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Familial risk among patients with endometriosis
R M dos Reis1, M F de Sá, M D de Moura
1Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Purpose:
The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of endometriosis among the relatives of patients with confirmed endometriosis.
Methods:
We analyzed the prevalence of endometriosis among first-, second-, and third-degree relatives in a group of 101 patients with varying symptoms related to endometriosis seen at two public hospitals and submitted to laparoscopy and/or laparotomy. The control group consisted of 43 women submitted to laparoscopy without a diagnosis of endometriosis.
Results:
Among the patients with endometriosis, we detected nine families with a positive history of endometriosis, comprising one mother, six sisters, three aunts, and two cousins, as opposed to no case among the controls.
Conclusions:
These data confirm a familial tendency for endometriosis and suggest that this disorder has a genetic basis.