Clinical manifestations of abdominal wall endometriosis: a single center experience

Abstract

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.