[Ureteric and bladder involvement of deep pelvic endometriosis. Value of multidisciplinary surgical management]

To evaluate the clinical features, staging by medical imaging, treatment strategy and results of surgical management of deep pelvic endometriosis with bladder and/or ureteric involvement.

Eighteen cases of ureteric and/or bladder deep pelvic endometriosis (DPE) were treated in our centre between 1996 and 2004. Preoperative data (clinical symptoms, MR imaging), intraoperative data (resection and urinary tract diversion procedures, associated procedures on the genital and gastrointestinal tracts), and postoperative data (histological results, complications, anatomical follow-up by imaging and functional assessment) were reviewed.

Urinary symptoms were present in 55% of cases, genital symptoms were present in 83% of cases and gastrointestinal symptoms were present in 46% of cases. A combination of gynaecological and gastrointestinal lesions was demonstrated on imaging in 82% of cases. The mean postoperative follow-up was 16 months (range: 6-36 months). Six patients presented anterior vesical endometriosis. In these cases, the sensitivity and specificity of MRI were 100%. Six partial cystectomies were performed. All corresponded to endometriotic lesions on histological examination. No cases of recurrence of vesical endometriosis were observed. Posterior endometriosis with ureteric involvement was observed in 13 patients (including one with vesical endometriosis). The ureteric lesion was asymptomatic in 8 out of 13 cases (61%). The diagnostic sensitivity of MRI was 92% for posterior nodules, identifying 4 lateral parametrial nodules and 8 median retrocervical nodules. Ureterohydronephrosis was observed in 3 patients with lateral parametrial nodules and 8 patients with median retrocervical nodules, and was bilateral for 3 patients, i.e. 14 dilated renal units. Surgical management consisted of 2 ureteric resections with end-to-end anastomosis, 3 psoas bladder reimplantations, and 9 ureterolyses (8 patients). Two out of 13 patients (15%) with ureteric lesions treated by ureterolysis developed recurrence of the ureteric stricture with upper tract dilatation related to recurrence of the lateral nodule. In 14 patients, genital and/or gastrointestinal resections were associated with the urinary tract procedure.

Preoperative evaluation of all DPE lesions is based on MRI with reconstruction images of the ureter in the presence of urinary tract lesions. Systematic ureteric stenting prior to surgical dissection of the pelvic wall is recommended in patients with posterior nodules and in the case of partial cystectomy for anterior nodules when the ureteric meati are adjacent to the lesion. Ureteric reimplantation onto a psoas hitch bladder must be performed when the DPE lesions are extensive and partly resected or invade the ureteric wall. The frequency of associated lesions (urinary, gynaecological gastrointestinal) justifies a multidisciplinary surgical approach.