Connect
MJA
MJA

Endometriosis

Kevin L Forbes
Med J Aust 2002; 177 (1): . || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2002.tb04612.x
Published online: 1 July 2002

Improving health outcomes for women with this enigmatic disease

Endometriosis remains an enigma despite having been extensively studied. Its aetiology remains unclear, although there is a positive correlation with retrograde menstruation, probably with a background genetic predisposition. Traditionally, the symptoms of endometriosis are said to be pelvic pain and infertility, but, while a causal link between these symptoms and the disease is sometimes clear, the link is not always established. Treatment aimed at eliminating endometriotic deposits is effective in controlling symptoms in a proportion of patients, but recurrence is common.


  • School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD.


Correspondence: K.Forbes@mailbox.uq.edu.au

  • 1. Redwine DB. Age-related evolution in colour appearance of endometriosis. Fertil Steril 1987; 48: 1062-1063.
  • 2. Liu DTY, Hitchcock A. Endometriosis: its association with retrograde menstruation, dysmenorrhoea and tubal pathology. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1986; 93: 859-862.
  • 3. McPherson A, Anderson ABM, editors. Women's problems in general practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983: 13.
  • 4. Thomas EJ, Cooke ID. Impact of gestrinone on the course of asymptomatic endometriosis. BMJ 1987; 294: 272-274.
  • 5. American Fertility Society. Revised American Fertility Society classification of endometriosis. Fertil Steril 1985; 43: 251-352.
  • 6. Zondervan KT. The genetic basis of endometriosis. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol 2001; 13: 309-314.
  • 7. Prentice A, Deary AJ, Goldbeck-Wood S, et al. Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogues for pain associated with endometriosis (Cochrane Review). In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 1, 2002. Oxford: Update Software.
  • 8. Schenken RS, Malinak LR. Reoperation after initial treatment of endometriosis with conservative surgery. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1978; 131: 416-424.
  • 9. Hughes E, Fedorkow D, Collins J, Vandekerckhove P. Ovulation suppression for endometriosis (Cochrane Review). In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 1, 2002. Oxford: Update Software.
  • 10. Jacobson TZ, Barlow DH, Garry R, Koninckx P. Laparoscopic surgery for pelvic pain associated with endometriosis (Cochrane Review). In: The Cochrane Library, Issue 1, 2002. Oxford: Update Software.
  • 11. Jacobson T, Barlow D. Laparoscopic surgery for subfertility associated with endometriosis (protocol for a Cochrane Review) In: The Cochrane Library. Issue 1, 2002. Oxford: Update Software.

Author

remove_circle_outline Delete Author
add_circle_outline Add Author

Comment
Do you have any competing interests to declare? *

I/we agree to assign copyright to the Medical Journal of Australia and agree to the Conditions of publication *
I/we agree to the Terms of use of the Medical Journal of Australia *
Email me when people comment on this article

Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.