Published in:
01-02-2013 | General Gynecology
Clinical manifestations of abdominal wall endometriosis: a single center experience
Published in: Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics | Issue 2/2013
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Objective
This study aimed to investigate the clinical manifestations and treatment outcomes of abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE).
Materials and methods
Patients diagnosed with AWE at the Gil Medical Center from January 2002 to September 2010 were retrospectively reviewed.
Results
Thirty-seven women were treated for AWE during the study period. Median age was 34 (range 24–45) years, and median duration from last pelvic surgery until symptom onset was 30 (range 6–96) months. The most common initial symptom was a palpable mass (36, 97.2 %), followed by cyclic or spontaneous pain (21, 56.8 %). Preoperative diagnoses were accurate in 20 of 29 patients (68.9 %), who underwent a preoperative imaging study. The accuracy of abdominal US was 80 % (12/15). All patients underwent wide excision, and the median tumor size was 3.5 (range 1.0–10.0) cm. One patient experienced recurrence at 34 months postoperatively.
Conclusions
Physicians should be aware of AWE in any woman presenting with palpable mass and/or pain at the abdominal wall, especially after pelvic surgery. Adequate preoperative estimation and wide excision might be essential for the treatment of AWE.