Endometriosis is characterized by the presence of tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (endometrial-like) located outside the uterus. These fragments are different structurally, and behave differently, from the normal endometrium which is shed during a period (see Role of Estrogen Receptor-β and Progesterone Resistance in Endometriosis). This tissue causes pain, infertility, and organ dysfunction due to inflammation, invasion into structures in the body, and scar tissue. Endometriosis impacts approximately 1 in 10 individuals assigned female at birth and is rare in individuals assigned male at birth. Symptoms are often dismissed as “bad cramps” leading to an average 10 year delay in diagnosis.
Definition: “Endometriosis is defined as the presence of endometrial glands and stroma like lesions outside of the uterus.”
Parasar, P., Ozcan, P., & Terry, K. L. (2017). Endometriosis: epidemiology, diagnosis and clinical management. Current obstetrics and gynecology reports, 6(1), 34-41. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13669-017-0187-1
Endometriosis Overview
*This is a scholastic paper on endometriosis shared with us. Endometriosis by Heidi Hill Endometriosis is an inflammatory disorder defined by the presence of glandular endometrial and stromal cells outside the uterine cavity (Becker, 2015). An estimated 11% of women
Staging and Categories of Endometriosis
Staging So you’ve been told your endometriosis is a certain stage, but what does that mean? The most widely used staging system for endometriosis, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine’s (ASRM), is based on how it affects fertility, not how
Origin Theories of Endometriosis
Where does endometriosis come from? There are several theories as to why and when endometriosis develops, although none have been proven definitively. Latest research demonstrates endometriosis lesions can be found in embryos thus highlighting that it can be laid down
More Evidence Against Reflux Theory of Origin
Age-stratified Laterality of Endometriosis Does Not Support Reflux Menstruation as the Origin of Endometriosis Unpublished Scientific Article Cindy M Mosbrucker MDDavid B Redwine MD Private practice2190 NE ProfessionalBend, Oregon 97701541-382-8622 Funding: none Synopsis The age-stratified laterality of distribution of endometriosis
The Many Appearances of Endo
Endometriosis has been described as appearing in many different colors: clear, white, red, yellow, brown, and black (Yeung, Sinervo, Winer, & Albee, 2011). Lesions have also been described as “petechial, vesicular, polypoid, hemorrhagic, red flame-like” (Agarwal & Subramanian, 2010). The
Histology of Endometriosis
Histological appearance of endometriosis refers to what it looks like under the microscope. This is done when a biopsy or removed tissue (excised tissue) is sent to the pathologist for confirmation. Overall histological appearance: Busca, A. and Parra-Herran, C. (2017).
Locations of endometriosis
Studies: Charatsi, D., Koukoura, O., Ntavela, I. G., Chintziou, F., Gkorila, G., Tsagkoulis, M., … & Daponte, A. (2018). Gastrointestinal and urinary tract endometriosis: a review on the commonest locations of extrapelvic endometriosis. Advances in medicine, 2018. Retrieved from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/amed/2018/3461209/ “Endometriotic lesions
Weird places endometriosis has been found
Endometriosis Where?!? Although very rare, endometriosis can show up in surprising places. Here are a few case studies: Vaginal Cuff Arkerson, B. J., Wyckoff, E. T., & Moawad, N. S. (2018). Vaginal Cuff Endometriosis with Endometrial Hyperplasia: A Rare Cause
Role of Estrogen Receptor-β in Endometriosis
This study describes some of the differences between endometriosis lesions and tissue from the uterus (endometrium). It describes the resistance to hormonal treatments, possibly due to the difference in the hormonal receptors on endometriosis lesions versus normal endometrium. While estrogen
Progesterone Resistance in Endometriosis
The following studies elaborate on progesterone resistance in endometriosis lesions. This progesterone resistance could provide a clue as to why some people do not respond to progestin therapy. It also is a clue as to why estrogen exerts such a
Leptin and its role in endometriosis
We’ve heard about leptin and its role in weight gain/loss, but did you know leptin does more than that? “Subsequent work has confirmed that leptin has a pleiotrophic role on the immune response and can rightly be considered, both structurally and
Risks of Heart Disease, Perspective on Research
Risks of Heart Disease, Perspective on Research Guest Editorial exclusively for Nancy’s Nook:James Dana Kondrup, M.D., FACOG, ACGEMinimally Invasive SurgeonAssistant Clinical Professor at Upstate Medical CenterSyracuse NY – Binghamton CampusBinghamton N.Y. April 3, 2016 Recently a scientific article appeared in