Cancer risk Evaluation in Korean Endometriosis Cohort
The relationship between endometriosis and cancer has always been challenging. The previous studies revealed an increased risk in endometriosis-associated ovarian cancers regarding the alterations in cancerogenic genes or by the effect of iron and hem coming with retrograde menstruation and…
Key Points Lay SummaryA comparison of symptomatology and histopathologic features in surgically resected colorectal endometriosis
Dr. Tschan and associates from Feldrich Academic Teaching Hospital, Austria published their retrospective research on patients requiring colorectal surgical resection for endometriosis in European Journal of Medical Research. Bowel endometriosis requiring colorectal surgical resection causes important morbidity. The rectum and…
Key Points Lay SummaryAntioxidant therapy for the endometriosis pain
Ts the protective defense mechanism of cells, hence the destruction of balance between oxidants and antioxidants in our body is called "redox imbalance". The major oxidants are reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are involved in multiple cellular processes by physiologically…
Key Points Lay SummarySelf-management and the quality of life in women with endometriosis
Endometriosis symptoms can range from mild to severe. The most common presenting complaints are mainly pelvic pain and infertility. There is no doubt that the physical and mental quality of life of these women is adversely affected. There are several studies…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe role of hormonal treatment after endometriosis surgery
Postoperative hormonal suppression after endometriosis surgery still does not have a uniform approach. The meta-analysis study conducted by Zakhari et al. aimed to find a significant answer regarding this burden. They analyzed the database systems including MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL,…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe association between body size and endometriosis
Until today there have been few studies investigating body size in childhood and adolescence in women with endometriosis. A new study published recently in the journal Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica provides further evidence of the associations between endometriosis, body…
Key Points Lay Summary"Speckle sign": a novel transvaginal ultrasound finding for posterior compartment endometriosis
Dr. Balcacer and associates from three medical institutions located in the USA report the results of their retrospective study on deep infiltrating endometriosis utilizing transvaginal ultrasound examination and the proposed “speckle sign” in the "Journal of Ultrasound Medicine". Pelvic ultrasound…
Key Points Lay SummaryOxidative stress, reactive products, detoxification, endometriosis and pain
Oxidative stress is one factor known to be involved in the pathogenesis, progression, and establishment of endometriosis in women. During oxidative stress, excess reactive oxygen species as a secondary by-product of lipid peroxidation and reactive aldehyde including 4- hydroxynonenal…
Key Points Lay SummaryLive Birth Rate in Women Who Underwent Fresh Embryo Transfer Using Freshly Retrieved Donor Oocytes
One of the important clinical findings in women with endometriosis is reproductive problems. Infertility can be encountered in up to 50% of women with endometriosis and up to 50% of women with infertility can be diagnosed with endometriosis. Several pathophysiologic…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe largest series of diaphragmatic endometriosis
Diaphragmatic endometriosis is one of the most common extra pelvic endometriosis types, yet the correct incidence is unclear. In the study conducted by Ceccaroni Marcello et al from the International School of Surgical Anatomy, Verona, Italy, the authors analyzed the…
Key Points Lay SummaryWhat is the cause of Dienogest-resistance in patients with endometrioma?
Endometriosis may cause infertility in women, leading to adhesions in the pelvis, besides affecting the ovaries. Clinicians concern about the child-bearing desire of their patients when treating them surgically or with hormonal therapy. Dienogest (DNG) is a kind of progestin,…
Key Points Lay SummaryTime for noninvasive serum markers for endometriosis diagnosis
Dr. Onur Guralp and associates from Germany and Turkey published their results on serum markers predicting endometriosis in the "Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology". Still, in 21st-century medicine, doctors can not diagnose endometriosis using biochemical serum markers. Proposed serum markers…
Key Points Lay SummaryAnalysis of women with endometriosis-related pain before the multidisciplinary endometriosis care management
Endometriosis patients are generally treated by a single provider and they frequently report dissatisfaction with care. To decrease diagnostic delays, improve pain management, and promote patient satisfaction, multidisciplinary endometriosis centers emerged. But, baseline data assessing the efficacy of the multidisciplinary…
Key Points Lay SummaryHigh-dose progestin intake and sexual functions in endometriosis patients
Dr. Oppenheimer et al. from the Department of Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Preservation of Antoine Beclere University Hospital, Clamart, France, recently published this bi-center observational prospective study in "Acta Obstetrica et Gynecologica Scandinavica". The study was designed to put forth…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis, Fatigue and Productivity
Fatigue is one of the prominent and distressing symptoms of endometriosis-associated with insomnia, depression, pain, occupational stress, and reduced health-related quality of life. Endometriosis-related fatigue causes significant impairments in workplace productivity and daily activities of women with endometriosis. Loss of…
Key Points Lay SummaryPostoperative pregnancy rate in infertile women with deep infiltrating endometriosis
Deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) is fibrous/muscular infiltration of organs and anatomical structures containing endometrial tissue below the peritoneum regardless of the depth of infiltration. Another definition describes DIE as infiltration of the peritoneum by endometriotic lesions deeper than 5 mm. Pain,…
Key Points Lay SummaryDeep endometriosis treatment options based on the patient's decision
Deep endometriosis, defined as endometriotic lesions penetrating deeper than 5 mm into the peritoneum comprise approximately 20% of all endometriosis cases. This invasive disease causes a significant reduction in the quality of life, social participation, and sexual health of affected…
Key Points Lay SummaryKEYNOTE: Excision Without Mutilation: It’s Possible! - Arnaud Wattiez, MD
In his keynote lecture, Dr. Wattiez talks about the pros and cons of endometriosis surgery and the importance of tailoring endometriosis surgery to individual patients. “Endometriosis is a disease that degrades patient’s wellbeing," Dr. Wattiez says and gives some examples…
Key Points Lay SummaryExploring the Role of Neuropathy in Re-Operative Endometriosis - Marc Possover, MD, PhD
Prof. Possover starts his presentation by summarizing the possible cause of pelvic neuropathy following endometriosis surgery. Pelvic neuropathy is the damage or dysfunction of the pelvic nerve. Prof. Possover explained that this could either be due to incomplete surgery, disease…
Key Points Lay SummaryOperative techniques for Deep Endometriosis Surgery - Shaheen Khazali, MD
In this presentation, Dr. Shaheen Khazali, an endometriosis surgeon specialized in gastrointestinal and urinary tract endometriosis excision and in neuropelveology, talks about the general principles and some techniques for endometriosis surgery focusing on rectovaginal endometriosis. He also describes the "ten…
Key Points Lay SummaryLaparoscopic Approach to Rectus Muscle Endometriosis and Inguinal Endometriosis - Ted Lee, MD
Rectus muscle endometriosis and inguinal endometriosis are two rare types of endometriosis. Operation room videos of several patients with different rectus muscle endometriosis and inguinal endometriosis are shared during the presentation of Dr. Lee to clarify the methods of the…
Key Points Lay SummarySeparation of epithelia and stroma components in endometriosis lesions yields remarkable molecular points - Ie-Ming Shih, MD, Ph.D.
The pathologies of adenomyosis and endometriosis are unique among non-malignant gynecological diseases and provide fertile research topics. Ectopic endometrial tissues may have distinct molecular changes distinct from eutopic endometria despite having similar morphology. In this regard, there are intriguing suggestions as…
Key Points Lay SummaryExploring Pelvic Pain: Deep to Ischial Spine Including Pre-Sacral Roots - A. Taner Usta, MD
Chronic pelvic pain is defined as pain in the pelvic area that lasts for 6 months or longer and results in functional or psychological disability or requires intervention and treatment by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists. There are…
Key Points Lay SummaryWhy Persistent or Recurrent Endometriosis Happens? - Dan Martin, MD
The objectives of Dr. Martin in this presentation are to understand the difficulties in recognition of deep and hidden endometriosis, difficulties in recognition of small lesions of micron size, and differentiate the look-alike lesions of endometriosis. He addressed overcoming these…
Key Points Lay SummaryRole of Prophylactic Oophorectomy in Endometriosis Patients with Ovarian Cancer History in the family - Farr Nezhat, MD
Dr. Nezhat starts his presentation by outlining his objectives, which are to review the basics of cancer genetics, give an overview about endometriosis and ovarian cancer, discuss the pathogenesis of malignant transformation of endometriosis, and talk about the clinical implications…
Key Points Lay SummaryFurther Evidence that endometriosis is related to tubal or ovarian cancer - Togas Tulandi, MD
Most authors suggest an association of endometriosis mainly with clear cell, low-grade serous, and endometrioid ovarian cancer. But in two large cohort studies, no correlation between them is reported (Olson et al. 2002 and Tseng et al. 2019) Dr. Tulandi…
Key Points Lay SummaryInsoluble Dilemma of Adenomyosis: Diagnosis, Management, and Treatment - Errico Zupi, MD
The prevalence of adenomyosis has been reported to range from 1% to 70% in different studies. This large range can be explained by the lack of standard diagnostic criteria by imaging modalities or pathological analyses. Sixty-five% of the women with adenomyosis…
Key Points Lay SummaryIt is time for redefining endometriosis with our contemporary scientific knowledge - Philippe Koninckx, MD, Ph.D.
Endometriosis defined as endometrium-like tissue outside the uterus has a poorly understood natural history. It is a heterogeneous disease having genetic-epigenetic features with many biochemical changes in the lesions. The Sampson hypothesis of implanted endometrial cells following retrograde menstruation is not…
Key Points Lay SummaryUrological Challenges in Endometriosis Surgery - Guenter Noe, MD
In this presentation, Dr. Guenter Noé, Head of Department of Rheilandklinikum Dormagen in Germany talks about endometriosis affecting the urinary tract. Dr. Noé starts by describing the different parts of the urinary tract that can be affected by endometriosis including…
Key Points Lay SummaryImplantation failure in endometriosis patients - Jovana Lekovich, MD., PhD.
Endometriosis is one of the leading reasons for infertility due to decreased oocyte/embryo quality, fertilization ability, tubal function, and aberrant endometrial receptivity. Whether this failure is caused by oocyte/embryo or eutopic endometrium is one of the investigated topics in endometriosis…
Key Points Lay SummaryFixing holes: prevention and treatment of complications - Jon Einarsson, MD, MPH
Dr. Einarsson shared his operating room video screens during his speech for discussing four major complications (ureter, bladder, bowel, and vascular) of endometriosis surgery and the ways to repair them. Fixing the ureter damage: Endometriotic nodules may settle on the tract…
Key Points Lay SummaryLimits of endometrioma surgery in infertility patients - Liselotte Mettler, MD, PhD
The removal of endometrioma may affect ovarian reserve because healthy follicles near endometrioma could also be excised during this procedure. Another concern about the ovarian reserve is that it may be already low before the surgery. Anti Mullerian Hormone (AMH)…
Key Points Lay SummaryIn vitro fertilization protocols in endometriosis patients - Pinar Kodaman, MD., PhD.
Infertility is frequently encountered in endometriosis patients because of anatomic distortion, alterations in endometrial receptivity, diminished tubal peristalsis, and sperm movements. Even though the disease stage and presence of endometrioma is negatively correlated with infertility, it is unpredictable which women…
Key Points Lay SummaryCould Cosmetics and Personal Care Products Increase the Risk of Endometriosis?
The use of cosmetics and personal care products may be increasing the risk of endometriosis according to a study by Spanish researchers that was published in the journal "Environmental Research". This finding suggests that restricting the use of these products may…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis and the sexual relations of the couples
From the viewpoint of endometriotic women, the pain during the penetration is not the only complaint. They also have growing depression and anxiety leading to difficulties with their social and sexual relationship, work, and study. The emotional impact of sub-infertility,…
Key Points Lay SummaryA Possible genetic target for endometriosis treatment
Mutations in the chromosome remodeling complex SWI/SNF subunit ARID1A were first identified in ovarian clear-cell carcinoma and ovarian endometrioid carcinoma, two endometriosis-associated epithelial ovarian cancer subtypes. ARID1A gene mutations are also observed in deep ovarian and deep infiltrating endometriosis, atypical endometrial…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis involving the Sacral Plexus and Sciatic Nerve
Endometriosis rarely involves the sacral and sciatic nerves. A retrospective analysis led by Rouen University Hospital, France and Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark, published in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology, has evaluated preoperative complaints, intraoperative findings, surgical procedures, and postoperative…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometrioma size and anti-Müllerian hormone levels
Endometriotic lesions are encountered in different locations in the pelvic cavity, including but not limited to the ovaries, the pouch of Douglas, the ureters, the bladder, and the bowel. Cystic endometriosis lesions located in the ovary are called "endometrioma". Endometriomas have…
Key Points Lay SummaryDoes hysterectomy bring a total relief in patients with endometriosis?
There is a common belief that hysterectomy is the last option to relieve the pain in patients with endometriosis by stopping the production of menstrual material. The study entitled "Impact of hysterectomy on analgesic, psychoactive and neuroactive drug use in…
Key Points Lay SummaryPelvic MRI, Endometriosis and Radiologist
Endometriosis is a condition whereby ectopic endometrial cells implant themselves onto other structures within the body. Depending on where these lesions are, their size, and if they cause symptoms, surgical intervention may be warranted. Although the gold standard for diagnosing…
Key Points Lay SummaryHow to unveil the discrepancy regarding the effect of chemicals on the etiology of endometriosis
Kristen Upson from Michigan State University published a review article evaluating research papers on environmental factors effective in endometriosis from an epidemiological perspective in "Current Epidemiology Reports". Endometriosis is a multifactorial disease with anatomical, hormonal, immunological, estrogenic, genetic, epigenetic, and…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis and chronic opioid use
The members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have declared that gynecologists prescribe opioids after laparoscopic hysterectomy, or for relieving endometriosis pain, although guidelines are not available for when or how to use opioids for the treatment of endometriosis-associated…
Key Points Lay SummaryAdolescent endometriosis: Diagnostic clues?
The rates of dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and heavy menstrual bleeding in adolescents showing endometriosis signs on ultrasound are significantly higher compared to those without. This is according to a retrospective observational study recently published in the journal "Fertility and Sterility". The…
Key Points Lay SummaryReduced risk of "small for gestational age baby" following frozen embryo transfer in endometriosis patients
Infertility is encountered frequently in patients with endometriosis. These women could be managed using assisted reproductive technology (ART) including in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to achieve pregnancy. However, some adverse obstetric and perinatal outcomes are experienced more…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometrial fluid analysis as a new diagnostic test for endometriosis diagnosis
There is still a huge demand for finding a minimally invasive diagnostic test for endometriosis and yet none has been defined properly. The present study which was conducted in Cleveland Clinic by Natalia C. Llarena et al between March 2017…
Key Points Lay SummaryComparison of diagnostic accuracy of imaging modalities for the deep infiltrating endometriosis
The treatment of deeply infiltrated endometriosis (DIE) is usually personalized and the potential success for the available therapeutical options is dependent on early and accurate diagnosis. Laparoscopy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of DIE. Other non-invasive diagnostic methods…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis and adenomyosis could be the “sides of the same coin”.
The two common gynecological disorders, namely adenomyosis, and endometriosis are not settled yet, whether they are representing two different entities or different phenotypes of the same ailment. Dr. Maruyama and colleagues from Nara, Japan searched PubMed and Google Scholar electronic…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis and Natural Killer Cell Immunity
It is known that approximately 25 to 50% of infertile women have endometriosis, and 30% to 50% of the women with endometriosis have infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss. Previous studies have shown that women suffering endometriosis have abnormal NK cell…
Key Points Lay SummaryMagnetic resonance imaging classification for the management of deep pelvic endometriosis
A new study published in the journal "Human Reproduction" reported that operating time, hospital stay, and postoperative complications in patients who underwent surgery for deep endometriosis can be predicted by the MRI. This result may be useful for clinicians to…
Key Points Lay SummaryCombination of noninvasive biomarkers in the identification of endometriosis
The combined measurement of urine enolase, serum CA125, and CA19-9 may be an accurate test for the prediction and detection of endometriosis. This is according to a study published in the journal BioMedical Research International. The gold standard for the…
Key Points Lay SummaryPatients' opinion about surgical treatment of endometriosis
Delayed diagnosis and management of endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain is a major problem in gynecologic practice. Alternatively, providers may feel reluctant to perform surgery although they are aware of treatment options and surgical timing. One possible reason for this…
Key Points Lay SummarySegmental bowel resection could be predicted using MRI in patients with rectal endometriosis
The rectum and recto-sigmoid junction are the preferential localisations of bowel endometriosis. The three main surgical approaches are shaving, disc excision, and segmental resection. It is very important to decide the most appropriate surgical method preoperatively and to plan accordingly. …
Key Points Lay SummaryCan a grape ingredient, resveratrol, be the promised warrior to defeat endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a chronic estrogen-dependent disorder and has a known relationship with angiogenesis, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Resveratrol is a part of a "polyphenol" compound which are thought to act like antioxidants, protects the body against damage. This compound is normally…
Key Points Lay SummaryDyspareunia and Endometriosis
Women experience severe pain during intercourse related to endometriosis and this has a significant negative impact on the lives of women. This is according to an American study published in the "Journal of Pain Research". The study included 638 endometriosis…
Key Points Lay SummaryBad bad lipid go away!
Much like the progression of endometriosis, accumulating evidence suggests that systemic chronic inflammation and oxidative stress can contribute to atherosclerosis. The excess low-density lipoprotein increases inflammatory processes in the arteries, which may result in atherosclerosis. Previous studies have shown that…
Key Points Lay SummaryIndocyanine green in endometriosis surgery
Recently, indocyanine green is well studied and used safely in real-time perfusion to organs or tissues, after taking into consideration its binding capacity to the plasma proteins. The usefulness and the effectiveness of near-infrared camera guided indocyanine green is proved with…
Key Points Lay SummaryOsteopontin and Endometriosis
Although characterized as a benign disease, some properties of endometriosis mimic malignant tissues such as proliferation, cell invasion, and metastasis. Osteopontin, also called secreted phosphoprotein 1, is one of the important molecular targets in cancer progression and metastasis. Osteopontin has been…
Key Points Lay SummaryIt is time for non-invasive tests for peritoneal endometriosis diagnosis
Maria Szubert with colleagues from Lodz Medical University, Poland, investigated the possibility of potential diagnostic biomarkers in the eutopic endometrial tissue from peritoneal endometriosis patients and published their results in the "Journal of Gynecology Obstetrics and Human Reproduction". Currently, diagnostic…
Key Points Lay SummaryPsychometric properties of Endometriosis Health survey-Swedish version
Endometriosis is a chronic estrogen-dependent disease resulting in a broad spectrum of symptoms and signs including dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. Additionally, gastrointestinal and urinary systems may be affected by this disease. All of these clinical findings impair…
Key Points Lay SummaryFallopian tube endometriosis
Endometriosis affects various tissues including pelvic and extra-pelvic organs. Fallopian tube endometriosis is not a widely studied topic in endometriosis, hence the real incidence is unknown as not all studies evaluate microscopically diagnosed Fallopian tube endometriosis. In the retrospective database…
Key Points Lay SummaryNon-coding RNAs and Endometriosis
Non-coding RNAs may have a fundamental role in the development of endometriosis. Non-coding transcripts have regulatory roles in the expression of protein-coding genes, thus regulate several signaling pathways. Based on their length, these non-coding RNAs are classified into two main classes:…
Key Points Lay SummaryBody mass index, the incidence of endometriosis and the severity of dysmenorrhoea
According to a case-control study conducted by researchers from China, there is no association between body mass index (BMI) and the incidence of endometriosis. This finding contrasts with the conventional knowledge that low BMI is a risk factor for endometriosis.…
Key Points Lay SummaryAn animal model of endometriosis reveals stress related disturbed vitamin D - vitamin D receptor axis
Lopez and colleagues from academic institutions of Puerto Rico published their experimental endometriosis findings on female rats regarding the effect of stress on vitamin D-vitamin D receptor systems and recently published their findings in "Reproductive Sciences". The group previously showed…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe peculiarity of adolescent endometriosis
Recent studies showed the prevalence of endometriosis in adolescents with chronic cyclic or acyclic pelvic pain is about 60-70%. Moreover, all stages of endometriosis, including deeply infiltrating endometriosis can be found in this population. Gubbels et al. from the Department…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe intensity of pelvic pain is higher in endometriosis patients
Silva J.B. et al., researchers from Brazil, conducted a case-control study to determine the intensity of clinical pain, the average body composition, and the anthropometric markers including the body mass index, the perimeters (waist, abdomen, hip), and the percentage of…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe more than expected prevalence of endometriosis in patients with Mullerian abnormalities
Congenital müllerian anomalies resulting in a spectrum of uterine abnormalities are caused by the abnormal embryologic fusion of the müllerian ducts to form a normal uterine cavity. They are often unrecognized because they are usually asymptomatic. The presence of a uterine…
Key Points Lay SummaryDepression and anxiety levels in "in vitro fertilization" patients with endometriosis
Endometriosis is a reproductive-aged and estrogen-dependent disease. The most common symptoms of this disease are dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility affecting the quality of life in several aspects mainly the psychological domain. In the literature, there are many studies…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis-related obstetrical complications and their outcome
Borisova et al. from the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of Peoples' Friendship University, Moskow, Russia, and her colleagues from the Center of Perinatal and Reproductive Medicine of University Perugia, Italy, recently published a review of the literature data about…
Key Points Lay SummaryTime for reassessment : Laparoscopic surgery and bowel endometriosis
Ferrero and associates from medical centers of Verona and Genoa, Italy, made a comprehensive review covering all aspects of the surgical approach to bowel endometriosis, published their results in "Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology". Bowel endometriosis is the…
Key Points Lay SummaryCellular communications: Exosomes in Endometriosis
Exosomes have been reported as cell-to-cell communicators, transfer many molecules such as miRNAs, RNAs, and proteins, and their alteration may cause many disease processes, including endometriosis. Considering the role of exosomes and their cargos in a cell to cell communication as important…
Key Points Lay SummaryPredictors of voiding dysfunction after surgery for deep endometriosis
While surgery for deep endometriosis provides relief and improves the quality of life in symptomatic patients for whom medical therapy has limited effect, it may also create postoperative lower urinary tract dysfunction. Moreover, postoperative voiding dysfunction could affect the quality…
Key Points Lay SummarySleep Quality, Lifestyle Factors and Endometriosis
Endometriosis does not only affect the patients by dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. An important issue in these patients, like other chronic diseases, is sleep quality. Youseflu et al., from Iran, published a study entitled “Effects of endometriosis…
Key Points Lay SummaryColorectal Deep Endometriosis Resection and Potential Complications
A severe clinical form of endometriosis, deeply infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) is characterized by more aggressive endometriotic lesions commonly involving deeper pelvic or gastrointestinal organs. It causes significant quality of life impairment and morbidity and is increasingly associated with infertility. When…
Key Points Lay SummaryFactors affecting the quality of life of women with endometriosis
Results from a new study suggest that the quality of life of women with endometriosis is significantly affected by their confidence to manage pain and their belief in the evolution of their condition. In this study, led by Rees M. et…
Key Points Lay SummaryDeep Endometriosis or Recto-uterine Obliteration Without Endometrioma
The diagnostic help of ultrasound is increasing by its ability to diagnose deep infiltrating and rectouterine pouch obliteration in patients who are suffering from chronic pelvic pain. Clinicians are used to evaluating the rectal and parametrial areas of the endometriotic…
Key Points Lay SummaryAntioxidant Enzymes in Endometriosis
Recent attention has been focused on the effect of oxidative stress in the development of endometriosis. Especially, there are several studies regarding glutathione peroxidase (GPX), a major enzyme in removing various reactive oxygen species. In the field of infertility, the…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe advantages of combined vaginal-laparoscopic approach on voiding dysfunction for rectovaginal endometriosis
The patients with rectovaginal endometriotic nodules with extensive vaginal infiltration who are managed combined vaginal-laparoscopic approach have a lower risk of postoperative bladder dysfunction when compared to surgery via laparoscopy alone. This is according to a manuscript published in the…
Key Points Lay SummaryInhibiting killer on the move
The three main forms of endometriosis are superficial, ovarian, and deep endometriosis. The latter is defined by the presence of endometriotic nodules that are deeper than 5 mm. Deep endometriosis is considered the most aggressive and is associated with severe…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometrial polyps of patients with and without endometriosis
Endometrial polyps are benign local overgrowths comprising both glands and the stroma, and are quite common in gynecological practice. Endometriosis patients also commonly have polyps, which have yielded different features than those from patients without endometriosis. Dr. Jiangand and associates…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe impact of laser vaporization on reproductive outcomes in women with endometrioma
Despite extensive research, the optimal method for the management of endometriosis still remains unclear. Excisional surgery is claimed with a more favorable outcome than drainage and ablation regarding the recurrence of disease and symptoms. On the other hand, cyst vaporization…
Key Points Lay SummaryA Call for Pan-Canadian Collaboration for the Care and Quality of Life of Endometriosis Patients
Wahl KJ et al., from Canada, drew attention to the lack of health care for endometriosis patients who are estimated to be 1 million in number in Canada in their recent brief communication report. The delay in the diagnosis, the…
Key Points Lay SummaryBowel surgery for endometriosis
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disorder. The disease harbors various complications. Deep endometriosis involving the bowel is only one aspect of the condition that has variable phenotypic presentations and pathologic subtypes. Knowledge of the short- and long-term risks of the surgical…
Key Points Lay SummaryBenefits of Nerve-Sparing Hysterectomy
The retroperitoneal spread of endometriosis or cancer may involve pelvic autonomic nerves situated on the lateral aspects of uterosacral ligaments, vesicouterine ligaments, and medial aspects of parametria. During the conventional open hysterectomy operations, nerve-sparing excision is very difficult, simply because pelvic autonomic nerves…
Key Points Lay SummaryMental stress promotes mice endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disease for which pathogenesis and progression are not fully understood. Inflammation is one of the key candidates that might be related to the creation or progression of endometriosis. In the study conducted by Kawakita et al from…
Key Points Lay SummaryDiagnosis and treatment of endometriosis in adolescents
The belief that dysmenorrhea, the primary symptom of endometriosis, in adolescents is an inevitable condition seen in menstruation as well as unwillingness to perform diagnostic laparoscopy may cause the delay of diagnosis of endometriosis. This is according to a recent…
Key Points Lay SummaryNatural history of spontaneous endometriosis in crab-eating monkeys
Kaori Hayashi and associates from Shiga University of Medical Science, Japan, published their observations on spontaneously occurring endometriosis in crab-eating monkeys in "Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine"https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/tjem/251/4/251_241/_pdf/-char/en. The presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus, i.e., endometriosis is a progressive prevalent…
Key Points Lay SummaryIs there a commonality between endometriosis and systemic lupus?
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that can affect many organs including the skin, joints, the central nervous system, and the kidneys. Women of childbearing age and certain racial groups are at increased risk to develop the condition.…
Key Points Lay SummaryPatient-centered care in patients with endometriosis
The women with endometriosis suffer from several symptoms and signs including dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility which have a detrimental effect on their quality of life. Endometriosis is diagnosed with 7-10 years of delay due to the absence…
Key Points Lay SummaryImmune cells and endometriosis pain
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent inflammatory disorder in women. This disease leads to dysmenorrhea, pelvic pain, and infertility. The immune reaction is one of the most widely accepted pathologies of endometriosis. Estrogen dysfunction stimulates immune cells in the peritoneal cavity affecting…
Key Points Lay SummaryVoiding Dysfunction after Colorectal Surgery for Endometriosis
Postoperative voiding dysfunction is a less frequent complication of rectal shaving than that of discoid excision or segmental resection in patients undergoing colorectal surgery for endometriosis, regardless of its definition. This is according to a meta-analysis conducted by researchers from…
Key Points Lay SummaryPrevalence, Risk factors and Management of Bowel Fistula after Rectosigmoid Surgery for Deep Endometriosis
Bowel fistula is a severe complication after the colorectal endometriosis surgery, but little is known about its prevalence, and reports on large series are lacking. To discuss specific management on colorectal deep endometriosis, Roman et al. conducted a retrospective study…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis prevalence among adolescents with pelvic pain
An updated review conducted by the investigators at EGA Institute for Women's Health, University College London, United Kingdom, in collaboration with Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Foundation Trust of the Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research at the University of Birmingham…
Key Points Lay SummaryReproductive capacity and recurrence rate after surgery for Stage III/IV endometriosis
If gaining fertility back is the main goal, the surgical removal of endometriosis lesions is globally recognized as first-line therapy. Even though, pre- and postoperative hormone therapy leads to a significant decrease in the spread of the disease measured with the…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe effects of nutrients on endometriosis-related symptoms
A recent literature review from the Netherlands by researchers Emma Huijs and Annamiek Nap, published in "Reproductive Biomedicine Online" puts light on the effects of some nutrients for endometriosis-related symptomatology. Endometriosis has heterogeneous pathogenesis involving genetic, immunological, environmental, and hormonal…
Key Points Lay SummaryEarly maternal separation and endometriosis progression in adult mice
The quality of life in the women affected by endometriosis depends on the symptoms and signs of endometriosis such as dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. Although several studies have been performed to investigate the underlying pathophysiologic mechanism, it…
Key Points Lay SummaryIncreased expression of epithelial cell adhesion molecule and its possible role in epithelial-mesenchymal transition in endometriosis.
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease that functional endometrial tissue exists outside both the uterine cavity and myometrium. The pathogenesis of endometriosis remains unclear and controversial. According to the implantation theory, which is the most well-known, migration and invasion are two…
Key Points Lay SummaryFallopian tubes and endometriosis
There are multiple theories to explain the pathogenesis of endometriosis, among which the most popular one is Sampson's retrograde menstruation theory. The role of endometrial stem cells/progenitors are widely studied to support the origin of ectopic lesions in recent decades.…
Key Points Lay SummaryHormone Control Related Genes in Women With Endometriosis
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease. The development of endometriosis is stimulated by the specific ability to receive the estrogen that is needed for growth and differentiation of endometrial cells and has numerous biological functions in eutopic and ectopic endometrium. Estrogen…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis Impacts Transgender Adolescents
Shim J.Y. et al, from Boston, Massachusetts retrospectively searched the electronic medical records of transmasculine patients younger than 26 years old who were diagnosed with dysmenorrhea and treated at Boston Children’s Hospital, between January 1, 2000, and March 1, 2020.…
Key Points Lay SummaryClinical characteristics linked to recurrence of ovarian endometrioma
Endometriosis affects 10-15% of women. Three types of endometriosis are peritoneal, ovarian, and deep infiltrating endometriosis. Ovarian endometriosis is the most common type of endometriosis with a high rate of recurrence. Laparoscopy is the gold standard treatment for endometriosis and…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe impact of obesity on safety and feasibility of laparoscopic endometriosis surgery
The quality of life in the women affected by endometriosis depends on the symptoms and signs of endometriosis such as dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. The most common locations of endometriosis are ovary, ovarian fossa, uterosacral ligament, and…
Key Points Lay SummaryAdolescent endometriosis
A recent article, led by experts from Peking Medical Union College, describes the clinical characteristics and postoperative symptoms of adolescent endometriosis. The authors inform that their report, which is published in the "Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology", can provide…
Key Points Lay SummarySuggested remedies for endometriosis patients during coronavirus pandemic
The pandemic of COVID-19 continues to have important effects on endometriosis patients worldwide. Many health care facilities stopped providing surgical management and outpatient appointments are canceled or postponed. Dr. Leonardi from Australia and associates from several countries published their proposals…
Key Points Lay SummaryHysterectomy as a choise of chronic pelvic pain relief in endometriotic women.
Sandstrom et al. from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Umea University, Sweden, found a significant and long-lasting reduction in pain symptoms after hysterectomy among women with confirmed endometriosis and recently published their results in "BJOG". The authors performed…
Key Points Lay SummaryOccult microscopic endometriosis in clinically negative peritoneum
Occult microscopic endometriosis may be present in approximately 39% of patients with clinically negative appearing peritoneum undergoing laparoscopy for chronic pelvic pain. This finding is presented in a study published online this month in the International Journal of Gynecology &…
Key Points Lay SummaryAdolescent dysmenorrhea diagnosis and management
Endometriosis is usually diagnosed in reproductive-aged women. However, recent literature proved that clinical symptoms of endometriosis are also seen the adolescent girls and young women. Dysmenorrhea, the most common gynecologic complaint among this age group, can develop due to endometriosis.…
Key Points Lay SummaryBone morphogenetic protein and endometriosis
Endometriosis is a chronic disease characterized by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterus, associated with several discomforts such as pelvic pain, menstrual disorders, and infertility. Although endometriosis is categorized as a benign lesion, the ectopic endometrial…
Key Points Lay SummaryLocal inflammation and follicle development in women with ovarian endometriosis
Endometriosis, a cause of subfertility, is found in almost 50% of infertile women. The elevated levels of cytokines in the follicular fluid of patients with endometriosis might account for the ovulatory dysfunction. Granulosa cells (GCs) play important roles in follicular…
Key Points Lay SummaryAnogenital distance and endometriosis
Endometriosis may be associated with exposure of the embryo to chemicals called ‘endocrine disruptors’. Exposure to endocrine disruptors can be estimated by measuring the anogenital distance (i.e. the distance between the clitoris and the anus), using a centimeter ruler with…
Key Points Lay SummaryInternational experts commentary for assisted fertility treatment facilities amidst COVID-19
A multinational and multi-institutional commentary led by Dr. Alviggi from Italy and Dr.Esteves from Brazil has addressed important issues on assisted reproductive technology treatment amid COVID-19 lockdown suggesting remedies in the journal of "Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology" May 2020 issue.…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe effect of endometriosis on the quality of life
Endometriosis, the disease defined as the localization of endometrial glandular and stromal tissue outside the uterine cavity, can be diagnosed in the reproductive-aged women with an incidence of 7-15%. However, endometriosis is observed in women with chronic pelvic pain syndrome…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis Diagnosis in White, Black, and Asian Women
In a commentary published in the "International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology", Drs. Farland and Horne talk about a study by researchers in Canada and the Philippines, which found that black women are less likely, and Asian women are more likely to…
Key Points Lay SummaryDiagnosing Deep Endometriosis Using Transvaginal Elastosonography
Deeply infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) is an advanced form of endometriosis that causes significant morbidity to a large number of women. Early detection of endometriosis is imperative for early treatment and improved outcomes for these patients. Currently, transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) and magnetic…
Key Points Lay SummaryMenstrual Blood Proteins for Endometriosis Diagnosis
Endometriosis is a gynecological disorder characterized by endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. The backflow of menstrual blood from the uterus through the fallopian tubes is thought to be the cause of endometrial tissue growing outside the uterine cavity when…
Key Points Lay SummaryA hope for postoperative symptomatic endometriosis therapy
A new chapter in the treatment of symptomatic endometriosis patients may begin since new medical approaches including oral GnRH antagonists, selective progesterone receptor modulators, aromatase inhibitors, and peritoneal immune response modulators are being actively evaluated. To date, there was only…
Key Points Lay SummaryOpioids use in women with endometriosis, what does it tell us?
Endometriosis is a debilitating disease that can cause many painful symptoms such as dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, infertility, chronic pelvic pain, abdominal pain, and sacral or low back pain. More than half of women diagnosed with endometriosis suffer from chronic pelvic pain.…
Key Points Lay SummaryDiagnosis and treatment algorithm for endometriosis
Endometriosis is a chronic and progressive disease that affects 25-30% of women between 25-35years, clinicians commonly experience during their gynecologic practice. However, the diagnosis is still late or sometimes incorrect, and this creates severe health problems and worse outcomes. A…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis by Race
Endometriosis is usually diagnosed in reproductive-aged women with an incidence of approximately 10%. The most common presenting symptoms are dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility in patients with endometriosis. Some risk factors have been identified for the development of…
Key Points Lay SummaryHealth inequalities in USA
Dr. E. Albert Reece, the vice president for medical affairs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, specialized in maternal and fetal medicine, wrote on health disparities in the American nation, in Obstetrics and Gynecology News, on the website www.mdedge.com, in June…
Key Points Lay SummaryDiscrepancies between racial/ethnic groups and choice of hysterectomy procedures
Dr. Pollack and associates from Washington University, St.Louis, made multistate research regarding the patient profile in hysterectomies and published their results in the 2019 December issue of "The Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology". The most frequently performed nonobstetric surgery in…
Key Points Lay SummaryIs oocyte cryopreservation useful for fertility preservation in ovarian endometriosis?
Women with endometriosis tend to have lower fecundity compared to normal couples. Furthermore, endometrioma itself may reduce the ovarian reserve by altering ovarian physiology in the surrounding healthy ovarian tissue. The treatment for endometrioma is surgical removal in most cases, however,…
Key Points Lay SummaryHow Can Racial and Ethnic Disparities Be Reduced Among Women’s Health and Healthcare?
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published a set of recommendations to help reduce racial and ethnic disparities in women’s health and healthcare and encourage obstetricians, gynecologists, and other health care practitioners to engage in activities to help achieve…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis surgery and future pregnancy complications
Endometriosis is one of the known diseases for infertility in the reproductive period of women. Several studies revealed that endometriosis itself maybe the reason for some unfavorable obstetric outcomes. Localization, the type of endometriotic lesions, and the stage of endometriosis…
Key Points Lay SummaryCase-control study to develop a questionnaire for early diagnosis of endometriosis
Endometriosis, which affects 5–10% of women of reproductive age, is a chronic gynecological disease characterized by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterus, associated with several discomforts such as pelvic pain, menstrual disorders, and infertility. Ultrasound evaluation…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe predictors for sexual dysfunction in infertile women with endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disease defined as the localization of endometrial glandular and stromal tissue outside the uterine cavity. Its incidence ranges up to 10% of reproductive-aged women. The most common symptoms in these women are chronic pelvic pain, dyspareunia, and…
Key Points Lay SummaryImmune System, Cytokines and Endometriosis
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent chronic disease. Diagnosing endometriosis is difficult because the signs and symptoms vary considerably. Therefore, the discovery of a reliable non-invasive diagnostic biomarker would represent a major advance for the clinical diagnosis of endometriosis. It has been…
Key Points Lay SummaryNeglected needs of endometriosis and infertility patients during COVID-19 pandemic
With the global outbreak of the COVID-19, hospitals canceled surgeries and people are afraid of going to hospitals. However, chronic diseases still need to be managed. Rowe H. and Quinlivan J., researchers from Australia, pointed out the neglected needs of…
Key Points Lay SummaryRisk Factors Associated with Ureteral Endometriosis
Patients with severe endometriosis, uterosacral ligament deep involvement with endometriosis lesions of 3 cm in diameter or more, and the presence of previous endometriosis surgery have a significantly higher risk of having ureteral endometriosis. This is according to a study…
Key Points Lay SummaryResveratrol for infertility: A frenemy?
Ovarian aging is defined by an age-specific decline of the functional ovarian reserve. Female ovarian reserve declines progressively with increasing chronological age. Chronic damage by reactive oxygen species results in deterioration and aging through mitochondrial dysfunction, telomere shortening, cohesion dysfunction,…
Key Points Lay SummaryFatigue from the viewpoint of patients with endometriosis
Fatigue, feeling spoonie, is documented as a significant symptom of endometriosis in many studies. Researchers from three different institutions dealing with reproductive health conducted individual interviews with patients reporting moderate to severe endometriosis-related pain to better understand endometriosis-related fatigue and…
Key Points Lay SummaryPostmenopausal endometriosis: Is it a rare phenomenon?
Endometriosis, the estrogen-dependent disease defined as the localization of endometrial glandular and stromal tissue outside the uterine cavity, is generally diagnosed in the reproductive-aged women. However, recent literature proved that this disease can also be observed in the premenopausal and…
Key Points Lay SummaryNAT2 as potential biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis
Endometriosis affects 5–10% of women of reproductive age causing several discomforts, pelvic pain, menstrual disorders, ectopic bleeding, infertility, and sometimes even malignant transformation but its etiology remains unclear. Accumulating evidence point a key role for genetic factors and there is…
Key Points Lay SummarymiR-92a and progesterone resistance in endometriosis
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disorder. This incidence of this disease is 35% to 50% among those who suffer from chronic pelvic pain and infertility, which has a negative effect on the quality of life and on health. Recent genome-wide associations…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis and Insomnia
There should be more awareness among clinicians for the relationship between insomnia and endometriosis, the study suggests. There needs to be a suspect of endometriosis whenever the clinician faces women of reproductive age with sleep or insomnia-related symptoms. This symptom is…
Key Points Lay SummaryProgressive nature of ovarian endometrioma
The effective management of endometriosis requires a proper understanding of how the condition progress as women age, especially for those women with early onset of endometriosis. Several studies have tried to characterize the evolution of endometriosis. Some of the key…
Key Points Lay SummaryImproved fusion imaging for the detection of Endometriosis
This paper studied a new fusion method for magnetic resonance (MR) and ultrasound (US) imaging for the appropriate diagnosis of endometriosis. The diagnosis of endometriosis in patients with a chronic pelvic disease is delayed, due to the disease, patient, and physician-led…
Key Points Lay SummaryAppendiceal endometriosis
Jeong et al. from the Departement of Surgery, Trinity School of Medicine, Saint Vincent, recently published their interesting appendectomy case in "Hong Kong Medical Journal". In their case, endometriosis inside the cavity of the appendix mimicked appendicitis, the patient submitted…
Key Points Lay SummaryDefective “ferroptosis”: a new pathogenetic explanation of endometriosis
Dr. Ng and associates from Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, USA made a comprehensive review of the role of the iron element in the development of endometriotic lesions. Though iron element is essential for cell survival, and its deficiency is important…
Key Points Lay SummaryAre endometriosis patients at higher risk of bipolar disorder?
Endometriosis patients are prone to develop certain psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety, as well as bipolar disorder, according to a nationwide population-based cohort study from Taiwan. Bipolar disorder formerly called manic-depression is a chronic mental disorder characterized by unusual changes…
Key Points Lay SummaryMaternal body mass index and neonatal outcomes in women with endometriosis
Endometriosis is defined as the localization of endometrial glandular and stromal-like tissue outside the uterine cavity. Its prevalence is 10-15% in the general population of this age. However, endometriosis is diagnosed more frequently in infertile women with a prevalence of…
Key Points Lay SummaryInterleukin-37b inhibits the growth of murine endometriosis-like lesions
Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease that causes chronic pain and infertility in women. Despite continuous efforts and numerous research, there is, ultimately, still much to understand about the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Inflammatory factors including several interleukins have already been…
Key Points Lay SummaryHysterolaparoscopy Plus Assisted Reproduction Improves Fertility in Women with Endometriosis
Hysteroscopy and laparoscopic surgery is an effective and reliable therapeutic procedure, confirmed a study published in the "Journal of Clinical Medicine". The approach is even more effective when combined with assisted reproductive techniques such as artificial insemination and in vitro…
Key Points Lay SummarySteroid hormone receptors in endometriosis
Therapeutics that target the steroid hormones are the standard treatment for women with endometriosis because steroid hormones play an important role in endometrial physiology and pathogenesis of endometriosis. Examples of these therapeutics include anti-estrogens, estrogen receptor (ER) modulators, progestins, and…
Key Points Lay SummaryHow should MRI images be obtained for optimal endometriosis detection?
It is well known that the diagnosis of endometriosis for some patients with the chronic pelvic disease is delayed, often for years, due to the disease, patient, and physician-led factors. An area of active study is how ordering physicians can…
Key Points Lay SummaryTransvaginal sonography for predicting the distance between rectosigmoid endometriosis and the anal verge
For optimal surgery, pre-surgical assessment of the distance between rectosigmoid deep endometriosis lesions and the anal verge (Lesion to Anal Verge Distance-LAVD) is recommended by many specialists. A group of researchers from Norway, Austria, and Australia studied the accuracy of…
Key Points Lay SummaryOxidative stress leads to elevated cytokines, excessive structural damage and angiogenesis
Endometriosis is characterized by elevated intracellular reactive oxygen species, which is then believed to upregulate inflammatory cytokines. Reactive oxygen species also regulate the activation of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), which is closely linked with immune responses.…
Key Points Lay SummarySurgical approach to rectovaginal endometriosis.
Recto-vaginal endometriosis incidence is estimated at 3.8%-37% among women with endometriosis and when it exists it's a part of deeply infiltrated endometriosis, thus advance stage endometriosis. Raimondo et al. from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of…
Key Points Lay SummarytRNA-derived fragments in ovarian endometriosis?
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent mysterious disorder characterized by the presence of endometrium outside the normal location of the uterus cavity. This disease affects approximately 10% of reproductive-aged women and becomes a major reason for infertility in reproductive-aged women and dysmenorrhea…
Key Points Lay SummaryRecurrence following surgery for subtypes of endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disease identified by the location of endometrial stromal and glandular cells outside the uterine cavity. It is considered as a gynecological disease of reproductive-aged women. Three subtypes of endometriosis are peritoneal endometriosis which defines the endometriotic lesions…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe efficacy of combined hormonal contraception on pelvic pain in endometriosis patients
Chronic pelvic pain, which is experienced by more than 33% of endometriosis patients, constitutes a significant challenge for patients and physicians. A new study that appears in the journal Human Reproduction Open has explored the prevalence of endometriosis patients with a history…
Key Points Lay SummaryAntioxidants inhibit autophagy in ectopic endometrial cells
Factors involved in the development of ectopic endometrium are not well-known, but several reports demonstrate a potential role for the pathophysiological processes including autophagy. Studies show that autophagy plays a significant role in endometriosis but the key mechanisms underlying the…
Key Points Lay SummaryA Routine Pelvic Ultrasound Examination Should Include an Evaluation for Endometriosis
Routine pelvic ultrasound examination should be extended beyond the uterus and ovaries into the posterior and anterior pelvic compartments, according to Australian doctors. With such examinations, deep infiltrating endometriosis nodules can be searched, say the authors, allowing women to be…
Key Points Lay SummaryFertility conservation in women with endometriosis
Endometriosis affects 10-15% of women in their reproductive period and almost half of them may need Assisted Reproductive techniques to conceive. Moreover, increased malignancy risk is threatening the women with severe endometriosis in addition to their decreased ovarian reserve. Due…
Key Points Lay SummaryImaging of gastrointestinal endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disease characterized by the ectopic implantation of endometrial tissue to surrounding pelvic and extra-pelvic structures. One frequent site of involvement is the gastrointestinal(GI) tract, which occurs especially among women with deep infiltrating endometriosis. Most cases of GI-involving…
Key Points Lay SummaryFertility preservation protocols in women with endometriosis
Infertility is one of the major symptoms in women with endometriosis. Childbearing at a delayed age is preferred by the majority of women recently who consult for the demand for fertility preservation procedures. There are several techniques for fertility preservation…
Key Points Lay SummaryUrgent Need For Building Resilience
According to Naeem et al.’s article, “Coping with Covid”, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the ideal intervention tool to increase resilience. Their study has recently been published in "Kyber Medical University Journal". The authors investigate the psychological impact of the Covid-19…
Key Points Lay SummaryEarly Life Factors for Endometriosis
Endometriosis affects approximately 10% of reproductive-aged women. Despite the significant impact, the etiology of endometriosis is still unclear. A recent systematic review of 15 studies of adolescents found that overall 65% of girls undergoing laparoscopic investigation were diagnosed with endometriosis.…
Key Points Lay SummaryLong-term Pregnancy Results after Surgical Removal of Endometrioma
Sun et al., from China, investigated the pregnancy outcomes and the related factors in patients with endometrioma and stage III-IV endometriosis along with a long-term follow-up postoperatively. Their study has recently been published in the journal named "Advances in Therapy".…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe Relationship Between Dyspareunia and Infertility in Endometriosis
Wahl et al. from the Center of Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis British Columbia Women's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada studied with endometriotic patients suffering from dyspareunia who were referred to their center and built a cross-sectional study to investigate the relations between…
Key Points Lay SummaryAll aspects of endometriosis reviewed with focus on modern management
Dr. Chapron and associates from academic centers in France published in Nature Review Endocrinology, a comprehensive review on endometriosis. The article is inclusive of all aspects of endometriosis but especially focuses on the management of the disease with its contemporary status. Having a…
Key Points Lay SummaryAbdominal wall endometriosis: Who is at risk and what causes it?
Endometriosis is a condition that can cause anatomic, hormonal, and inflammatory disturbances that may ultimately result in decreased fertility or infertility. It is a disease process that is defined as ectopic endometrial-like tissue implanting itself to various pelvic and extra…
Key Points Lay SummaryPolymorphisms and endometriosis: a systematic review and meta-analyses.
The symptoms of endometriosis are varied among women and include chronic pelvic pain, infertility, and fatigue. There are no reliable blood tests and medical imaging techniques such as MRI and ultrasound are not always satisfactory. The lack of endometriosis-specific symptoms…
Key Points Lay SummaryDoes Getting Pregnant Really Help When You Have Endometriosis?
Pregnancy has a favorable impact on the volume of deep infiltrating endometriosis lesions according to a study published in the scientific journal "PLoS One". This is the first study that demonstrates such a favorable impact of pregnancy on endometriosis lesion…
Key Points Lay SummaryKisspeptin and its Receptor in the Pathogenesis of Endometriosis
It is known that matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) may play a role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. For example, the upregulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 may enhance the degradation of extracellular matrix proteins, facilitating cell migration and invasion. Kisspeptin (KISS1, also…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe predictive factors for early spontaneous miscarriage in IVF/ICSI cycles
The most common presenting complaints of endometriosis are mainly dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. Affected women demand therapy for these symptoms of endometriosis, notably fertility problems. The clinical pregnancy rate has increased up to 60% in assisted reproductive…
Key Points Lay SummaryRegulation of Inflammation in Endometriosis
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent and multifaceted gynecological condition. Unfortunately, this disease frequently causes chronic and cyclic pelvic pain. Though there are several treatments are available, there is not an actual cure for this disease. Therefore, the development of new therapy…
Key Points Lay SummaryDiaphragmatic endometriosis
Diaphragmatic endometriosis is a rare clinical condition that may show signs and symptoms like chest pain, right upper quadrant abdominal pain, shoulder pain, pleuritic pain, hemothorax, pneumothorax, hemoptysis, and thoracic endometriosis syndrome while the major part of the patients is…
Key Points Lay SummaryLeiomyomas have similar genetic background with endometriosis
This multicenter research conducted in institutions located in the USA and UK published in Nature Communications, October 2019 issue. Leiomyomata of the uterus are hormone-dependent tumors with an estimated prevalence of about 20-77%. İn several publications. Research in uterine leiomyoma…
Key Points Lay SummaryCycle-related gastrointestinal complaints in reproductive age young women
An analysis of 1-year data on 266 patients who presented to the Clinic and Polyclinic for Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine at Jena University Hospital to undergo surgery for endometriosis and its symptoms was performed by Nicolaous K. et al., a…
Key Points Lay SummaryClinical Evaluation of Endometriosis-Associated Pain
Endometriosis has a noteworthy impact on the quality of life of the patients diagnosed with it since it is associated with unpleasant conditions such as endometriosis-associated pain. The diagnosis of endometriosis is not always straightforward because of the varying symptoms…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe relationship of serum concentrations of neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) and endometriosis
Although many serum biomarkers or biomarker panels for endometriosis are evaluated, none of them is exact enough to be used in daily laboratory practice. In a recent study, which has been published in Scandinavian Journal Of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation, Barberic…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe genetic mutations in uterine adenomyosis
Adenomyosis is defined as the localization of endometrial stromal and glandular cells in the myometrium. This disease is a reproductive-aged women disease, like endometriosis. Additionally, adenomyosis is frequently observed together with endometriosis and leiomyomas due to common histological features and…
Key Points Lay SummaryHow well do providers understand endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a challenging disease no matter what side of the equation you are in, a patient or a provider who cares for patients with the disease. It impacts millions of women worldwide, making it one of the most prevalent…
Key Points Lay SummaryPhytotherapy as an alternative endometriosis treatment
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent gynecological disease that affects 5–10% of women in fertile age. Different therapeutic strategies are available to treat this disease, such as surgery, hormonal therapies, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Medical therapy usually consists of different hormonal drugs,…
Key Points Lay SummaryAdiposity, endometriosis type and severity
Dr. Jiyoung from the division of Public Health, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine of the University of Utah, planned a prospective cross-sectional study to assess whether there is an inverse relationship between the adiposity and endometriosis. The results of…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe role of microbiota in the etiopathogenesis of endometriosis
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease that is commonly diagnosed in reproductive-aged women. Although many advanced types of research about the etiology, differential diagnosis and treatment have been performed, it still remains an enigmatic disease. Dr. Bedaiwy, a scientist and physician…
Key Points Lay SummaryIntegrated bioinformatic analysis for endometriosis diagnosis
Endometriosis is considered as a non-malignant disease, but it is associated with several unfavorable conditions including non‑menstrual pelvic pain and infertility. Surgical resection and hormone suppression are common means of treatments; however, several side-effects and the recurrence are not preventable.…
Key Points Lay SummaryPreoperative serum CA 125 levels predict the severity of adhesions in endometriosis
Lee Y. et al., a group of researchers from Korea evaluated the correlation between preoperative serum markers and pelvic adhesions in endometriosis patients and explored the markers’ clinical value for outcome prediction. They have recently published their study in the…
Key Points Lay SummaryWhich treatment option improves fertility the most?
Endometriosis is a condition that causes anatomic, hormonal, and inflammatory disturbances that may ultimately result in decreased fertility or infertility. It is estimated that 30-50% of women with endometriosis suffer from infertility. Thus, the role of surgical, medical, or expectant…
Key Points Lay SummaryTreatment choices for abdominal wall endometriosis
Welch et.al, from the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, worked with his gynecologist colleagues to underline the current treatment algorithm of abdominal wall endometriosis in Mayo Clinic. Their experience results recently published in the journal "Abdominal Radiology". Abdominal wall…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe role of acidic ribosomal protein P1 in Endometriosis
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disorder. The disease develops and composed of the ectopic endometrial-like tissue which establishes primarily in the pelvic cavity. Previous findings clearly show that estrogen-related factors are critical for endometriosis development and progression. However, we do have…
Key Points Lay SummaryWoman at reproductive age suffering from migraines should consider getting evaluated for endometriosis.
What do migraine and endometriosis have in common? One can easily answer “pain”. Turns out there are other shared aspects when it comes to these two conditions: both have a high prevalence in women of childbearing age, both suffer from…
Key Points Lay SummaryRare lesions in the pathologic examinations of endometriosis.
Dr. Glenn McCluggage from the Department of Pathology, Belfast Health, and Social Care Trust, penned a review about selected uncommon variants of endometriosis or benign alterations that may cause difficulties of pathologic diagnosis and provided all related histopathological illustrations in…
Key Points Lay SummaryA review of endometriosis in adolescent girls and young women
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease which is commonly diagnosed in reproductive-aged women. On the other hand, this disease can develop earlier in life due to different etiopathogenetic mechanisms. Especially adolescents who experienced neonatal uterine bleeding are under the risk for…
Key Points Lay SummaryRole of miR-141 in endometriosis
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short (18–24 nucleotides) endogenous non-coding RNAs that regulate a broad range of signaling pathways. They bind to specific sequences resulting in mRNA degradation and protein inhibition. Deregulation of miRNAs is associated with the development of many disease…
Key Points Lay SummaryImpact of Genetic Variations in Endometriosis
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disorder. This disease affects approximately 7% to 10% of reproductive-aged women and causes negative impacts on society. The underlying causes are unclear; therefore, the understanding of this disease remains a major clinical challenge. Endometriosis has a…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe prevalence and severity of endometriosis today
Ghiasi M. et al., a group of researchers from the USA, presented a comprehensive review of the prevalence, incidence, and stage of endometriosis worldwide as reported over the past 30 years. Researchers performed a search in four databases, including PubMed,…
Key Points Lay SummaryWorrying signs of Endometriosis on Hysterosalpingography
Hysterosalpingography (HSG) is an imaging modality that utilizes fluoroscopy in order to evaluate the uterine cavity, fallopian tubes, and adjacent peritoneal cavity by injecting contrast media through the cervical canal. It is an important tool in the work-up of patients who…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis Severity and Complication Risks Following Laparoscopic Surgery
In a research article published in the journal Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts suggested that the severity of endometriosis could not be a predictor of the risk of post-operative complications. In…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe association between endometriosis and ectopic pregnancy
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease with a broad spectrum of symptoms such as dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain and fertility problems. It has been understood in the light of scientific evidence that endometriosis is also associated with other poor…
Key Points Lay SummaryWhat we should know in managing infertility related to endometriosis?
Dr. Llarena and associates made a comprehensive review of the causes of infertility in endometriosis and adverse effects of surgical procedures in Clinical Medicine Insights: Reproductive Health. Infertility is an important issue in endometriosis patients and about 30-50 % face infertility.…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
Endometriosis and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease show the same pathologic mechanism in terms of endothelial dysfunction. Tan et al. from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada reviewed the literature aiming to determine whether women…
Key Points Lay SummaryCXCR4 or CXCR7 antagonists as novel therapies for endometriosis
Endometriosis is a common, estrogen-dependent chronic inflammatory disorder. It affects approximately 5-10% of reproductive-aged women and 20-50% of infertile women. Endometriosis also has a significant social and psychological impact on the lives of women. Despite such a significant burden, there…
Key Points Lay SummaryA nonhormonal treatment of endometriosis: Dichloroacetate
In women with endometriosis, peritoneal mesothelial cells show higher glycolysis, lower mitochondrial respiration, decreased enzymatic activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase and increased production of lactate compared to women without the disease. Transforming growth factorβ1 and lactate are elevated in the peritoneal…
Key Points Lay SummaryWhat do Women with Endometriosis Think About the Medical Profession?
Failure of surgical treatment, use of the emergency room, and access to complementary healthcare are factors associated with a negative perception of the medical profession in women with endometriosis. This is according to a study conducted by researchers in British…
Key Points Lay SummaryA comprehensive review on the etiopathogenesis of endometriosis
Endometriosis, being a heterogeneous disease has a highly complex etiopathogenesis. A multicenter comprehensive review on this important subject from Italy, Germany, and the USA by Lagana and associates, was recently published in the "International Journal of Molecular Sciences" an open-access journal. Computerized…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis and ovarian reserve
Endometriosis is most frequently encountered in reproductive-aged women. Its prevalence is 10-15% in the general population of this age. However, endometriosis is diagnosed more frequently in infertile women with a prevalence of 25-40%. Although the exact mechanism explaining the association between…
Key Points Lay SummaryHow to design patient-centered interventions to meet the needs of endometriosis patients
The treatment of endometriosis is not perfect and necessitates the development of patient-oriented care initiatives. On this basis, patient-related transparent information should be the priority for researchers to find out a way for targeted interventions. Steele et al. from Australia and…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe Molecular Profile Unique to Endometriosis
Endometriosis remains to be a disease entity that is not fully understood. However, recent studies suggest that endometriosis is characterized by several dysregulated biochemical pathways that allow for its survival and growth outside the uterine endometrium. Authors have recently published…
Key Points Lay SummaryWhen to do - and when not to do surgery for endometriosis
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disorder. It was estimated to affect about 176 million women in the world and usually causes pelvic pain and infertility. Unfortunately, the current understanding of this disease is very limited. Though there are many remaining questions,…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis in the Urinary Bladder
A case of bladder endometriosis is reported by Geng JH, from Taiwan, and the paper has been recently published in The New England Journal Of Medicine. The patient was a 38-year-old woman presented to the outpatient urology clinic with complaints…
Key Points Lay SummaryDoes the Severity of Endometriosis Increase the Risk of Complications Following Surgery?
The severity of endometriosis cannot predict the risk of complications after laparoscopy. Instead, the complexity of the surgical procedure itself may increase the risk of complications. This is according to a study published in the journal "Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica".…
Key Points Lay SummaryA new ultrasound subgrouping reveals good clinical correlations in adenomyosis
Exacoustos and colleagues from two endometriosis tertiary referral centers in Rome, Italy published their observational, prospective study of the recently proposed transvaginal ultrasonographic scoring system in the "Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology". Adenomyosis or “endometriosis interna” is defined as the…
Key Points Lay SummaryRecent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disease that is commonly diagnosed in reproductive-aged women. The most common complaints of women with endometriosis are pain and fertility problems. Although many advanced types of research about the etiology, differential diagnosis and treatment have been…
Key Points Lay SummarySurgery and the endometriosis associated-pain: A systematic review
The surgical approach for pelvic pain-related to endometriosis depends on the stage and the type of the endometriotic lesion and ranging from ablation and the excision of the lesions to radical surgery as hysterectomy with removal of ovaries and presacral…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe role of inflammation, oxidative stress, angiogenesis, and apoptosis in the pathophysiology of endometriosis
Endometriosis is a very common gynecological disorder affecting approximately 10% of reproductive-aged women, and it is known by the abnormal growth of endometrial stroma and glands outside the uterus. Though the pathogenesis of endometriosis is not clearly understood so far,…
Key Points Lay SummaryPost-menopausal women diagnosed with Endometriosis and "Imaging"
Postmenopausal endometriosis is an underrecognized clinical entity that may present similarly to those of younger patients with endometriosis. Radiologists have an important role in the diagnosis of these patients as they recommend which imaging study should be used to differentiate…
Key Points Lay SummaryMedical databases yield 32 published cases of surgically treated liver endometriosis
Prodromidou and colleagues from Greece have published a review of surgically diagnosed, histopathologically proven liver endometriosis cases published worldwide, in the journal "Annals of Hepatology". Searching at three electronic medical databases namely, PubMed (1966–2019), Scopus(2004–2019), and Google Scholar (2004–2019) for…
Key Points Lay SummaryHemorrhagic Ascites, Belly-Blood: The cause may be endometriosis!
A paper on the presentation of hemorrhagic ascites in endometriosis patients, written by Bernard et al. from the United States and China, was published in the journal Fertility and Sterility. From 1978 to 2016, the authors found only 37 articles, which describe 42…
Key Points Lay SummaryCirculating Endometrial Cells
Endometriosis is difficult to diagnose because of non-specific symptoms. Currently, there is no biomarker that allows for non-invasive diagnosis of the condition. Surgical laparoscopy remains the standard for diagnosis. Circulating endometrial cells (CECs) is the lymphovascular spread of endometrial cells.…
Key Points Lay SummaryMRI findings predicting the need for colorectal surgical treatment of deep infiltrating endometriosis
LAY SUMMARY: Brusic A. et al., a group of researchers from Australia, conducted a retrospective study to identify the features of deep infiltrating endometriosis on MRI which have an association with colorectal surgical bowel resection. They have recently published their…
Key Points Lay SummaryIs deep infiltrating rectosigmoid endometriosis a progressive disease?
This study by Netter at al., published in "Human Reproduction" in November 2019 aimed to assess the risk of progression of deep endometriotic nodules infiltrating the rectosigmoid and to evaluate the influence of continuous amenorrhoea (absence of menstruation) on the development…
Key Points Lay SummaryRegret assessment in women under 35 years who underwent hysterectomy
Hysterectomy is the most common gynecological operation in women for the management of benign or malign indications. Leiomyomas, menorrhagia, endometriosis, and pain unresponsive to medical treatment can be accepted as the most common indications for hysterectomy. However, hysterectomy, as the…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis features vs Patient age
Endometriosis, a common gynecological disease, has significant negative impacts on patients’ daily life. Especially in younger women who have yet to achieve pregnancy, effective management should consider the disease progression. Though it is still under debate, some people suggest that…
Key Points Lay SummaryCannabis usage among Australian women with endometriosis
Sinclair J. et al., a group of researchers from Australia, conducted a cross-sectional online survey to determine the prevalence, tolerability, and self-reported effectiveness of cannabis in women with endometriosis. This study included 484 women with complete responses. Of all women,…
Key Points Lay SummaryCloverleaf Sign: A new MRI sign for diagnosing DIE
Magnetic resonance imaging provides accurate information for the staging of deeply infiltrating endometriosis, especially when the patient is virgin, obese or has limited transvaginal examinations due to pelvic pain. In this recently published study in Investive Radiology, Harma et al.…
Key Points Lay SummaryHow Best to Assess Productivity at Work Among Women with Endometriosis?
The health-related productivity questionnaire (HRPQ) is a valid tool to evaluate patient-reported productivity at work and at home among women with endometriosis found a study by U.S. researchers. This finding is important because it shows that HRPQ can be used…
Key Points Lay SummaryRecurrent endometriosis is a real challenge both for the patients and clinicians
Endometriosis is defined as the localization of endometrial stromal and glandular cells outside the uterine cavity. Current medical and surgical treatment options have several limitations including the side effects, costs, risk of recurrence, effects on conception capability. Recurrence is a…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis and Insulin dependent Diabetes Mellitus
Simmen and associates from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Alabama, published a review article about the co-existence of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and endometriosis, in the recent issue of the "Journal of Endocrinology". Insulin-dependent diabetes or T1DM…
Key Points Lay SummaryA new target for the treatment of endometriosis?
Endometriosis affects around 10% of women in reproductive age, estimating more than 176 million women worldwide. Inflammation in the pelvic cavity is very common in endometriosis patients. Therefore, there are high concentrations of cytokines and immune cells in the peritoneal…
Key Points Lay SummaryFactors affecting risk of ovarian endometriosis malignancy
Getting married when older, having had ovarian endometriosis for longer, giving birth in a shorter time, and other complications in the uterus that are benign may all increase the risk of ovarian endometriosis malignancy. This is according to a study…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe effect of endometriosis on implantation in women with endometriosis associated infertility
One of the most common clinical findings of women with endometriosis is fertility problems. Women with endometriosis often benefit from in vitro fertilization methods to get pregnant. However, whether there is a detrimental effect of endometriosis on in vitro fertilization outcomes…
Key Points Lay SummaryA rigorous literature review on endometriosis
Bulun SE. et al., from Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, conducted a rigorous literature review on endometriosis. This outstanding review by Dr. Bulun et al. addresses the definition, remarkable medical features, clinically useful research findings, prevalence and distribution,…
Key Points Lay SummaryThoracic endometriosis: the most frequent endometriosis involvement outside abdominopelvic cavity
Six to ten percent of reproductive-age women are affected by endometriosis, and about 12% are estimated to be outside the abdominopelvic cavity - the most frequent location being the thorax. Endometriosis within the pulmonary parenchyma or on the diaphragm and…
Key Points Lay SummaryMachine Learning Classifiers for Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a complicated gynecological disorder that affects about 176 million women worldwide. It significantly impairs mental and physical quality of life in patients but the etiology is poorly understood. Endometriosis also causes a large economic burden due to loss…
Key Points Lay SummaryTransvaginal Ultrasound of Endometriosis
A recent manuscript published by Collins et al. from the Department of Radiology at Penn State Hershey Medical Center aims to review the transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) evaluation of endometriosis and offer a protocol that is dedicated to the thorough evaluation…
Key Points Lay SummaryIncreased obstetrical complications after ART therapy in endometriosis patients.
To examine the impact of endometriosis and adenomyosis on ART therapy, Harada et al. from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Tottori University, Japan, planned a prospective cohort study and published their results recently in PLoS One. The study…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis of the Appendix
Endometriosis of the gastrointestinal tract is infrequent, and it rarely involves the appendix. A group of researchers from the United States of America reported a case of a 50-year-old postmenopausal woman with endometriosis in the vermiform appendix presenting as acute…
Key Points Lay SummarySerum anti-Müllerian hormone levels for predicting spontaneous pregnancy after endometriosis surgery
Endometriosis is a disease defined as the localization of endometrial glandular and stromal cells outside the uterine cavity. Although there are several medical and surgical therapeutic options, the most effective treatment modality has not yet been elucidated. The main…
Key Points Lay SummaryStudy Sheds Light on Physiological Processes Associated with Endometriosis
Sensory nerves play an important role in the development of endometriosis as well as fibrosis, confirms a study by Chinese researchers. A better understanding of physiological processes associated with the development of endometriosis can help researchers devise new ways to…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis as an epigenetically regulated disease
Endometriosis is defined as the abnormal growth of endometrial tissue outside of the uterus. It affects about 10% of reproductive age women resulting in severe pain and infertility. Among various theories of endometriosis pathogenesis, not a single one has successfully…
Key Points Lay SummaryConsquences of endometriosis in menopausal period.
Marie-Scemama et al. from Foch Hospital, Suresnes, France, referred to endometriosis and menopause which is an actual cruising topic and recently published it in the journal named "Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation". Endometriosis a well-known estrogen-dependent disease has three…
Key Points Lay SummaryIs there any difference between endometriosis patients with or without obliterated cul-de-sac during laparoscopic hysterectomy?
Endometriosis is a disease defined as the localization of endometrial glandular and stromal cells outside the uterine cavity. It is diagnosed in 10% to 15% of reproductive-aged women. Women with endometriosis demand therapy for the most common symptoms, which are…
Key Points Lay SummaryA new technique for laparoscopic management of ovarian endometriosis.
To cause a minimal hazardous effect on ovarian reserve during laparoscopic surgery of endometriomas is always a great concern for clinicians. Shaltout et al. from Cairo University, Egypt, examined the effect of "Surgicel" on preventing the recurrence of endometriomas and…
Key Points Lay SummaryWhich surgical approach for bowel endometriosis?
A group of researchers from Spain, led by Dr. Alicia Hernández Gutiérrez, conducted a retrospective study to compare postoperative complications and recurrence of three surgical techniques: segmental bowel resection (group I), discoid excision (group II), and rectal nodule shaving (group…
Key Points Lay SummaryPerinatal risk factors for endometriosis
Gao M. et al., from Sweden analyzed the associations of maternal and birth characteristics with the risk of endometriosis among Swedish women of reproductive age. They have recently published their study in the "International Journal of Epidemiology". The authors conducted…
Key Points Lay SummaryNew Protein for Endometriosis Diagnosis
A protein called TIMP3 (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3) could be used for the diagnosis and prognosis (likely course) of endometriosis. The early diagnosis of endometriosis is of paramount importance because it can help to diagnosis and thus initiate the right…
Key Points Lay SummaryDoes ovarian endometriosis affect oocyte quality?
Endometriosis is a very common gynecological disorder affecting women in their reproductive years. It is reported that patients with endometriosis have reduced implantation and pregnancy rates compared to healthy women. According to the various previous studies, the quality of the…
Key Points Lay SummaryHow does pregnancy affect endometriosis?
Endometriosis is the localization of endometrial stromal and glandular cells outside the uterine cavity. Pregnancy is offered as a treatment option for patients with endometriosis because it causes atrophy of endometrial cells similar to progesterone treatment. Progesterone predominance during pregnancy,…
Key Points Lay SummaryUsing social media to raise awareness for endometriosis
Raise your hand if you have used internet or social media to search for information today. We all do, every single day. Whether it is a recipe, biography of a favorite singer, reviews of a new restaurant, or today’s weather,…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis and the quality of life
Recent developments of technics and improvement of skill in the laparoscopic field increased the courage of clinicians to attempt early and multiple diagnostic operations on endometriotic patients. Vanuccini et al. from NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Florence, Italy recently published their…
Key Points Lay SummaryIs there an association between endometriosis and sexual activity during menstruation ?
This recent case-control study with 185 women having endometriosis and 370 women as a control group was conducted in Tebriz University, Iran by Dr. Mollazadeh and associates. Contemporarily, retrograde menstruation is a valid theory for disseminating endometrial tissue to the…
Key Points Lay SummaryAnalysis of childless women with endometriosis
Facchin F. et al., from Italy studied if the beliefs of childless women regarding motherhood, female identity, and infertility affected their psychological health. They have recently published their study in the Journal of Health Psychology. The data of this study were…
Key Points Lay SummaryHow Long Does it Take to Be Diagnosed with Endometriosis?
It takes a median of eight years to reach a diagnosis of endometriosis from when the symptoms of the condition first appear confirmed a new British study. Interestingly, it seems that the earlier the symptoms appear, the later the disease…
Key Points Lay SummaryPatients preferences for the treatment of endometriosis-associated pain
Endometriosis is defined as the location of endometrial stroma and glands outside the uterine cavity. The most common presenting complaints are mainly dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility, most of which relate to the menstrual period. Those women affected…
Key Points Lay SummaryMicroRNA Inhibitor as an Endometriosis treatment
Endometriosis is a well-known estrogen-dependent gynecological disorder. This disease affects approximately 20% to 50% of infertile women and 10% of reproductive-aged women resulting in infertility and pelvic pains. In order to find endometriosis-specific treatment, various studies have been tried to…
Key Points Lay SummaryAdolescent dysmenorrhea and future endometriosis
Dysmenorrhoea is typically classified as primary, or secondary due to underlying pathologies like fibroids, endometriosis, adenomyosis or uterine anomalies. Generally, long-term dysmenorrhea is present in endometriotic patient's anamnesis, but until recently, the research to clarify this connection remained retrospective. Knox et…
Key Points Lay SummaryImpact of Endometriosis on Embryo Development
Endometriosis is a hormone-dependent disorder which affects approximately 10% of women in reproductive age. There are many endometriosis-related problems, but infertility is one of the well-known issues which should be handled and understood. Despite numerous trials, the mechanisms and pathology…
Key Points Lay SummaryClinical trial for the use of oral lactobacillus on endometriosis pain severity
The standard treatment of endometriosis consists of surgery and hormonal based treatment. There is evidence for the efficacy of these types of treatment, although their side effects remain a critical consideration for women. Based on molecular studies, changes in the…
Key Points Lay SummaryHow to predict complications for endometriosis surgery?
In a new study co-led by scientists at Sorbonne University, a nomogram is built to better inform patients about the risk of deep endometriosis surgery without bowel involvement. The findings have been published in the European Journal of Obstetrics &…
Key Points Lay SummaryMelatonin receptors and their role in endometrial cell proliferation
Women with endometriosis demand therapy for the most common symptoms, which are pelvic pain and infertility. Despite extensive research, the exact pathophysiological mechanism and the optimal management of endometriosis still remains unclear. Management of endometriosis should aim to relieve pain,…
Key Points Lay SummaryAtherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and endometriosis
Dr. Omur Taskin and associates from British Columbia, Canada, have recently published a review regarding the potential link between atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and endometriosis in The Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of…
Key Points Lay SummaryNot a malignancy, it is "polypoid endometriosis"
Ghafoor S. et al., from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NY, USA, has recently reported a case of a 60-year-old postmenopausal woman with an incidental pelvic mass mimicking a pelvic malignancy on ultrasound. Their paper has been published in the…
Key Points Lay SummaryDNA repair defects and Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a hormone-dependent disorder and highly associated with inflammation. It is well suggested that endometriosis increases the risks of developing cancers such as ovarian, breast, endocrine, and colorectal cancers. Compared to cancer, there are many similarities in endometriosis. Well-known characteristics…
Key Points Lay SummaryWhat happens to women with endometriosis after menopause?
Endometriosis affects women in their reproductive period of life, with expected regression of lesions in the postmenopausal period. Literature about postmenopausal endometriosis assessing the prevalence, pathogenesis, and treatment is limited. As 2-5 % of postmenopausal women are affected by this uncommon condition, developing stress…
Key Points Lay SummaryDisparities in Access to Healthcare in Women with Endometriosis
There are significant differences in the use of medical services and prescriptions between women with endometriosis who have private healthcare and those who don’t. This is according to a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. This…
Key Points Lay SummaryA miniaturized version of endometrium: organoids for endometriosis research
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe accuracy of "lower endoscopic ultrasound" for the preoperative diagnosis of rectosigmoid endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryPlausible biomarkers for noninvasive endometriosis diagnosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryNanotechnology as a tool for targeted therapy of endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryHow to Classify Endometriosis for a better and effective evaluation
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryMortality of 49956 midlife women with surgically verified endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryWhich Diagnosis Technique is Better?
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryPregnancy with endometriosis
Current literature suggests that complications of endometriosis during pregnancy are rare; however, a non-negligible increase in the likelihood of placenta accreta (placenta grows too deeply into the uterine wall), preterm birth, and cesarean delivery has been reported. With the increase…
Key Points Lay SummaryPrescription Opioid Use in Women With Endometriosis
In this study, researchers examined opioid use, opioid prescribing patterns, and timing of the first opioid prescription in endometriosis patients compared with matched women in the control group without endometriosis. A retrospective analysis of Optum Clinformatics Data Mart was conducted.…
Key Points Lay SummaryInfertility in women with endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe Effect of Imbalanced Progesterone Receptors-A/B on Gelatinase Expressions in Endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryFusion US/MR imaging in the evaluation of deep infiltrating endometriosis
Scioscia M. et al., from Italy presented a case of a large deep infiltrating nodule of the uterosacral ligament and discussed the importance of a relatively new technique, fusion US/MR imaging in their article. The article containing a video of…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis that involves the nerves: how Radiologists can help
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryA position statement of diagnosing and treating endometriosis for gynecologists.
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryBotox as a promising treatment for chronic pelvic pain in endometriosis
Botulinum toxin (Botox) for treating chronic pelvic pain specifically addressing women with endometriosis has been studied for the first time by Tandon et al., from Bethesda, Maryland, USA. Their paper has recently been published in the journal Regional Anesthesia &…
Key Points Lay SummaryMRI or TVS for accurate diagnosis of rectosigmoid endometriosis?
Rectosigmoid endometriosis (RE) is seen in about 90% of patients with bowel endometriosis. Rectosigmoid is the region between the rectum and the sigmoid colon, which is a region easily accessed and assessed by two most common noninvasive imaging modalities –…
Key Points Lay SummaryHealth care resource utilization and cost in women with endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryChronic Fatigue Syndrome and Endometriosis: Comorbid Conditions
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryPatients with Pelvic Pain Most Likely to Benefit from Endometriosis Surgery
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…
Key Points Lay SummarySurgical treatment of deeply infiltrating endometriosis in tertiary treatment centers
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe predictors for the coexistence of uterine leiomyomas and endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryControl on endometriosis progression by a "tyrosine kinase inhibitor"
B cells, which are important players of the immune system, are increased in the blood and peritoneal cavity of endometriosis patients. Activation of B cells and the presence of anti-endometrial autoantibodies have been also been described in women with endometriosis,…
Key Points Lay SummaryTransvaginal Ultrasound and the Imaging of Endometriosis
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,…
Key Points Lay SummaryImportance of monocytic myeloid derived supressor cells in endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay Summary"Endometriosis", "Fibromyalgia" and "Autoimmune diseases"
Greenbaum et al. from Israel, investigated the prevalence of and the association between endometriosis, fibromyalgia and autoimmune diseases in a large population database and described healthcare resource utilization in affected women. Their study has been published in the "American Journal…
Key Points Lay SummarySeven Hormonal Biomarkers for Diagnosing Endometriosis
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.…
Key Points Lay SummaryBaby Years and the Risk of Endometriosis
Early-life factors such as whether a baby was breastfed, have had vaginal bleeding at birth, or whether or not their father was a smoker may be associated with her risk of developing endometriosis in later life. This is according to…
Key Points Lay SummaryAnalogous pathways of peritoneal tumor wound healing and endometriosis.
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndocrine-disrupting chemicals – yet another environmental factor associated with endometriosis?
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryUrocortin: A biomarker deserving investigation for endometriosis patients
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe coelomic metaplasia hypothesis of endometriosis in MRKH cases
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryENDORECT scoring system to identify patients at risk for rectosigmoid endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis pathophysiology: research in genes updated
Endometriosis has a broad spectrum of environmental influences and genetic factors. I In this recently published review article in Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, Vassilopoulou and associates present information about gene‑gene and gene‑environment interactions involved in endometriosis and discuss the effectiveness…
Key Points Lay SummaryNovel inhibitors of estrogen biosynthesis
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…
Key Points Lay SummarySearching new biomarkers for endometriosis
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,…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe association of significant hemoperitoneum (blood in the abdominal cavity) and deep pelvic endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe Wnt/b-catenin signaling in endometriosis
Endometriosis is a very common gynecological disorder, which affects approximately 10% of reproductive-aged women, and is one of the most common reasons for infertility. The normal endometrium undergoes cyclical remodeling under control of sex hormones secreted by ovaries- estrogen and…
Key Points Lay SummaryNon‑invasive biomarkers for endometriosis diagnosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe reason for lower BMI and less body fat in women with endometriosis.
Zolbin et al. from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, USA, recently published the results of their prospective controlled research on adipocyte alterations in endometriosis, in the journal "Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology". Endometriosis can…
Key Points Lay SummaryFibrogenesis in endometriosis: The role of neuropeptides
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryPathophysiology of peritoneal endometriosis pain.
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe genetic predisposition to endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryA new hope for a "targeted" drug for endometriosis
Lin et al. from National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, recently published in"Theranostics" the article entitled "Targeting Anthrax Toxin Receptor 2 Ameliorates Endometriosis Progression”, report that ANTRX2 may be a novel therapeutic target for endometriosis. Thinking that the adhesion should be the first and the…
Key Points Lay SummaryAnti-angiogenic treatment for endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryProposed algorithm for a clinical diagnosis of endometriosis.
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryAdenomyosis (endometriosis interna): an enigmatic disease that has to be discovered yet
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.…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometrial single cells to contribute preexisting endometriosis.
Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent inflammatory disease. This disease affects approximately 10% of reproductive-aged women and 20% to 50% of infertile women. Multiple hypotheses have been proposed for the origin of endometriosis. Retrograde menstruation is believed to take part by the…
Key Points Lay SummaryReducing the Risk of Recurrence After Endometriosis Surgery
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryAntibiotic therapy for endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe postoperative functional outcomes of deep infiltrating endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryA new trial to reduce the failure of IVF/ICS protocols in severe endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis and nuclear receptors
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryBladder Endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe coexistence deep infiltrating endometriosis and fibromyalgia
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryMRI-based "ENZIAN" scoring system and intra-operative endometriosis findings
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryEpithelial Mutations in Endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryA highly sensitive Immunohistochemical Marker for Stromal Cells in endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryA guide on the Assessment of Pelvic Endometriosis Imaging
Endometriosis is a disease whereby ectopic endometrial-like tissue invades and survives outside of the endometrial cavity. While biopsy-proven confirmation of endometriosis during laparoscopy has been considered the gold standard for diagnosis, non-invasive imaging modalities are increasingly being utilized for preoperative…
Key Points Lay SummaryCan early-life exposures affect endometriosis development later in life?
Endometriosis is a complex disease with possible multifactor contributors. So far, inflammatory, immunogenic, genetic, and environmental factors have all been associated with endometriosis. In addition, it is possible that different types of endometriosis lesions – peritoneal, ovarian, and deep infiltrating…
Key Points Lay SummaryChoosing the Right Technique for Deep Colorectal Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a benign gynecologic condition, histologically defined by the presence of ectopic endometrium outside the endometrial cavity. Three clinical presentations of endometriosis have been described and could coexist in the pelvis: peritoneal endometriosis, ovarian endometriosis, and deep infiltrating endometriosis.…
Key Points Lay SummaryOvarian stimulation regimes: Concerns on progression or recurrence of endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryPreoperative factors to predict unresponsiveness in women undergoing endometriosis surgery
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryImpact of Endometriosis-Related Adhesions on Quality of Life among Infertile Women
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryMenstrual blood-derived stem cells
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). …
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis involving the superficial peritoneum in Adolescents: Surgical Management
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryPolymorphisms of STAT4 gene in the pathogenesis of endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe appearance of postoperative endometriosis by imaging methods
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis and infertility: current concepts
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryGal-3 can be a pharmacological target in endometriosis treatment
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)…
Key Points Lay SummaryEstrogen Receptor Signaling and Endometriosis-Associated Ovarian Cancer
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryImmunologic Disorder in the Progression of Endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe miscarriage rate in women with endometriosis undergoing IVF fresh cycles
Endometriosis is a chronic estrogen-dependent disease diagnosed in 25-40% of women with infertility. There are several mechanisms explaining the negative impacts of endometriosis on fertility through the entire reproductive process such as sperm-oocyte interaction, ovarian reserve, and implantation. Endometriosis is…
Key Points Lay SummaryLong non‐coding RNA, Epithelial mesenchymal transition, and Endometriosis
Endometriosis is an estrogen‐dependent inflammatory gynecologic disease and requires attention. However, an in‐depth understanding of the latent pathogenesis of endometriosis development and its new innovative therapeutics are urgently needed. Epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) refers to the special biological process of epithelial…
Key Points Lay SummaryWhich comes first in endometriosis management: In vitro fertilization or surgery?
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…
Key Points Lay SummarySelf-management of endometriosis symptoms: from Australia
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryPriorities and Unmet Needs of Endometriosis Management
Endometriosis is a systemic, chronic disease that is a significant contributor to morbidity in young women. Although endometriosis has gained increasing attention in the medical field, scientific progress for an effective and definitive treatment modality is progressing slowly. The Society…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometrioma, Fertility, and Assisted Reproduction
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.…
Key Points Lay SummaryBuilding an ultrasonographic database for superficial endometriosis.
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.…
Key Points Lay SummaryPAX8 immunohistochemistry in the diagnosis of Extragenital Endometriosis
This study is performed by Arakawa T et al., from the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan, and the results are published in Reproductive Sciences. Endometriosis is seen in many organs including peritoneum, ovaries, bowel, bladder, and even lung. Histopathologic diagnosis may…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe association between the development of endometriosis and dietary habits
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryBowel endometriosis: What you need to know
When the endometrial tissue infiltrates the intestinal walls and reaches inside the intestines, this condition is called "bowel endometriosis". It is estimated that between 3.8% and 37% of women with endometriosis are affected by bowel endometriosis. The endometriosis lesions infiltrating…
Key Points Lay SummarySigns and Symptoms on Transvaginal Ultrasound associated with the presence of endometriosis.
Endometriosis is a disease whereby ectopic endometrial cells are present outside of the uterus. Transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) is a highly specific test for endometriomas and deep endometriosis to assess the involvement of endometriosis in the posterior anatomic compartments. While the…
Key Points Lay SummaryExosome: a new avenue for endometriosis research
Endometriosis affects 10% of reproductive-aged women. The pathophysiology of this disease remains mysterious, with a lack of effective biomarkers necessitating surgical intervention for diagnosis. This creates an urgent need for accurate noninvasive diagnostic tests and the identification of effective therapeutic…
Key Points Lay SummaryAdditional research in understanding the causative link between Notch signaling and endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryCan we prevent the progression of endometriosis?
Torres-Reveron et al. from the University of Texas, USA, planned this prospective laboratory research on female rats to assay the reduce on the progression of endometriosis and recently published the results in PloS One. At first, endometriosis was induced in female rats…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis and female pelvic pain in all aspects
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe relationship between periodontal disease and endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryClonal Proliferation and Cancer Associated Mutations in normal uterine endometrium and endometriosis
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),…
Key Points Lay SummaryVaginal Sexual Intercourse during Menstruation
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.…
Key Points Lay SummarySomatic mutations in iatrogenic endometriosis.
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryMistletoe as a Potential Candidate for Endometriosis Treatment
Endometriosis, one of the common benign gynecologic disorders, is defined as the ectopic presence of endometrial cells outside of the uterine cavity. Although the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood, the most accepted hypothesis is that endometrial cells pass through…
Key Points Lay SummarySurgical techniques for rectosigmoid endometriosis, and functional outcomes
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryA new theory in the pathogenesis of endometriosis
Koninckx et. al., from various countries, have conducted this review, which will be published in Fertility and Sterility. Endometriosis is known for a century. The disease has a variable course in a patient, which may include pain, infections, and infertility.…
Key Points Lay SummaryDevelopment of Less Invasive Diagnostic Tests for Endometriosis Through Proteomics
Proteomics is a field which utilizes various methods to carry out large-scale studies of proteins. Due to the inherent nature of the field, proteomics focuses on the identification, localization, and functional analysis of the protein make-up of a given type…
Key Points Lay SummaryNew scientific evidence supporting robotic surgical approach to ureteric endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryConservative Surgery May Be Sufficient to Halt the Development of Deep Endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe association of endometriosis and peritoneal malignant mesothelioma
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryIs the mystery for progression of endometriosis hiding out in abnormally located endometrial cells?
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe role of circulating microRNA's in Endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis-associated pain control by contraceptive implant or intrauterine system
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryFactors related to delay in endometriosis diagnosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryDoes the presence of endometriosis increase the risk of gynecologic malignancies?
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryExtragenital endometriosis and ultrasound
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryLipophilic Statins inhibit growth and invasiveness of human endometrial cells
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryCan we Inhibit the Survival of Endometriosis?
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryPelvic pain, congenital genital tract anomalies and endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryFurther Results From the FEELING Study Published
Some women are more likely to develop deep infiltrating endometriosis according to the further analysis of the results of the FEELING study. These are women who: are married, are older, have siblings, have had a prior pregnancy, or for whom…
Key Points Lay SummaryWhat clinicians know about adenomyosis? Any association with severe endometriosis?
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryImmune dysregulation in endometriosis
The connection between endometriosis and the immune system has long been proposed. However, to date, there is no real consensus on whether immune adaptations actually facilitate endometriotric lesion progression or they are a consequence of endometriosis re-occurrence. Thus, this article…
Key Points Lay SummaryTargeted therapy biomarkers in endometriosis associated ovarian carcinomas
Endometriosis in ovaries is a known precursor of endometrioid and clear cell carcinomas. They may be resistant to classical therapies. Researchers search for alternative and targeted therapy options. This study, from the University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, will be…
Key Points Lay SummaryA Brief Review of Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a common disease among women of reproductive age. It is more frequently seen among women without prior pregnancies, women with a family history of endometriosis, and women with abnormal menstrual periods. Peiris et al., researchers from the United…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis: A review on anatomic principles and the management
In the study of Alimi et al. which has been published in the journal Cureus, various aspects of endometriosis such as the pathophysiology, the anatomy, the pain mechanism, the perineural spread theory, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and imaging, infertility, unusual cases,…
Key Points Lay SummaryLaparoscopic mesenteric vascular and nerve sparing surgery as a tool for DIE resection
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryAre women with histologically confirmed endometriosis satisfied with their medical support?
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryAnti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects of "Quercetin" on endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe use of Elagolix in Women with Liver and Kidney Impairments
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryProgesterone Receptor Status in Endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryProgrammed-cell death pathway and immune dysfunction in endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryDrugs targeting estrogen biosynthesis opening up new approaches to the treatment of endometriosis.
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryHow to predict natural conception in women underwent endometriosis surgery?
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryPreoperative Staging of Endometriosis: The Value of MRI After Dynamic Transvaginal Ultrasound
Since endometriosis is a chronic and progressive disease, early diagnosis and proper staging are important for the patient and for the clinician to discuss and plan the required surgical procedures for treatment. Common diagnostic tools for pre-operative staging of deep…
Key Points Lay SummaryAn overlooked symptom of endometriosis: Fatigue
A majority of endometriosis patients experience fatigue. This is according to a multicenter study conducted by a group of researchers from Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. Fatigue, and feeling spoonie, may be a symptom of endometriosis affecting the daily activities and…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe pain and its severity in deeply infiltrating endometriosis patients
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryAny adjustable risk factor for Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is believed to be estrogen and progesterone-dependent. Lifestyle factors such as alcohol/caffeine intake, smoking, and physical activity influence estrogen levels in the body and, therefore, may impact the development of endometriosis. In the study of Hemmert et al. which…
Key Points Lay SummaryIs Physical Exercise Effective in Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is defined as the localization of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. Dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility are mostly encountered symptoms of endometriosis. Although there are several theories explaining the pathogenesis of endometriosis, the exact pathogenesis still has…
Key Points Lay SummaryDoes ovarian endometrioma damage the ovarian reserve?
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe diagnosis and management of endometriosis in Korea
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryA novel neurotransmitter, Ninj1, has been found to be expressed in endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryCan MRI be used to detect anterior pelvic endometriotic lesions?
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,…
Key Points Lay SummaryFeasibility of MRI-Transvaginal Ultrasound Imaging for Deeply Infiltrating Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disease whereby endometrial tissue is present outside of endometrium. A specific form of endometriosis, Deeply Infiltrating Endometriosis (DIE), is characterized by endometriotic glands that invade through the endometrium and other structures in the pelvis and is associated…
Key Points Lay SummaryDoes deep infiltrating endometriosis affect sexual activity?
Endometriosis is one of the most common gynecological diseases in women of reproductive age, and pelvic pain and infertility are the most frequent complications. There are three different type of endometriosis lesions; superficial lesions, deep lesions, and ovarian cysts. In…
Key Points Lay SummaryAutophagy, proteolysis and Endometriosis
Sui et al., a group of researchers from the Qiqihar Medical University and Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, recently published in Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine. The piece titled “Expression and significance of autophagy genes LC3, Beclin1 and MMP-2 in endometriosis”…
Key Points Lay SummaryBest endometriosis articles of the past year.
Dr.Stowall, from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Methodist Hospital, Dallas, Texas, USA penned this letter and recently published it in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology to show his remarks of importance on four best publications of the…
Key Points Lay SummaryThree dimensional sono-vaginography to diagnose rectovaginal endometriosis
Deep infiltrating endometriosis is defined as the localization of ectopic endometrial tissue penetrating more than 5 mm into the affected pelvic organs. Rectovaginal endometriosis is the most severe form of deep infiltrating endometriosis in which ectopic endometrial tissue infiltrating rectum…
Key Points Lay SummaryProgrammed cell death 4 suppresses endometriosis by inhibiting autophagy and NF-κB/MMP2/MMP9 signal pathway
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryAnatomic distribution of endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryHow Ovarian Endometriomas and DIE affect ART outcomes
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…
Key Points Lay SummarySuffering in Silence
Although quantitative and qualitative studies have established that endometriosis has a negative impact on multiple domains of quality of life, the majority of qualitative studies to date have used focus groups and interviews. These data collection methods may limit disclosure…
Key Points Lay SummaryMaternal and fetal outcomes in women with endometriosis : A review and meta-analysis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryCould Endometriosis-Related Infertility Be Genetic?
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryNon-assisted reproductive technology treatment: Is it effective in infertile patients with advanced endometriosis?
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryIL-37 regulates ectopic endometrial stromal cells to prevent endometriosis
Endometriosis has been identified as a chronic inflammatory disease. It has been shown that in the plasma and peritoneal fluid, women with endometriosis exhibit aberrant numbers of immune cells and concentrations of cytokines and chemokines that promote a chronic inflammatory…
Key Points Lay SummaryPROPOFOL: a new combat for endometriosis?
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryParametrial endometriosis: A harder form of endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryQuality of life for women with endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryVitamin D and Endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis involvement of the pouch of Douglas: TVUS vs pelvic exam
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryWill I Have Complications After Endometriosis Surgery?
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryInhibition of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway for the treatment of endometriosis.
Dr. Matsuzaki et al. (2018) published a paper entitled ‘In vitro and in vivo effects of MK2206 and chloroquine combination therapy on endometriosis’ showing that the efficacy of MK2206, an Akt inhibitor, in combination with chloroquine for inducing autophagy in…
Key Points Lay SummaryLaparoscopic surgery of endometriosis through three compartments
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryHow to preserve fertility in women with “ovarian endometriosis”?
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryMultimodality imaging and clinicopathologic assessment of abdominal wall endometriosis
Abdominal wall endometriosis is a rare clinical entity frequently diagnosed with a significant delay and easily misinterpreted despite multimodality imaging. In the study of Jaramillo-Cardoso et al. which has recently been published in the journal Abdominal Radiology, the clinical, multimodality…
Key Points Lay SummaryMTA1 as a predictor for the progression of endometriosis.
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryA rare location of endometriosis: Perineum
A rare case of perineal endometriosis is reported by Dr. Ravikant, from India, and has been recently published in the "Journal of Medical Ultrasound". The patient, a 28-year-old woman with one living child, presented with a 6-month history of a…
Key Points Lay SummaryShedding light on the fertility preservation debate in women with endometriosis: a swot analysis.
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryFighting with endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryCosmetics and some household products could be responsible for worsening endometriosis.
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryTransvaginal ultrasound for "rectosigmoid endometriosis" diagnosis: Is bowel preparation necessary?
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryToxic Pelvic Cavity and Infertility
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryReduced pain and increased fertiliy rates after surgery for colorectal endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryIVF Is the Best Option to Become Pregnant for Women with Severe Endometriosis, or Is It Not?
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometrioma and endometriosis
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryHow to evaluate ureteral endometriosis : A review of the literature
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryComorbidity Risks Among Women with Endometriosis
Evidence demonstrates that endometriosis is associated with higher rates of conditions such as ovarian and other gynecological cancers, thyroid cancer, autoimmune diseases, asthma/atopic diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. However, as findings remain fragmented, there is a need to assess these associations…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis in adolescents
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryA Better Way to Diagnose Endometriosis?
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryPain and emotion regulation predict health-related quality of life
Studies have established that pain in endometriosis is negatively correlated with HRQL and that endometriosis is associated with psychological problems, anxiety, depression, distress and poor coping ability. It has been observed that some mental conditions associated with endometriosis are modulated…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometriosis as a chronic disease: The benefits for the patients
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryHow are endometriosis patients managed clinically?
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…
Key Points Lay SummaryFDA Approves Endometriosis Pain Treatment
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new medication for the treatment of moderate to severe pain associated with endometriosis, making it the first treatment to be approved in 10 years. The decision was announced in the Journal…
Key Points Lay Summary