Prevalence of Endometriosis in Adolescent Girls With Chronic Pelvic Pain Not Responding to Conventional Therapy. Have We Underestimated?

Abstract

The prevalence of endometriosis in adolescents with chronic pelvic pain has previously been reported to range from 25%-47%. With improved patient selection restricted to adolescents who have failed conventional medical management with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and oral contraceptives (OCPs), two studies have reported the prevalence to be as high as 73%. Several recent advances have improved our ability to detect atypical lesions of endometriosis in adolescents on laparoscopy.