Obstetrician-gynecologist told about the types, symptoms and treatment of endometriosis

The doctor - obstetrician-gynecologist Elizaveta Osetrova told about endometriosis, its types, symptoms and diagnostic methods, writes sb.by.

According to the specialist, normally the uterine cavity is lined with a mucous membrane - the endometrium. Every month, if pregnancy does not occur, this membrane is rejected and excreted from the body during menstruation. Endometriosis is a condition in which endometrial-like tissue grows outside the uterine cavity.

The doctor identifies several types of disease. Internal endometriosis, or adenomyosis, is when the endometrium grows into uterine muscle tissue. External genital endometriosis can be manifested by endometrioid ovarian cysts, damage to the peritoneum or cervix. There is also extragenital endometriosis, when tissue grows in other organs – for example, in the mucous membrane of the eye, rectum or even in the lungs.

Adenomyosis can be asymptomatic. Its most frequent symptoms are heavy and painful menstruation, as well as spotting bloody discharge before and after menstruation. External genital endometriosis is also characterized by pain. It can be suspected when collecting anamnesis and examination: a woman can complain of pain during sexual intercourse, when examining a gynecologist, during defecation. Endometrioid ovarian cysts may also not give symptoms. This is dangerous because cysts reach large sizes, replace ovarian tissue and disrupt its function. Therefore, the doctor recommends annual ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs.

Adenomyosis is detected with ultrasound, in some cases, an MRI may be necessary. External genital endometriosis is suspected during the collection of complaints and examination, and the gold standard for its diagnosis is laparoscopy.

At the moment, there are several theories of the occurrence of endometriosis, but none of them has been proven. Treatment of endometriosis is only surgical. Drug therapy stabilizes the condition, but does not cure the disease. The presence of endometriosis does not mean that a woman will necessarily face infertility. However, in some cases, due to the adhesion process in the small pelvis and obstruction of the fallopian tubes, endometriosis can cause non-pregnancy.

If there are complaints of painful, heavy and prolonged menstruation, painful sexual intercourse, painful defecation, bloody spotting before or after menstruation - this is an occasion to contact a gynecologist, conduct an ultrasound of the pelvic organs and make an accurate diagnosis.