Human Reproduction, Vol. 18, No. 1, 157-161,
January 2003
© 2003 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Anatomical distribution of deeply infiltrating endometriosis: surgical implications and proposition for a classification
1 Service de Chirurgie Gynécologique, 2 Service de Chirurgie Digestive and 3 Service Central dAnatomie et Cytologie Pathologiques, Assistance PubliqueHôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France 4 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Service de Chirurgie Gynécologique, Clinique Universitaire Baudelocque, 123, Boulevard Port-Royal, CHU CochinSaint Vincent de Paul, 75014 Paris, France. e-mail: charles.chapron{at}cch.ap-hop-paris.fr
BACKGROUND: Deeply infiltrating endometriosis (DIE) is recognized as a specific entity responsible for pain. The distribution of locations and their contribution to surgical management has not been previously studied. METHODS: Medical, operative and pathological reports of 241 consecutive patients with histologically proven DIE were analysed. DIE lesions were classified as: (i) bladder, defined as infiltration of the muscularis propria; (ii) uterosacral ligaments (USL), as DIE of the USL alone; (iii) vagina, as DIE of the anterior rectovaginal pouch, the posterior vaginal fornix and the retroperitoneal area in between, and (iv) intestine, as DIE of the muscularis propria. RESULTS: A total of 241 patients presented 344 DIE lesions: USL (69.2%; 238); vaginal (14.5%; 50); bladder (6.4%; 22); intestinal (9.9%; 34). The proportion of isolated lesions differed significantly according to the DIE location: 83.2% (198) for USL DIE; 56.0% (28) for vaginal DIE; 59.0% (13) for bladder DIE; 29.4% (10) for intestinal DIE (P < 0.0001). The total number of DIE lesions varied significantly according to the location (P < 0.0001). In 39.1% of cases (9/23) intestinal lesions were multifocal. Only 20.6% (seven cases) of intestinal DIE were isolated and unifocal. CONCLUSIONS: Multifocality must be considered during the pre-operative work-up and surgical treatment of DIE. We propose a surgical classification based on the locations of DIE. Operative laparoscopy is efficient for bladder, USL and vaginal DIE. However, indications for laparotomy still exist, notably for bowel lesions.
Key words: deep endometriosis/deeply infiltrating endometriosis/operative laparoscopy/surgery
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