Updates on the highlights of endometriosis

Abstract

Endometriosis is a gynecological disorder characterized by the development of endometrial tissue outside of the uterus. It is a common disease, which induces an inflammatory response that can later mediate a wide range of symptoms, among which there commonly stands out, pain and infertility. The exact cause of endometriosis is unknown, but yet there are some known risk factors for its outcome, such as the earlier menarche and the genetic basis that exposes greater risk with affected first-degree relatives. Regarding the etiology, there is more to talk about the theory of retrograde menstruation, the theory of coelomic metaplasia and the lymphatic or vascular dissemination. To establish the diagnosis, the diagnostic laparoscopy is still visualized as the gold standard, although there are many other imaging methods that can be really useful during the evaluation. Finally, to offer an appropriate treatment to the patients, despite the fact that more options come up every day, the choice must be individually customized according to the characteristics, tolerance and needs of each patient. For the above, there are different treatments such as: non-hormonal, conventional hormonal drugs, surgical and emerging.