management of deep rectal endometriosis does not seem to improve the function of the digestive and urinary system compared to more radical surgery according to a new study by French researchers published in the scientific journal Human…
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Ectoenzymes as endometriosis biomarkers
By Yu Yu
The diagnosis of endometriosis is often delayed by 7 to 11 years because of the lack of a non-invasive diagnostic test. The ovarian endometriomas occur in about 17%-44% of women with endometriosis and cysts which contain endometrial tissue and fluid…
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Can grapefruits and oranges be used for treatment of endometriosis?
By Demet Candaş Green
Naringenin is a plant-based nutrient found abundantly in grapefruits and oranges with well-known anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant properties. Previous studies showed that naringenin could modify the estrogen receptor signaling, suggesting a role for naringenin in endometriosis. The current study performed…
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Hormonal Contraceptives and the Risk of Breast Cancer
By Kasthuri Nair
A study titled “Contemporary Hormonal Contraception and the Risk of Breast Cancer” was recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine and was immediately picked up and summarized by many well-known newspapers and broadcasting journals, including but not limited…
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EFA Medical Conference 2017: "Fertility Preservation to BRCA Mutations" Presentation by Dr. Kutluk Oktay
By Kasthuri Nair
Dr. Kutluk Oktay is the Director of the Laboratory of Molecular Reproduction & Fertility Preservation as well as a Professor of OBGYN at Yale University School of Medicine. Dr. Oktay also presented at the EFA 2017 Medical Conference, and his…
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By Laura ArdighieriEffects of osteopathic manipulative therapy in patients with colorectal endometriosis
By Laura Ardighieri
Alternative treatments have been used for colorectal endometriosis, between them Chinese medicine, acupuncture and more recently osteopathic manipulative therapy. The osteopathic manipulative therapy has been shown to reduce the chronic pain working on muscular contractions due to vicious analgesic positions.…
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How Could Doctors Reduce Risk of Complications Following Rectal Endometriosis Surgery?
By Özge Özkaya
Introducing a temporary opening, known as a stoma, in the abdomen of patients that are operated for rectal endometriosis to collect waste products could reduce the risk of complications such as anastomotic leakage. This is according to a study by…
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Endometriosis pathogenesis through the lens of reactive oxygen species
By Yu Yu
Oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species is an essential factor in endometriosis pathogenesis. The harmful effects of reactive oxygen species have been implicated in many diseases, although the multiple biological changes caused is unclear especially in endometriosis. The article…
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Stress affects endometriosis negatively
By Demet Candaş Green
Stress contributes to many chronic health problems – endometriosis is one of them. Given that women with endometriosis are under more stress and pain, often with the added stress of infertility, it is important to understand the relationship between stress…
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How to identify an Expert Centers for Colorectal Endometriosis Surgery
By Özge Özkaya
It is of paramount importance to determine set criteria to define expert centers for colorectal endometriosis surgery, according to a research article published in the scientific journal Surgical Endoscopy. As the hospital and surgeon case volume has a significant impact…
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EFA Medical Conference 2017: "Hormone and Cytokine Sensitivity in Endometriosis" Presentation by Dr. Robert Taylor
By Kasthuri Nair
The first presenter of the “Estrogen from Inflammation to Cancer: A Distant Link?” section of EFA 2017 Medical Conference was Dr. Robert Taylor from Wake Forest University Health Sciences. Dr. Taylor’s presentation was titled “Hormone and Cytokine Sensitivity in Endometriosis.”…
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Surgical treatment is an excellent option for women with endometriosis and infertility.
By Murat Osman
Women with endometriosis most often have difficulty becoming pregnant and thus require a combination of endometriosis treatment and infertility techniques to achieve pregnancy. Depending on the severity of endometriotic symptoms, women may or may not need surgical excision of endometriosis…
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EFA Medical Conference 2017: “Literature Review, Our Data, and Case Presentations” by Dr. Karli Goldstein
By Özge Özkaya
Dr. Karli Goldstein started her presentation with a brief literature review on the relationship between endometriosis and breast cancer. She focused on a research article by Dr. Spandidos and colleagues, which was the first epidemiological study that examined the possible…
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Increased Period Pain in Endometriosis Is Linked to Estrogen
By Özge Özkaya
Researchers in China shed light on the mechanism of how the female sex hormone estrogen may be linked to increased period pain in women with endometriosis. A better understanding of the biological mechanism leading to pelvic pain in endometriosis could…
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EFA Medical Conference 2017: "Breast Cancer in Young Women; Early Diagnosis Timely Intervention" Presentation by Dr. Stephanie Bernik
By Kasthuri Nair
Dr. Stephanie Bernik is the Chief of Surgical Oncology of Surgery and General Surgery at the Lenox Hill Hospital. She recently presented at the EFA 2017 Medical Conference, and her presentation was titled “Breast Cancer in Young Women; Early Diagnosis…
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Treatment of minimal endometriosis in infertile women
By Demet Candaş Green
For women with mild/minimal endometriosis, European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) recommends the removal of endometriotic lesions to improve fertility and increase pregnancy rates. For women undergoing assisted reproductive treatment, there is ongoing debate whether surgical removal of…
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EFA Medical Conference 2017: "Prophylactic Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction" Presentation by Dr. Oren Lerman
By Özge Özkaya
Dr. Oren Lerman, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, described the reconstructive options of a woman who has been or is going to go through a mastectomy (removal of breast tissues) whether it…
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EFA Medical Conference 2017: "Endometriosis: hormonal or surgical? My reality!" Presentation by Dr. Harry Reich
By Kasthuri Nair
Dr. Harry Reich, the Former Director of Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery at Columbia University Department of OBGYN, was the last speaker in the Mission and History part of the EFA 2017 Medical Conference. His presentation was titled “Endometriosis: hormonal or surgical?…
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EFA Medical Conference 2017: "Cells Are the New Cure" Presentation by Dr. Max Gomez
By Kasthuri Nair
Dr. Max Gomez is an award-winning broadcast journalist, CBS News Medical Correspondent, and a presenter at the EFA 2017 Medical Conference. Dr. Gomez’s presentation was titled “Cells Are the New Cure: The Cutting-Edge Medical Breakthroughs That Are Transforming Our Health.”…
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A Combination Treatment of Psychotherapy With Somatosensory Stimulation for Pain Reduction
By Kasthuri Nair
Women suffering from endometriosis often cite pelvic pain, anxiety, and depression as some of the worst core symptoms experienced due to the disease; however, emerging research has shown these signs, specifically pelvic pain, may be influenced by psychological trauma. In…
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What is the role of hormones on the function and development of the brain?
By Murat Osman
Dr. Sarah L. Berga, Professor, and Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology Wake Forest School of Medicine aim to talk about the effects of sex hormones such as estrogens and progestins on brain health with an emphasis on the neuroprotective characteristics…
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EFA.MC.2017.“The Abnormal Embryos That Aren’t”,“Tens of thousands of women thought they couldn't have babies: But what if they could.”Dr. Norbert Gleicher Dr. Monica Halem
By Özge Özkaya
The presentation started with the story of Monica Halem who had endometriosis and had been trying to conceive using in vitro fertilization VF), but was told that none of her fertilized embryos would be viable based on pre-implantation genetic screening…
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Progesterone resistance can cause endometriosis
By Demet Candaş Green
Progesterone is a steroid hormone produced by the corpus luteum of ovaries. Abnormal progesterone signaling (i.e., progesterone resistance) in the endometrium has been implicated in the establishment of eutopic and ectopic endometrial implants. Several causes for faulty progesterone signaling have been…
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EFA Medical Conference 2017: EFA Research Grants Presentation by Dr. Serin Seckin
By Kasthuri Nair
Dr. Serin Seckin, a Resident Physician at Mount Sinai Health System, gave a presentation during the 2017 Medical Conference titled “EFA Research Grants.” This presentation delineated and went into some detail about the research grants worth over $400,000 that were…
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EFA Medical Conference 2017: "The Environmental Risks of Breast Cancer" Presentation by Dr. Marisa Weiss
By Kasthuri Nair
The second speaker in the subsection of the conference titled “Estrogen from Inflammation to Cancer: A Distant Link?” was Dr. Marisa Weiss and she gave a presentation titled “The Environmental Risks of Breast Cancer: Common Ground with Endometriosis.” Dr. Weiss…
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Adhesion molecules and endometriosis
By Yu Yu
Decoy receptor 3 (DcR3) is an immunomodulator regulated by estrogen and can regulate cell adhesion, which is a critical step in the initiation of endometriosis. In particular, the cell adhesion molecules, including ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule 1) and HCAM (homing…
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Women with Mild Endometriosis May Have a Higher Risk of Miscarriage
By Özge Özkaya
Mild endometriosis presents an increased risk of miscarriage according to a new study published in the scientific journal Fertility and Sterility. Researchers think that this may be because superficial lesions are associated with a greater extent of the inflammatory disorder, which may lead…
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EFA Medical Conference 2017: Welcome Presentation by Dr. Tamer Seckin
By Kasthuri Nair
The first part of the Endometriosis Foundation of America’s 2017 Medical Conference delved into the mission and history of the Endometriosis Foundation of America. The first presenter was Dr. Tamer Seckin, a renowned surgeon, and gynecologist who is also the…
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Highlights from the Endometriosis Foundation of America Medical Conference
By Özge Özkaya
The Endometriosis Foundation of America (EFA)’s 2017 Medical Conference was held in New York City on October 28. The conference titled “Breast, Ovary, and Endometriosis” was attended by more than 100 people and viewed online by more than 5.300. Following…
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Revisiting the wandering womb: Oxytocin in endometriosis and bipolar disorder
By Dr. Youngran Park
Despite a Hysteria (from Greek hysterikos, meaning ‘of the womb’) was dismissed as causing mental illness, recent evidence links oxytocin with diverse and correlated psychological and physical symptoms and conditions that more frequently affect women than men. This article proposes…
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Biomarkers as a Diagnostic Tool
By Kasthuri Nair
Ahn, Singh and Tayade discuss the difficulties and delay in diagnosing Endometriosis in their paper titled “Biomarkers in endometriosis: challenges and opportunities.” Thus far research has identified a multitude of potential biomarkers that are found in various parts of the…
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Role of immune cells in endometriosis
By Demet Candaş Green
Immune cells have essential functions in the body such as detection and clearance of abnormal cells and debris. One of the possible mechanisms for the development of endometriosis is proposed to be the impaired function of immune system cells in…
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Estrogen Receptor-β in Women’s Health
By Yu Yu
Since the discovery of estrogen receptor (ER), there has been a vast number of studies regarding its functions in cellular and physiological processes. The identification of estrogen receptor-β (ERβ), a second receptor, resulted in a much more complex understanding of the…
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An update of estrogen receptors on human disease
By Yu Yu
Estrogens and its receptors influence numerous human physiological processes. Two estrogen receptors exist, including estrogen receptor α (ERα) and ERβ. Hence, it is essential to elucidate the functions of these receptors in healthy and diseased states. This is particularly important…
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Endometriosis May Be Causing Women to Become More Sensitive to Pain
By Özge Özkaya
Inflammation caused by endometriosis may be changing the way a woman perceives pain, found a new study published in the journal Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. According to Dr. Neziri Alban at University Hospital of Bern, Switzerland and the co-authors…
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The Role of Natural Killer Cells in the Development of Endometriosis Unravelled
By Özge Özkaya
Specialized immune cells called natural killer cells found in the peritoneal fluid of women with severe endometriosis may facilitate the development of the disease, according to a study published in the American Journal of Reproductive Immunology. This finding could help…
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Roles of Progesterone in Endometrial Cancer, Endometriosis, Uterine Fibroids, and Breast Cancer
By Yu Yu
Progesterone is an important hormone, which together with estrogen prepares the women endometrium and breast tissue for pregnancy. The roles of progesterone in human tissues and diseases can be difficult to decipher. While there is a strong evidence for the…
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Superoxide Dismutase and Glutathione Peroxidase as biomarkers for endometriosis
By Demet Candaş Green
When it comes to the diagnosis of endometriosis, the gold standard is a visual inspection by laparoscopy followed by histological confirmation. Laparoscopy is an invasive surgery. A noninvasive diagnostic tool for endometriosis is highly desirable; however, there are no validated…
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Endometriosis Does Not Increase Overall Risk of Breast Cancer, Study Finds
By Özge Özkaya
Endometriosis is not associated with the overall risk of breast cancer, according to a study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. The condition may, however, be significantly associated with an increased risk of breast tumors that express estrogen receptors (ER)…
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A New VAS-based Diagnostic Tool for Interpreting Pain
By Kasthuri Nair
The visual analog scale (VAS) is a diagnostic tool used by health care providers to evaluate chronic pain in women with endometriosis. In their publication titled “Minimal clinically important difference for pain on the VAS scale and the relation to…
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Is there a risk of developing breast cancer for women with endometriosis?
By Murat Osman
Understanding the interplay between the development of breast cancer and the presence of endometriosis and vice versa is complex since many risk factors including hormone or genetic variations and medical treatments have a role in each disease process. Thus, parsing…
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Association between blood inflammatory markers and the risk of endometriosis
By Yu Yu
Previous studies have suggested that aberrant immunologic and inflammatory responses may play a role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Peritoneal fluid collected from endometriosis contains elevated immune cells that may enhance the survival of endometriosis by secreting growth factors and…
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A Two-Wave Molecular Mechanism for Endometriosis Disease Progression
By Kasthuri Nair
Kobayashi et al. recently published a review paper in Molecular Medicine Reports titled “Pathogenesis of endometriosis: The role of initial infection and subsequent sterile inflammation,” which discusses at length the role of non-specific bacterial infection and sterile inflammation in the…
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Is operation the best option for infertile patients with digestive endometriosis?
By Demet Candaş Green
A severe form of endometriosis affecting 8-12% of women with deep endometriosis is bowel endometriosis. Bowel involvement with associated infertility is a serious challenge for gynecologists who must choose between two main therapeutic options: surgery or medically assisted procreation (e.g.…
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Institutional Violence Typically Faced by Women with Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
Endometriosis is a painful disease for many reasons. The physical pain caused by the illness is acknowledged by all; however, the pain resulting from institutional violence is not as commonly discussed. Before proceeding, it is important to define institutional violence…
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Swimming Against the Stream: Is Surgery Worthwhile in Women with Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis and Pregnancy Intention?
By Murat Osman
Management of Deeply Infiltrating Endometriosis (DIE) is further complicated by the implications of affected patients who plan to become or are pregnant. Optimal management in this situation is not standardized due to a lack of randomized trials comparing primary surgery…
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The Endometriosis Fertility index Could Help Better Predict the Chance of Conceiving After Laparoscopy
By Özge Özkaya
The endometriosis fertility index (EFI) can more reliably predict the chance of a woman getting pregnant following endometriosis surgery compared to the revised-American Society of Reproductive Medicine score, according to a study published in the scientific journal Gynecologic and Obstetric…
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A New Treatment Time-Table for Controlling Endometriosis-Associated Pelvic Pain
By Kasthuri Nair
It is no secret that Endometriosis is an extremely painful disease. Unfortunately, science has yet to determine a treatment that can effectively treat the disease or the associated pain. In their paper titled “Ethinylestradiol 20 mg/drospirenone 3 mg in a…
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By Vishaan NurseyEndometriosis linked with increased risk of cancer and frequency of future surgical procedures
By Vishaan Nursey
The purpose of this data research was to determine how women with endometriosis might be predisposed to other medical conditions later on in their lives. In order to determine if endometriosis affected health outcomes, a group of Scottish researchers collected…
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Is there any association between menstrual pain and ovarian cancer?
By Yu Yu
Inflammation may be important in ovarian carcinogenesis. Epidemiological studies show that inflammatory conditions such as endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease have been associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer, while regular use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has reduced associated…
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Ovarian Reserve Depletion is not Time Sensitive
By Kasthuri Nair
The European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology recently published a paper titled “Is endometrioma-associated damage to ovarian reserve progressive? Insights from IVF cycles.” This publication by Benaglia et al. examines the controversial relationship between endometriosis and ovarian…
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Urocortin 1 as a noninvasive diagnostic marker for endometriosis
By Demet Candaş Green
Urocortin 1 (Ucn1) is a neuropeptide secreted by epithelial cells of the endometrium. It promotes endometrial differentiation to help with embryo implantation. Endometriotic lesions were shown to be rich in Ucn1, suggesting a potential role for Ucn1 in the pathogenesis…
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CCL19/CCR7 Interaction can Casue Characteristic Cell Proliferation
By Kasthuri Nair
In their paper published in the American Journal of Reproductive Immunology titled “CCL19/CCR7 contributes to the pathogenesis of endometriosis via PI3K/Akt pathway by regulating the proliferation and invasion of ESCs,” Diao et al. hope to elucidate one of the mechanisms…
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New Approach could help Preoperative Differentiation of Endometriosis and Cancer
By Özge Özkaya
Researchers in Japan identified some radiological parameters that could be used to differentiate between endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer (EAOC) and a particular type of benign ovarian endometriosis (OE), making it easier for doctors to offer the right treatment to women who…
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Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Play a Role in Endometriosis Related Infertility
By Kasthuri Nair
In their paper titled “Endometriosis-associated infertility: GDF-9, AMH, AMHR2 genes polymorphisms,” De Conto et al. attempt to elucidate the mechanism that leads to endometriosis-related infertility. In short, the authors hypothesize that there is a connection between polymorphisms in the Growth…
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Serum AMH Levels Play an Important Role In Fertility Preservation
By Kasthuri Nair
One of the options available for women who suffer from endometriosis related infertility is cryopreservation. This option is only viable if the woman in question does not suffer from the low ovarian reserve. Garavaglia et al. suggest using pre-surgical serum…
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Endometriosis and Psychological Health: Butterflies from Deep Wounds
By Kasthuri Nair
Endometriosis is a grueling disease in every sense of the word; however, most of the discussions center on the physical manifestations of the disease. Facchin et al. veer from the beaten path and examine the impact endometriosis have on a…
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Cohort study on outcomes of laparoscopic endometriosis surgery
By Yu Yu
Laparoscopic surgery followed by histological confirmation is considered a standard for diagnosis, staging, and treatment of endometriosis. Radical and conservative surgical approaches are often required for the removal of endometriotic lesions in the case of vaginal or rectal wall deep…
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Updates in the Field of Endometriosis: Epigenetics
By Kasthuri Nair
In this chapter titled “A Review of the Epigenetic Contributions to Endometriosis,” Grimstad and Decherney examine various epigenetic influences that drive endometriosis disease progression. The epigenetic alterations they discuss include DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin architecture changes, nuclear receptor modulation,…
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Updates in the Field of Endometriosis: Surgery
By Kasthuri Nair
Surgery is one of the treatment options offered for individuals with endometriosis. With that in mind, there are a variety of surgical procedures that can be offered to an individual with endometriosis. In the chapter titled “Surgery and Endometriosis,” Zanelotti…
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Updates in the Field of Endometriosis: Fertility
By Kasthuri Nair
Infertility can be a significant problem for many women who are suffering from endometriosis. In their chapter titled “Endometriosis and Fertility,” Evans and Decherney discuss the role of endometriosis in infertility and examine the usefulness of various fertility treatments. The…
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Updates in the Field of Endometriosis: Imaging
By Kasthuri Nair
Hoyos, Johnson, and Puscheck wrote a chapter titled “Endometriosis and Imaging” that discusses the imagining technologies that can be used to diagnosis and examine individuals with the disease. This chapter evaluates three types of imagining, namely Ultrasound (US), Magnetic Resonance…
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Updates in the Field of Endometriosis: Fertility Preservation
By Kasthuri Nair
“Endometriosis and Fertility” is a chapter dedicated to examining the role of endometriosis and endometriomas in decreasing fertility. In other words, the authors of this chapter discuss the relationship between endometriomas, surgeries, and infertility. Barnett, Banks and Decherney also deliberate…
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Updates in the Field of Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
A lot of progress has been made thus far in the field of endometriosis. Research has discovered various genetic and epigenetic components involved in endometriosis. There has also been a progression in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease since…
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Comprehensive review on the drug delivery options being used for endometriosis and uterine fibroids.
By Murat Osman
Both endometriosis and uterine fibroids (uterine leiomyomas) contribute to infertility, chronic pain, and dysmenorrhea across the world. Thus, drug delivery methods ranging from contraceptives to biochemical systems based on nanotechnology are currently being used and developed. Specifically, long-acting implantable contraceptives…
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Women with endometriosis are increasingly seeking alternative medical therapies for symptom relief
By Murat Osman
Cyclic premenstrual pain and discomfort (CPPD) encompasses a number of symptoms commonly experienced by many women including premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and is experienced by both women with and without endometriosis. CPPD includes physical and emotional symptoms associated with menstruation including…
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Endometriosis Fertility Index Anticipates Pregnancy in Women with Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
Women are often afflicted by endometriosis during their reproductive years and can be faced with the prospect of infertility. These women also undergo treatments and procedures that can further affect their fertility. Consequently, in 2010, Adamson and Pasta came up…
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Best Time for IVF Between 7 and 25 Months Post Surgery Study Suggests
By Özge Özkaya
The more severe endometriosis is, the lower the success rate of IVF, according to a new study published in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology. However, the presence of endometriosis as such does not seem to affect the outcome of…
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Arcyriaflavin A Decreases Endometriosis Cell Viability and Proliferation
By Vishaan Nursey
The purpose of this research topic was to determine whether Arcyriaflavin A could serve as a potential new therapeutic option for those suffering from Endometriosis. Arcyriaflavin A is a Cyclin D1 inhibitor. Cyclin D1 regulates the cell cycle by interacting…
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A Systematic Review of Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Endometriosis
By Yu Yu
Guidelines are systematically developed statements derived from best research evidence to improve patient care through informed clinical practice. Appropriate guidelines can reduce unwarranted variations health practice and the implementation of better interventions. Endometriosis commonly has three different manifestations, including peritoneal…
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First-line surgery followed by ART versus ART alone among women with colon-involving endometriosis.
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis, a disease characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus, may cause pelvic and gynecologic complications that affect fertility in women of reproductive age. Several forms of endometriosis have been observed that are characterized by the varying…
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Cystectomy More Likely to Cause Infertility than Laparoscopic Vaporization
By Özge Özkaya
Treating patients with endometriotic ovarian cysts using laparoscopic vaporization may be better than treating them with cystectomy, or the surgical removal of cysts, regarding fertility. This information is according to a study conducted by Japanese scientists and published in the Asian…
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Does endometriosis increase skin cancer risk?
By Demet Candaş Green
Two major types of skin cancer are melanoma, which is the least frequent type but with highest metastatic potential; and non-melanoma skin cancers which include basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Several risk factors are identified for skin cancer…
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Combination Polymorphisms of Three "Estrogene-Related" Genes Increase the Risk of Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
Cardoso et al. recently published a paper titled “Combined Effect of the PGR +331C > T, CYP17A1 -34A > G and CYP19A1 1531G > A Polymorphisms on the Risk of Developing Endometriosis” in Revista brasileira de ginecologia e obstetrician. The…
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Interleukin-6 Involved in the Development of Endometriosis
By Özge Özkaya
A chemical produced by the body called Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and known to be involved in inflammation also seems to promote the development of endometriosis. This is according to a study by Chinese scientists published in the journal Medical Science Monitor.…
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Dienogest for Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
Laganà et al. recently published an article in Expert Opinion on Drug Metabolism & Toxicology titled “Clinical dynamics of Dienogest for the treatment of endometriosis: from bench to bedside.” This article explored the benefits of using Dienogest, a progestin, to…
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Endometriosis and Ovarian Cancer Risk
By Yu Yu
Ovarian cancer prevalence in women with endometriosis is higher than the general population. It is often hypothesized that endometriosis-associated malignancies can occur from ovarian endometrioma. This systematic review by Taniguchi highlighted new insights on the relationship between endometriosis and ovarian…
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The Potential Molecular Mechanisms that Drive Endometriosis Progression
By Kasthuri Nair
Endometriosis is a mysterious disease in that the exact mechanism that causes the illness is still at large. Yang et al. recently published a paper in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences that hopes to elucidate the molecular…
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Women with Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis Have a Higher Risk of Appendix Involvement
By Özge Özkaya
Women with deep-infiltrating endometriosis, a form of endometriosis that invades the abdominal and pelvic cavity, have an increased risk of developing endometriosis of the appendix. It is therefore important to check women with deep infiltrating endometriosis for appendix involvement during…
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An Antagonist for Endometriosis Disease Progression: LINC00261
By Kasthuri Nair
The molecular mechanisms surrounding endometriosis remain elusive to this day. Sha et al. from Wenzhou Medical University, China, reported that LINC00261, a long non-coding RNA, may play a substantial role in inhibiting the pathogenesis of this painful illness. Their paper…
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Glycodelin and altered endometrial function in endometriosis
By Yu Yu
A laparoscopic examination is the only diagnostic tool for endometriosis to date. Since the procedure is invasive, there has been much effort by researchers to develop a biomarker for non-invasive diagnosis of endometriosis. To this end, there has been growing…
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The Role of IL-35 in the Pathogenesis of Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
The molecular mechanism that drives endometriosis remains elusive to this day. Zhang et al believe that interleukin 35 (IL-35) plays a role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Their recent publication in Reproductive Sciences titled “Upregulation of Interleukin 35 in…
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Endometrial Receptivity and Infertility
By Kasthuri Nair
A study entitled “Endometrial receptivity in eutopic endometrium in patients with endometriosis: it is not affected, and let me show you why” was recently published in Fertility and Sterility explored the relationship between endometriosis and infertility. This study conducted by Miravet-Valenciano et al.…
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By Asli Bahadirli TalbottCA-125 may be useful for the diagnosis of deep infiltrating endometriosis
By Asli Bahadirli Talbott
Marco Aurélio Oliveira et al. conducted a prospective study at outpatient gynecology clinic and Endometriosis Treatment Center in Pedro Ernesto University Hospital (Rio de Janeiro State University) between January 2012 and January 2016 with two groups of patients: deep infiltrating endometriosis…
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Endometriosis : A Whole Body Disease
By Kasthuri Nair
Endometriosis is a disease that impacts multiple parts of an individual’s body. Seminars in Reproductive Medicine recently published a paper by Alderman III et al. entitled “The Systemic Effects of Endometriosis” explores the various comorbidities that can affect individuals suffering…
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Indirect assessment of endometriosis prevalence in general population
By Özge Özkaya
The prevalence of endometriosis is 10 percent among the general population, estimates a study published in the Journal of Gynecology Obstetrics and Human Reproduction. It is very difficult to estimate the prevalence of endometriosis in the general population. Seventeen different…
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Combo Therapy of Micronized palmitoylethanolamide/trans-polydatin for Endometriosis Pain
By Kasthuri Nair
Endometriosis is a painful illness and many researchers in the field work to offer women with the disease some form of respite from the suffering. Indraccolo, Indraccolo, and Mignini are three such researchers and they recently published a paper titled…
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By Elisabetta KuhnReevaluating response and failure of medical treatment of endometriosis
By Elisabetta Kuhn
Endometriosis is a chronic disease affecting more than 10% of women in the fertile age and causing "pain" symptoms, that may require medical therapy. Most medical treatments used for endometriosis exert a hormonal mechanism to curtail estrogen effects either locally…
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Ping-Chong-Jiang-Ni Formula: A Natural Treatment
By Kasthuri Nair
In the world of modern medicine, natural and herbal remedies are often under utilized. Liang et al. recently published an article in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine where they explored the benefits of using a Chinese Herbal Medicine to treat…
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"Kissing Round Ligaments" May Be a Sign of Bladder Endometriosis
By Özge Özkaya
Specific laparoscopic findings may help surgeons diagnose bladder endometriosis, a rare and often undiagnosed condition. Bladder endometriosis is thought to affect only around one percent of patients with endometriosis. However, this could be an underestimation and many cases may go…
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Is it Estrogen that Regulates Endometriosis Pain?
By Yu Yu
Endometriosis-associated pain is a debilitating condition; however, it is surprising that the perceived pain has no correlation to the endometriosis extent. The mechanism that causes the pain is also poorly understood. Nerve growth factor is enhanced in endometriosis and may increase…
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Dienogest for endometriosis pain in clinical practice
By Yu Yu
Dienogest is a synthetic progestogen that has been marketed as a medical treatment for endometriosis. Previous randomized controlled clinical trials have shown that it is effective in women with endometriosis at different stages of the disease. Given its recent introduction,…
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Detection of Uterine Malformations and its Link to Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
Dr. Abd El Fattah recently published a research article titled “Uterine Cavity Abnormalities in Patients with Endometriosis in Alexandria: A Diagnostic Test Accuracy Study” in Obstetrics and Gynecology International that delineated and presented the results of his study. The study has two…
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Hormonal Contraceptives and Endometriomas
By Kasthuri Nair
Hormonal contraceptive has recently become a popular choice of birth control for many women. The European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology recently published an article entitled “Incidence of ovarian endometrioma among women with peritoneal endometriosis with and…
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The Symptomatic Impact of Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
Endometriosis is a painful illness that affects the lives of many women around the world. A recent article published in Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology titled “The burden of endometriosis symptoms on health-related quality of life in women in…
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The Benefits of Primary Surgery
By Kasthuri Nair
Ahmad, Hussin, and Ahmad recently conducted a cohort study, and they published the results within an article titled “An evaluation of the quality of life in women with endometriosis who underwent primary surgery: a 6-month follow-up in Sabah Women &…
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ICSI Outcomes for Laparoscopic Intervention of Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
Women with endometriosis can have trouble conceiving and often turn to fertility treatments for help. Guler et al. recently published a paper in Systems Biology in Reproductive Medicine titled “The Impact of laparoscopic surgery of peritoneal endometriosis and endometrioma on…
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Novel Biological Pathway Could Offer new Treatment Option for Endometriosis
By Özge Özkaya
Researchers have identified a novel biological pathway that may be involved in endometriosis. Targeting this pathway may, therefore, be a new alternative approach to treating the condition in the future. Endometriosis is characterized by the tissue that normally lines the…
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How ERα is regulated in endometriosis?
By Yu Yu
Endometriosis pathogenesis is largely influenced by estrogen. Ectopic endometrium has altered expression of ERα compared to the eutopic endometrium. It is unclear what biological processes regulate such alteration. The article by Toderow et al. in Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics…
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Pregnancy Risks Associated with Severe Endometriosis
By Kasthuri Nair
Living with endometriosis can be painful and challenging; however, the challenges increase for women that are pregnant and have this disease. Recently, BJOG published an article titled “The ominous association between severe endometriosis, in-vitro fertilization, and placenta praevia: Raising awareness,…
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Cryoablation to Treat Abdominal Wall Endometriosis
By Murat Osman
Endometriosis of the abdominal wall (AWE) is often painful and requires hormone therapy or surgery for clinical management. Thus, non-invasive treatment options to help reduce pain and the progression of these lesions will help patients who suffer from this disease.…
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Robotic Assisted Laparoscopy Not Better Than Standard Laparoscopy
By Özge Özkaya
Robotic-assisted laparoscopy (RAL) does not seem to offer any benefits over standard laparoscopy, according to a study published in the scientific journal Reproductive Biomedicine Online. According to the authors of the study more research is needed to investigate the role…
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Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis, Surgery and Fertility
By Kasthuri Nair
Carneiro, Costa, and Ávila recently published an article in a scientific journal named Reproduction, titled “To operate or not to operate on women with deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) before in vitro fertilization (IVF),” that explored the relationship between DIE and infertility.…
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The Endometrium Itself is Genetically Different in Endometriosis Patients
By Özge Özkaya
Researchers in China identified a number of genes that are differentially expressed in the eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis and those without. The researchers think that these genes may be involved in the development of endometriosis and that they…
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A potential indicator of invasive endometriosis.
By Asli Bahadirli Talbott
Furuya & Masuda et al., in their recent article that will be published in Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand, report that the protein encoded by ZEB1 gene (Zinc finger E-box-Binding homeobox) is a potential indicator of invasive endometriosis. ZEB1 is a transcription factor that has been implicated…
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How Resveratrol is effective in endometriosis?
By Asli Bahadirli Talbott
In their review paper, Mohammadi and Arablou recommend using Resveratrol, a plant-derived compound, for the treatment of endometriosis. Resveratrol is abundant in nature and can be found in many different plant species, fungi, berries, peanuts, legumes, and grasses; however, grapes…
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Could the cell surface protein "EWI-2" be the new diagnostic marker for endometriosis?
By Murat Osman
Further Understanding: Researchers from the Reproductive Medicine Center of Wuhan University sought to observe the differential expression of EWI-2, (a cell surface protein and an early activation marker, also known as IGSF8 - Immunoglobulin superfamily member 8) in 145 women…
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Asian Women at Higher Risk of Endometriosis and Less Likely to Conceive with IVF but not Because of their Endometriosis
By Özge Özkaya
The rate of endometriosis is higher amongst women of Asian origin confirms a study published in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics. In addition, pregnancy rates following fertility treatments are lower in this group of women. However, this does…
Lay Summary
Endometriosis as a Barrier to Fertility
By Murat Osman
Some of the articles in the from the journal "Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica (AOGS) issue are discussed in further detail below: Pain caused by endometriosis has been seen to significantly impact women's physical, psychosocial, and sexual health. Although endometriosis has been…
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Can a cure be developed for endometriosis?
By Asli Bahadirli Talbott
The Lancet correspondence highlights that regardless of the importance of endometriosis; its full socioeconomic impact is underestimated and endometriosis research is considerably underfunded. The Endometriosis Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) which includes women with endometriosis, their supporters, health-care practitioners, endometriosis researchers, and representatives from…
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How rats can help improve colon endometriosis treatment in humans
By Demet Candaş Green
Colorectal endometriosis forms about 3–37% of all deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) cases. DIE is a highly invasive type of endometriosis, occurs when ovarian endometriomas overgrow and rupture, releasing their contents into the abdominal and pelvic cavity, resulting in the formation…
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More than Four Years Pass Before Endometriosis is Diagnosed After Symptoms First Appear
By Özge Özkaya
The average time that passes between the onset of symptoms such as pelvic pain and the diagnosis of endometriosis is 4.4 years on average, according to a study conducted by researchers at the pharmaceutical company Abbvie and published in the…
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By Ezio RosatoWomen with Endometriosis Undergoing Surgery Often Require Further Treatment
By Ezio Rosato
Recurrence of endometriosis is common even in women who underwent surgery, a new study confirmed. This suggests that women with endometriosis should be closely followed up even after treatment with surgery. For the study published online in the Journal of…
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Mutations Associated with Cancer Were Identified in "Endometriosis without Cancer"
By Özge Özkaya
Lesions in deep infiltrating endometriosis harbor genetic mutations that are associated with cancer, found a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The authors believe that this new discovery may help to distinguish between aggressive and non-aggressive forms of…
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Unexpected "cancer-related" mutations in "non-cancerous" endometriosis: Do they predict aggressiveness?
By Laura Ardighieri
A study supported by Endometriosis Foundation of America, reported by scientists from Johns Hopkins Medicine (Baltimore, USA) and the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada) have identified the molecular alterations of deep infiltrating endometriosis trough a wide exome sequencing (protein-coding genetic alphabet…
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MPO not a Good Biomarker for Endometriosis, Research Suggests
By Özge Özkaya
Levels of an enzyme called myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the body cannot be used on their own as a biomarker to detect the presence of endometriosis, suggests a study published in the journal Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation. Because MPO is an…
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Immune substances in peritoneal fluid for endometriosis diagnosis and armamentarium
By Yu Yu
Cytokines are immune substances secreted by a broad range of cells within the body, including immune cells like the macrophages, B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, mast cells, and non-immune cells such as the endothelial cells and fibroblasts. They are important in…
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Genetic Variations May Link Risk of Endometriosis and Ovarian Cancer
By Özge Özkaya
Variations in a gene called HNF1B could be linked to the risk of endometriosis, according to a study published in the medical journal Gynecologic Oncology. Previous studies had identified the same genetic variation as a risk factor for ovarian cancer.…
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Increased Oxidative Stress in Endometriosis may Be Linked to Higher Risk of Ovarian Cancer
By Ezio Rosato
In the study that was published in the scientific journal Translational Oncogenomics, a group of researchers led by Dr. Hariyono Winarto from the Universitas Indonesia in Jakarta identified increased oxidative stress as one of the causes that might explain the…
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Laparoscopic Hysterectomy as Effective as Total Abdominal Hysterectomy, Study Suggests
By Ezio Rosato
Laparoscopic hysterectomy, a minimally invasive surgical procedure that is used to remove the uterus, results in similar rates of disease-free survival among women with stage 1 endometrial cancer as the standard abdominal hysterectomy, showed a study published in The Journal…
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