Subendometrial and intraendometrial blood flow during the menstrual cycle in patients with endometriosis
Received 17 August 2004; accepted 8 January 2005.
Objective
To use power Doppler ultrasound to assess the effect of endometriosis on intraendometrial and subendometrial blood flow during the menstrual cycle.
Design
An observational prospective study.
Setting
Academic teaching hospital.
Patient(s)
Thirty patients with histologically confirmed ovarian endometrioma and 15 control women.
Intervention(s)
Power Doppler ultrasound examination during the menstrual cycle.
Main Outcome Measure(s)
Intraendometrial and subendometrial color signals assessed by power Doppler ultrasound.
Result(s)
A statistically significant higher proportion of endometrioma patients presented simultaneous intraendometrial and subendometrial color signals in the late secretory cycle phase compared with controls (40.0% vs. 6.7%).
Conclusion(s)
The higher endometrial perfusion in patients with ovarian endometrioma that is observed in the late secretory phase of the cycle, close to menstrual shedding, favors the hypothesis that women with endometriosis might have higher endometrial vascular activity, thus facilitating the implantation process of endometrial cells outside the uterus.
aDepartment of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Porto Medical School, Porto, Portugal
bDepartment of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Porto Medical School, Porto, Portugal
Reprint requests: Pedro Xavier, M.D., Departamento de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia, Hospital de São João, Alameda Prof. Hernàni Monteiro, 4200 Porto, Portugal (FAX: +351 225096068).
Supported by the Fundaçâo para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, project: POCTI/CBO/46776/2002.
ABSTRACT