Contents
Where is endometriosis located?
What is the endometrium?
The endometrium is the layer of tissue that lines the uterus and that every month, if fertilization does not occur, is drained outside through the vagina. These are commonly referred to as the rules.
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis is characterized by the presence of endometrium outside the uterine cavity.
During menstruation, a small part of the endometrial cells, instead of evacuating outwards through the vagina, goes up in the tubes up to the abdominal cavity for implant in different organs of the pelvis like the ovaries, tubes, bladder, intestine. However, the reflux of endometrial cells through the tubes is a quite frequent phenomenon, and which does not always result in endometriosis. So there are other complex mechanisms who intervene.
The presence of this tissue outside its place of origin causes a kind ofpermanent inflammation, maintained by the production of female hormones, estrogen, which stimulate the proliferation of endometrial cells. This results in “nodules”, “cysts”, then “scar tissue” and adhesions between surrounding organs, which can cause pain and other associated symptoms.
Where is endometriosis located?
Endometriosis can affect different organs, such as the ovaries, tubes, rectum, appendix, bladder, ureters.
More rarely, endometriosis can affect other organs, such as the lungs, brain, lacrimal gland. Or even skin scars, as during a lesion following a cesarean section which allows, during the intervention, the occurrence of endometrial cell transplants at the level of the scar on the abdominal wall.
How to diagnose endometriosis?
The questioning and clinical examination by a expert gynecologist in endometriosis are very important. Depending on the symptoms, with the realization of a vaginal and rectal examination, the specialist can palpate endometriosis lesions in the vagina, intestine and supporting ligaments of the uterus, as well as on the bladder. Next, additional examinations make it possible to refine the diagnosis, with vaginal ultrasound (by a specialist radiologist) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as rectal echo-endoscopy in the case of digestive forms. But the definitive diagnosis is based on endometrial tissue analysis taken during minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopy).
(Thanks to l)