Abdominal wall endometriomas

Endometriosis is a condition in which uterine mucosal tissue is located outside the uterus. Endometriosis may be pelvic or extrapelvic. The term endometrioma is used when endometriosis appears as a circumscribed mass. Abdominal wall endometriomas are usually a secondary process in scars after surgical procedures. A retrospective study of abdominal wall endometrioma, from March 1992 through April 1999 at our institution was done. The mean age of the patients was 28.4 years. Twelve of these reported cases were secondary to previous surgery. One patient presented primarily with an abdominal wall mass without previous surgical history. The most common presentation was an abdominal wall mass associated with pain during the menstrual cycle. Endometrioma was considered as a differential diagnosis in seven patients. All patients underwent surgery. Along with the literature review on endometrioma, the importance of considering it in the differential diagnosis for patients of child-bearing age is discussed.