Endometriosis and associated pathology.

The natural history of endometriosis, including the belief that it is a progressive disease, is reviewed with the help of a large, cross-sectional, prospective study and a smaller longitudinal study. Two studies are reviewed that address the role of growth factors in the development of endometriosis. These studies demonstrated that the peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis contained significant growth factor activity against human endometrial stromal cells. In a mouse model, macrophage-derived factors stimulated endometrial cell proliferation. The possible correlation between endometriosis and decreased bone mineral density, which was reported by an earlier study, is reviewed. Recent data, however, have shown no correlation between bone mineral density and endometriosis. Finally, several reports on the usefulness of endometrial antibodies and serum CA 125 levels in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with endometriosis are reviewed. These data suggest that both endometrial antibodies and CA 125 measurements may be useful in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with endometriosis.