Extragenital Endometriosis Research Articles

Organization of the Cytoskeleton in Ectopic Foci of the Endometrium with Rare Localization.

(1) Background: Endometriosis is a common pathology of the female reproductive system, often accompanied by pain and decreased fertility. However, its pathogenesis has not been sufficiently studied regarding the role of the cytoskeleton. In this study, we describe two clinical cases involving rare localization of extragenital endometriosis (umbilicus) and compare them with genital endometriosis of different localization (ovaries and uterus), as well as eutopic endometrium obtained with separate diagnostic curettage without confirmed pathology. (2) Methods: The relative content of actin and tubulin cytoskeleton proteins was determined by Western blotting, and the expression of genes encoding these proteins was determined by RT-PCR in the obtained intraoperative biopsies. The content of 5hmC was estimated by dot blot experiments, and the methylase/demethylase and acetylase/deacetylase contents were determined. (3) Results: The obtained results indicate that the content of the actin-binding protein alpha-actinin1 significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the groups with endometriosis, and this increase was most pronounced in patients with umbilical endometriosis. In addition, both the mRNA content of the ACTN1 gene and 5hmC content increased. It can be assumed that the increase in 5hmC is associated with a decrease in the TET3 demethylase content. Moreover, in the groups with extragenital endometriosis, alpha- and beta-tubulin content was decreased (p < 0.05) compared to the control levels. (4) Conclusions: In analyzing the results, further distance of ectopic endometrial foci from the eutopic localization may be associated with an increase in the content of alpha-actinin1, probably due to an increase in the expression of its gene and an increase in migration potential. In this case, a favorable prognosis can be explained by a decrease in tubulin content and, consequently, a decrease in the rate of cell division.

Primary umbilical endometriosis: Radical excision (omphalectomy) and laparoscopic management of associated pelvic endometriosis in a low resource tertiary hospital.

Primary umbilical endometriosis (PUE) is a rare condition affecting 0.5 - 1% of all extragenital endometriosis cases. We reviewed the data of five women with umbilical endometriosis retrospectively. The age range was 29 - 46 years, and they were all nulligravid at presentation. Common clinical presentation was umbilical pain and masses, dysmenorrhea, and primary infertility. Radical umbilical excision was performed to remove the nodule as a definitive treatment. Diagnostic laparoscopy was performed, followed by varying degrees of operative laparoscopic procedures. They all had endometriosis in the pelvis. Three out of five women operated became pregnant and had live births. Complete resolution of clinical symptoms with a reduction in umbilical and menstrual pain scores occurred. In resource-constrained settings, diagnosis, and treatment of PUE may be challenging. Clinical suspicion and appropriate case management are critical for good reproductive outcomes and quality of life.

Rare cause of painless lower gastrointestinal bleeding: A case report.

Introduction and importanceEndometriosis is a complex disease in which an abnormal uterine lining-like estrogen-dependent cells settle outside the uterine cavity. Gastrointestinal tract is the commonly affected region in extragenital endometriosis.Case presentationA 44-year-old female patient suffering from intermittent hematochezia for the past three months was presented with no medical history or any other symptoms correlating with current complaints. Clinical examination showed the patient in good condition with soft abdomen without evidence of tenderness or palpable mass or any sign of haemorrhoids or fissures. Initial abdominal sonography revealed a 20 × 25 mm hypoechoic change in caecal region. Colonoscopic biopsies and histopathological examination revealed only colon mucosa with mucosal oedema and an unspecific inflammatory reactive regenerative polypoid with no evidence of tumor tissue adenoma. Intermittent hematochezia of the patient got worse in the following months without any other concurrent symptom. Laparoscopically assisted ileocecal resection with a sutured side-to-side ileoascendostomy was then performed. The patient was kept on enhanced recovery program and was discharged on the fourth post-operative day with analgesics.Clinical discussionPatients who present with diagnostic challenges or fails to respond to initial treatments for alternative gastrointestinal diagnoses (e.g., IBS), should be analyzed for endometriosis especially in patients with a history or risk factors including nulliparity, early menarche, haematocolpos, retrograde menstruation or even positive family history.ConclusionEndometriosis must be considered as a gastrointestinal pathology as much as gynecological one, and the gastrointestinal surgeons and physicians should be aware of its symptoms or presentation.

Extragenital endometriosis as a cause of catamenial pneumothorax in women: own experience

Introduction. Catamenial pneumothorax is one of the most difficult to diagnose types of spontaneous pneumothorax in women. The cause of the latter is ectragenital localization of endometriosis. To date, there is no clear pathogenetically determined treatment and treatment algorithm for the management of this category of patients. Objective: to analyze and structure our own experience in the treatment of catamenial pneumothorax. Materials and methods. For the period 2011–2020 in the Thoracoabdominal Department of the SI "Zaytcev Institute of General and Emergency Surgery of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine" 7 women with catamenial pneumothorax were on inpatient treatment. Results. After additional examination, all patients underwent draining of the pleural cavity with Bulau as the first stage after the diagnosis was established. At the second stage, all patients underwent minimally invasive surgical interventions – videothoracoscopic resection of the endometriosis-affected areas of the costal parietal pleura and diaphragm, mechanical pleurarasion and pleurodesis, using fibrin-collagen plates in the areas of diaphragm defects. There were no postoperative complications or deaths. Conclusion. In the treatment of extragenital endometriosis complicated by catamenial pneumothorax, not only thoracic surgeons, but also obstetrician-gynecologists should take part in order to create multidisciplinary commissions aimed primarily at determining the pathogenetically determined treatment tactics. Key words: extragenital endometriosis, catamenial pneumothorax, videothoracoscopy, surgical treatment.

Intestinal endometriosis: features of clinical and morphological diagnostics

A clinical observation of the combined endometriotic lesion of the small intestine and the appendix is given below. Extragenital endometriosis is a rare pathology in which endometrioid heterotopies develop outside the reproductive system organs. At about 1825% of women suffering from the pelvic organs endometriosis, the intestines are involved in the pathological process. In this regard, it is believed that in most cases its lesion is secondary while the primary lesion of the intestine with endometriosis is rarely observed and occurs as a result of hematogenous introduction of endometrial elements into the intestinal wall. Of all parts of the intestine, endometriosis most often affects the rectum and sigmoid colon (7080%), then the jejunum, less often the cecum. The most rare gastrointestinal tract endometriosis localization is the appendix, the frequency of its lesion is 0.8%. It was carried out in a clinicopathologic analysis of 14 endometriosis cases in various parts of the intestine (4 cases of the small intestine lesions, 2 rectosigmoid part of the large intestine, 2 rectum, 2 sigmoid colon, 3 appendix, 1 combined lesion of the small intestine and the appendix). In most cases, the clinical diagnosis of extragenital endometriosis is difficult, and as a rule women come with complaints typical of acute surgical pathology: intestinal obstruction, appendicitis. An important role in differential diagnosis is given to the ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs and abdominal cavity, magnetic resonance imaging, endoscopic research methods, as well as the connection of clinical symptoms with the menstrual cycle.

Endometriosis of the anterior abdominal wall: ultrasound imaging data

Endometriosis of the anterior abdominal wall is a rare disease comprising 0.3–3.5 %. In turn, its diagnosis is quite challenging due to the nonspecific picture, including pain in the anterior abdominal wall during menstruation. Upon clinical examination, a thickened area may be observed in the anterior abdominal wall, usually in the area of tissue involved in surgery. Ultrasound examination is a simple, economical, and reliable method of choice to diagnose extragenital endometriosis. Here we describe a case report of the patient after surgery of anterior abdominal endometriosis localized in the rectus abdominis muscle in the umbilical region and confirmed by ultrasound test and morphological examination of excised macroscopic sample.

Transcoelomic and Lympho-Hematogenous Dissemination of Endometrioid Heterotopias – the Mechanism of Extragenital Endometriosis Formation

Endometriosis nowadays still a disease with an undisclosed pathogenesis. This article demonstrates and explains the possibility of different variants of dissemination of endometrioid cells in the body with the formation of foci of extragenital endometriosis in organs and tissues remote from the pelvis, complementing and confirming the theory of utero-peritoneal reflux in the development of endometriosis as the most reasonable. Endometrioid heterotopias have a more developed lymphatic network compared to the normal endometrium due to active lymphangiogenesis, and, having a tendency to invasive growth, endometrioid heterotopia is a source of endometrioid cells spreading along the direction of lymph outflow from the most typical locations (pelvic organs) with damage to the inguinal and pelvic lymph nodes. Lymphatic dissemination in adenomyosis is observed in every fourth patient, which requires revision of the surgery protocol with excision of regional lymph nodes to prevent relapses. The presence of cases of pulmonary endometriosis and endometrioid liver cysts makes hematogenic dissemination of endometriosis from the primary source in the pelvic region obvious. The most frequent localizations of endometrioid heterotopias are located near the corresponding venous plexuses of the small pelvis, the outflow from which occurs mainly through the inferior vena cava, without anatomical obstacles for hematogenic dissemination of endometrioid cells with subsequent lung damage. For liver involment, it is likely that endometriosis in the distal parts of the colon is important, the venous outflow from which is directed to the portal vein system. Endometriosis of the diaphragm – is an example transcoelomic spread with predominant location on the right dome of the diaphragm, as the right subphrenic space communicates with the pelvic cavity through the right lateral channel, which justifies the possibility of such involments of the diaphragme in context of the theory of uteroperitoneal reflux.Thus, the theory of menstrual regurgitation and the theory of hemato-lymphatic dissemination are components of a single pathogenetic model of the distribution of endometrioid cells in the body.

Anti-relapse therapy of endometriosis: possible variations

Research aim: to determine the clinical efficacy and safety of bioavailable curcumin Longimin® in the complex anti-relapse therapy of patients with extragenital endometriosis after surgery.Materials and methods. Study involved 45 women with a mean age of 29.3 ± 3.6 years with a diagnosis of extragenital endometriosis. After surgical treatment of this disease all patients were prescribed dienogest 2 mg/day for 6 months with anti-relapse purpose. After that, 22 patients did not receive drug treatment (group 1) and other 23 women started a six-month course of 400 mg bioavailable curcumin (group 2).Results. After 12 months of observation 3 cases (13.6%) of newly formed foci of endometriosis were found among patients of group 1, two of which were multi-endometriomas, and the third was retrocervical heterotopia. There were no signs of recurrence in the group of sequential use of dienogest and bioavailable curcumin. In addition, 6 months after completion of hormonal treatment the number of women with chronic pelvic pain in group 1 was increased and average score on a visual analogue scale (VAS) was increased by 80% (p ≤0.05). It was accompanied by a stable moderately high level of anxiety throughout the observation period. At the same time the number of women who complained of intermenstrual pain in group 2 decreased from 15 to 13, and the average VAS score decreased by 13% (p ≥0.05) during the treatment period. Patients in group 2 noted an improvement in emotional control during treatment, which resulted in the average score decrease on the scale of personal and situational anxiety of the Spielberg-Hanin's questionnaire (25% and 30% respectively, p ≤0.05).Conclusions. The nature of the endometriosis development and progression is multipathogenetic. Blocking only its hormonal link, especially in cases of extragenital forms, may not be sufficient to stop the pathological process and prevent recurrence in the long term. Оbtained results of sequential course of dienogest and bioavailable curcumin Longimin® with anti-relapse purpose showed the wider clinical effectiveness of this therapy, which is probably based on additional inhibition of systemic inflammation, proliferation, stroma and psychogenic component of disease.

Extragenital endometriosis with lesions of the small and large intestine, the formation of a pathological cavity draining to the anterior abdominal wall (case report)

Extragenital endometriosis is one of the most severe benign diseases of the female reproductive system, characterized by different site of target organs. This pathology is associated with the development of severe complications, the treatment of which requires a multidisciplinary approach. This case report is dedicated to the experience of treating a patient with a history of multiple surgical procedures and long-term undiagnosed deep infiltrative endometriosis, complicated by abdominocutaneus endometriotic fistula.

Infiltrating endometriosis: Diagnostic keys in abdominal ultrasonography

ObjectiveEndometriosis is the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. Endometriosis of the bowel and urinary tract are types of extragenital endometriosis that manifest with nonspecific symptoms, but their detection involves specific therapeutic strategies. Although the characteristics of the disease on transvaginal ultrasonography and on magnetic resonance imaging have been described in many publications, few references describe its characteristics on abdominal ultrasonography.This paper illustrates the findings for infiltrating endometriosis involving the bowel and urinary tract on abdominal ultrasonography and shows the usefulness of this technique for identifying signs of the disease that have been described with other techniques. Knowledge of infiltrating endometriosis and its ultrasonographic features will enable radiologists to suggest its diagnosis and to include it in the differential diagnosis of pelvic pain in women of child-bearing age. ConclusionAbdominal ultrasonography is a useful tool in the diagnosis of extragenital endometriosis. Familiarity with the ultrasonographic appearance of this entity facilitates the diagnostic orientation and management of patients with pelvic pain.

Rare clinical presentation of umbilical endometriosis

Primary umbilical endometriosis is a rare disorder accounting for 0.5%–1% of extragenital endometriosis. It is defined as the presence of ectopic endometrial tissue within the umbilicus. Although it mostly presents as a typical cyclic umbilical discharge coincidental with a palpable mass, the diagnosis is often delayed due to its low prevalence and abnormal presentation, as in this case. The possibility of subcutaneous endometriosis should not be ruled out when an umbilical mass is detected, even if there is no history of previous surgery. Other differential diagnoses of umbilical mass include paraumbilical hernia, surgical scar (laparoscopy), primary umbilical tumor, granuloma, Sister Mary Joseph's nodule, and urachal duct cyst. In our report, we present the case of a 40-year-old female who came with a painless mass in the umbilicus for the past 10 years.

Imaging diagnosis of deep infiltrating endometriosis

Deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) is defined as the in­fil­tra­tion of endometriotic implants deeper than 5 mm from the peritoneal surface. When the lesions infiltrate the mus­cu­laris propria layer of the rectum or sigmoid, we talk about intestinal endometriosis (IE), the most common form of extragenital endometriosis, which affects, according to va­rious studies, up to 37% of women with endometriosis. En­do­me­trio­sis is an underdiagnosed condition mainly due to the lack of cheap and noninvasive diagnostic tools. Al­though transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS) is considered the first line in the imaging diagnosis of endometriosis, so­no­va­gi­no­gra­phy, endorectal ultrasonography (ERUS), mag­ne­tic resonance imaging (MRI) and coloscan are becoming in­creas­ingly important in the evaluation of patients with DIE, completing the preoperative assessment of endo­me­trio­tic lesions, an assessment that needs to be done as ac­cu­rate­ly as possible, both for the purpose of counseling pa­tients and choosing the optimal therapeutic approach.

Retrospective analysis of ultrasound criteria for newly diagnosed extragenital endometriosis detected during preventive examinations

Endometriosis is a common pathological condition characterized by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterus, most frequently in the pelvis. Despite the ability to demonstrate infiltrative growth and tendency to local recurrence and invasion, endometriosis is considered as a benign proliferative disease. An increasing incidence of extragenital endometriosis (including that in young patients) and difficulties associated with its visualization during ultrasonography lead to a delayed diagnosis, resulting in an increase in the number of cases of advanced endometriosis, which requires long-term treatment. The improvement of a screening ultrasound tomography technique and development of specific ultrasound criteria for preventive examination will ensure rapid identification of patients requiring treatment. In this retrospective study, we analyzed 57 cases of extragenital endometriosis detected during preventive examinations of women between 2014 and 2019. Each case was analyzed with the consideration of ultrasound characteristics together with clinical and gynecological data. We evaluated location, size, contours, and structure of foci. We propose a method of extended ultrasound examination in women with suspected extragenital endometriosis.

Endometriosis infiltrante: claves diagnósticas en la ecografía abdominal

ObjectiveEndometriosis is the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. Endometriosis of the bowel and urinary tract are types of extragenital endometriosis that manifest with nonspecific symptoms, but their detection involves specific therapeutic strategies. Although the characteristics of the disease on transvaginal ultrasonography and on magnetic resonance imaging have been described in many publications, few references describe its characteristics on abdominal ultrasonography.This paper illustrates the findings for infiltrating endometriosis involving the bowel and urinary tract on abdominal ultrasonography and shows the usefulness of this technique for identifying signs of the disease that have been described with other techniques. Knowledge of infiltrating endometriosis and its ultrasonographic features will enable radiologists to suggest its diagnosis and to include it in the differential diagnosis of pelvic pain in women of child-bearing age. ConclusionAbdominal ultrasonography is a useful tool in the diagnosis of extragenital endometriosis. Familiarity with the ultrasonographic appearance of this entity facilitates the diagnostic orientation and management of patients with pelvic pain.

Clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of extragenital endometriosis in Japan, 2018.

The aim of this publication is to disseminate the clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of intestinal, bladder/ureteral, thoracic and umbilical endometriosis, already published in Japanese, to non‐Japanese speakers. For developing the original Japanese guidelines, the clinical practice guideline committee was formed by the research team for extragenital endometriosis, which is part of the research program of intractable disease of the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The clinical practice guideline committee formulated eight clinical questions for the treatment of extragenital endometriosis, which were intestinal, bladder/ureteral, thoracic and umbilical endometriosis. The committee performed a systematic review of the literature to provide responses to clinical questions and developed clinical guidelines for extragenital endometriosis, according to the process proposed by the Medical Information Network Distribution Service. The recommendation level was determined using modified Delphi methods. The clinical practice guidelines were officially approved by the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Japan Society of Endometriosis. This English version was translated from the Japanese version.

Clinical Use of Indocyanine Green in Bowel Endometriosis Surgery

To show feasibility of using indocyanine green (ICG) in endometriosis surgery, especially bowel endometriosis shaving, and to discuss its potential benefits. Stepwise demonstration of this technique with narrated video footage. Endometriosis is a common benign chronic disorder, characterized by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. Deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) represents the most aggressive presentation. Robot-assisted laparoscopy represents an important innovation and has opened new perspectives for the treatment of endometriosis, offering numerous advantages especially in the most complex procedures, particularly when extragenital endometriosis diffusely involves pelvic structures including the bowel and the urinary tract [1]. Endometriosis affects the bowel in 30% of DIE cases, and it is usually associated with ovarian and ureteral involvement; therefore, a multidisciplinary team with both general and gynecologic surgeons is required. The goal of endometriosis surgery in these cases is to obtain long-term outcomes without compromising intestinal function. One possible treatment is laparoscopic shave excision, which consists of dissection, keeping it as superficial as possible to avoid compromising bowel integrity [2]. Recent studies have shown that ICG can be useful to evaluate the size and depth of penetration of lesions during endometriosis surgery to understand shaving excision and to prevent a major iatrogenic intestinal complication [3-7]. Total robot-assisted laparoscopic approach to a DIE case with adnexal, uterine, and intestinal endometriosis, with the presence of a nodular rectal lesion. The excision consisted of several key strategies to minimize iatrogenic rectal injury: CONCLUSION: The approach to DIE, particularly rectal endometriotic lesions, could be more accurate with ICG evaluation of vascular pertinence, in attempt to evaluate shaving feasibility of lesions in endometriosis laparoscopic robotic surgery.

Modern methods for radiological diagnosis of endometriosis

Endometriosis is a widespread gynecological disease, which affects reproductive-aged women. An accurate diagnosis is critical to develop a more comprehensive treatment strategy for endometriosis than is currently available. This article provides an overview of current data on the value of radiation techniques for the diagnosis of external genital and extragenital endometriosis, deep infiltrating endometriosis, and adenomyosis. The necessity of using a systematic approach to examine the pelvis in women with suspected endometriosis is shown, modern terms and methods of measurement being given to describe ultrasound picture of endometriosis.

Эффективность применения таргетной интерферонзаместительной терапии у больных наружным генитальным эндометриозом

Эффективность применения таргетной интерферонзаместительной терапии у больных наружным генитальным эндометриозом

Diagnosis and surgical treatment of acute intestinal obstruction caused by extragenital form of endometriosis

Damage to the gastrointestinal tract with extragenital endometriosis is a very rare pathology. According to the literature, the frequency of damage to the gastrointestinal tract in endometriosis, after previously performed gynecological operations, is less than 1%. At the same time, involvement in the pathological process of the intestine is noted in 337% of women of childbearing age with diagnosed genital endometriosis. In most clinical cases extragenital endometriosis occurs intraoperatively due to the complexity of early diagnosis.&#x0D; This article presents a clinical case of successful surgical treatment of a 43-year-old patient admitted to a surgical department with signs of intestinal obstruction. According to the anamnesis the patient had been suffering from recurrent pains in the lower abdomen in the right mesogastrium and constipation. The day before hospitalization, the above mentioned symptoms become worse with additional nausea, vomiting, lack of gases and feces. Based on the clinical laboratory and instrumental data the diagnosis of acute intestinal obstruction was established; and the urgent surgical treatment was carried out. Two formations were revealed intraoperatively (in the terminal ileum and in the elongated loop of the sigmoid colon). Both formations circularly narrowed the intestinal lumen, however the ileum was the cause of obstruction. Due to the lack of histological verification and the inability to exclude the malignant nature of the formation, the surgical treatment was carried out taking into account oncological standard in the amount of ileum resection and obstructive resection of the sigmoid colon with lymphadenectomy and small intestine intubation. Pathohistological examination confirmed intestinal endometriosis. The course of the postoperative period revealed no complications. The patient was discharged on the 12th day for outpatient treatment under the supervision of a surgeon and a gynecologist at the place of residence with recommendations and subsequent planned hospitalization in order to conduct reconstructive surgery to restore intestinal patency.

Catamenial rectal bleeding due to invasive endometriosis: a case report

BackgroundAlthough gastrointestinal involvement is the most common site for extra-genital endometriosis, deep infiltrative endometriosis, which affects the mucosal layer, is very rare.Case presentationWe present a case of a 41-year-old white woman with cyclic rectal bleeding. Magnetic resonance imaging was done, together with colonoscopy and histologic staining of biopsied samples, which led to the final diagnosis of intestinal invasive endometriosis with recto-sigmoid stricture. Our patient was treated symptomatically with stool softeners.ConclusionThis case provides a rare example of catamenial bleeding. It is important to keep invasive endometriosis on the differential diagnosis whenever a premenopausal woman has cyclical rectal bleeding.