Endometriosis

Importance: Endometriosis is a chronic, estrogen-dependent, inflammatory disease defined by endometrial-like tissue (lesions) outside the uterine lining. It affects up to 10% of women worldwide, and 9 million women in the US, during reproductive years. Observations: Endometriosis has varying clinical presentations; however, 90% of people with endometriosis report pelvic pain, including dysmenorrhea, nonmenstrual pelvic pain, and dyspareunia, and 26% report infertility. Risk factors for endometriosis include younger age at menarche, shorter menstrual cycle length, lower body mass index, nulliparity, and congenital obstructive müllerian anomalies such as obstructed hemivagina. Although definitive diagnosis…