Endometriosis

Synonyms Deeply infiltrating endometriosis; DIE; Endometrioma-benign endometriotic ovarian cysts Definition Endometriosis is a disease characterized by the presence of endometrium-like epithelial and stromal tissue outside their normal location in the uterus, commonly on the ovaries and peritoneum. It is benign but has been linked to the development of ovarian cancer and may be a preneoplastic lesion. Characteristics Endometriosis affects ∼10% of women of reproductive age. Its symptoms include pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, and subfertility, although it may also be asymptomatic. The main pathological processes associated with endometriosis are peritonealinflammation and fibrosis, and formation of adhesions and endometriomas. It is hormone-dependent, and is more common in women of low parity. Most endometriosis occurs sporadically, although it can be inherited as a complex genetic trait. Surgery is required to make a formal diagnosis of endometriosis, e.g., at laparoscopy (Fig. 1), when... Access this chapter Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout Purchases are for personal use only References Varma R, Rollason T, Gupta J et al (2004) Endometriosis and the neoplastic process. Reproduction 127:293–304 Vigano P, Somigliana E, Chiodo I et al (2006) Molecular mechanisms and biological plausibility underlying the malignant transformation of endometriosis: a critical analysis. Hum Reprod Update 12:77–89 Ness R, Modugno F (2006) Endometriosis as a model for inflammation-hormone interactions in ovarian and breast cancers. Eur J Cancer 42:691–703 Prowse A, Manek S, Varma R et al (2006) Molecular genetic evidence that endometriosis is a precursor of ovarian cancer. Int J Cancer 119:556–562 Dinulescu A, Ince T, Quade B et al (2005) Role of K-ras and Pten in the development of mouse models of endometriosis and endometrioid ovarian cancer. Nat Med 11:63–70 Author information Authors and Affiliations Corresponding author Editor information Editors and Affiliations Rights and permissions Copyright information © 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg About this entry Cite this entry Davis, H., Prowse, A.H., Kennedy, S. (2011). Endometriosis. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_1885 Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16483-5_1885 Published: Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg Print ISBN: 978-3-642-16482-8 Online ISBN: 978-3-642-16483-5 eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences