ENDOMETRIOSIS

Course overview

ENDOMETRIOSIS IS A CHRONIC ESTROGEN-DEPENDENT CHRONIC CONDITION CHARACTERIZED BY THE ECTOPIC IMPLANTATION OF FUNCTIONAL TISSUE LINING THE UTERUS (ENDOMETRIAL GLANDS AND STROMA) OUTSIDE OF THE UTERINE CAVITY. ENDOMETRIOSIS, A WORD DERIVED FROM THE GREEK ENDO ‘'INSIDE'', METRA ''UTERUS'' AND OSIS ‘' DISEASE,'' REMAINS TO SOME EXTENT VAGUE, WITH THE MOST COMMON CLINICAL SYMPTOMS BEING PELVIC PAIN AND INFERTILITY. MOST FREQUENTLY ENDOMETRIAL TISSUE IS FOUND IN OVARIES RESULTING IN THE FORMATION OF CHOCOLATE CYSTS, BUT IT CAN ALSO BE FOUND IN THE FALLOPIAN TUBES, UTEROSACRAL LIGAMENTS, THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT, AND LESS OFTEN IN THE PLEURA, PERICARDIUM, OR THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. THIS ACTIVITY ILLUSTRATES THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF ENDOMETRIOSIS AND REVIEWS THE ROLE OF THE HEALTHCARE TEAM IN MANAGING PATIENTS AFFLICTED WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS.