How is Endometriosis Diagnosed?

Discussion Endometriosis is classically defined as endometrial tissue occurring outside the uterine lining. It is a common cause of chronic pelvic pain and dysmenorrhea in adolescents. It can present differently in adolescents than adult women and usually can appear like many other common problems such as chronic constipation or gastrointestinal dysmotility. It is estimated that ~25-38% of adolescents with chronic pelvic pain have endometriosis. Use of clinical criteria versus laparoscopic documentation of disease makes the epidemiology of this problem more challenging. The cause is not wholly agreed upon but many believe the idea of retrograde menstruation through the fallopian tubes with seeding of the peritoneal cavity, and with implantation and growth of the endometrial tissue as the cause. Yet, many women (up to 90%) can have retrograde menstruation, implying that other factors probably are involved and it is likely multifactorial. There are rare cases of premenarchal girls also being diagnosed with endometriosis. Adolescents present with pelvic pain that can be cyclic, acyclic or both with about 2/3s of adolescents presenting with both types of pain whereas adult women usually have cyclic pain. Other common symptoms include constipation, diarrhea, dysuria or urgency, dyspareunia in sexually active teens, and adolescents with endometriosis also have a higher migraine headache prevalence. Adolescents also report an inferior quality of life compared with normal teens. Medi...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news