Fertility and Sterility
Volume 91, Issue 1 , Pages 32-39 , January 2009

Diagnostic experience among 4,334 women reporting surgically diagnosed endometriosis

  • Rebecca Greene, B.A.

      Affiliations

    • Reproductive Biology and Medicine Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
    • ,
  • Pamela Stratton, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Reproductive Biology and Medicine Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
    • ,
  • Sean D. Cleary, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Health Services, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
    • ,
  • Mary Lou Ballweg, B.A.

      Affiliations

    • Endometriosis Association International Headquarters, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    • ,
  • Ninet Sinaii, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Reproductive Biology and Medicine Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
    • Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology Service, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Ninet Sinaii, Ph.D., Biostatistics and Clinical Epidemiology Service, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Building 10, Room 2N-228, Bethesda, MD 20892-1871 (FAX: 301-496-0457).

Received 9 September 2007 ,Revised 8 November 2007 ,Accepted 9 November 2007.

References 

  1. Vigano P, Parazzini F, Somigliana E, Vercellini P. Endometriosis: epidemiology and aetiological factors. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2004;18:177–200
  2. Mathias SD, Kuppermann M, Liberman RF, Lipschutz RC, Steege JF. Chronic pelvic pain: prevalence, health-related quality of life, and economic correlates. Obstet Gynecol. 1996;87:321–327
  3. Reese KA, Reddy S, Rock JA. Endometriosis in an adolescent population: the Emory experience. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 1996;9:125–128
  4. Spaczynski RZ, Duleba AJ. Diagnosis of endometriosis. Semin Reprod Med. 2003;21:193–208
  5. Dmowski WP, Lesniewicz R, Rana N, Pepping P, Noursalehi M. Changing trends in the diagnosis of endometriosis: a comparative study of women with pelvic endometriosis presenting with chronic pelvic pain or infertility. Fertil Steril. 1997;67:238–243
  6. Sinaii N, Cleary SD, Ballweg ML, Nieman LK, Stratton P. High rates of autoimmune and endocrine disorders, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and atopic diseases among women with endometriosis: a survey analysis. Hum Reprod. 2002;17:2715–2724
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  8. Stratton P. The tangled web of reasons for the delay in diagnosis of endometriosis in women with chronic pelvic pain: will the suffering end?. Fertil Steril. 2006;86:1302–1304discussion 1317
  9. Zondervan KT, Yudkin PL, Vessey MP, Jenkinson CP, Dawes MG, Barlow DH, et al. Chronic pelvic pain in the community—symptoms, investigations, and diagnoses. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2001;184:1149–1155
  10. Arruda MS, Petta CA, Abrao MS, Benetti-Pinto CL. Time elapsed from onset of symptoms to diagnosis of endometriosis in a cohort study of Brazilian women. Hum Reprod. 2003;18:756–759
  11. Ballard K, Lowton K, Wright J. What's the delay? A qualitative study of women's experiences of reaching a diagnosis of endometriosis. Fertil Steril. 2006;86:1296–1301
  12. Kontoravdis A, Hassan E, Hassiakos D, Botsis D, Kontoravdis N, Creatsas G. Laparoscopic evaluation and management of chronic pelvic pain during adolescence. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol. 1999;26:76–77
  13. Vercellini P, Fedele L, Arcaini L, Bianchi S, Rognoni MT, Candiani GB. Laparoscopy in the diagnosis of chronic pelvic pain in adolescent women. J Reprod Med. 1989;34:827–830
  14. Lentz GM, Ayala L, Eckert LO. A comprehensive women's health care center: are gynecologists offering primary care?. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2006;194:1660–1666discussion 1666–7
  15. Zondervan KT, Yudkin PL, Vessey MP, Dawes MG, Barlow DH, Kennedy SH. Patterns of diagnosis and referral in women consulting for chronic pelvic pain in UK primary care. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1999;106:1156–1161
  16. Laufer MR, Goitein L, Bush M, Cramer DW, Emans S. Prevalence of endometriosis in adolescent girls with chronic pelvic pain not responding to conventional therapy. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 1997;10:199–202
  17. Laufer MR, Sanfilippo J, Rose G. Adolescent endometriosis: diagnosis and treatment approaches. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2003;16:S3–S11
  18. Husby GK, Haugen RS, Moen MH. Diagnostic delay in women with pain and endometriosis. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2003;82:649–653

 The 1998 Endometriosis Association Survey was supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Zeneca Pharmaceuticals. The research for this study was supported by the Intramural Program of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, and the Endometriosis Association International Headquarters, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

PII: S0015-0282(07)04085-X

doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.11.020

Fertility and Sterility
Volume 91, Issue 1 , Pages 32-39 , January 2009

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