[Bladder endometriosis: diagnosis and treatment. A series of 24 patients]

This study aims to show the treatment outcome in women affected by bladder endometriosis.

Retrospective review of records of 24 women with deep vesical endometriosis treated between 1998 and 2007.

All cases had cyclic symptoms even though they were not specific. A percentage of 66% of women had concomitantly deep nodules of the rectovaginal septum and/or uterosacral ligaments. Five patients (20.8%) had previously undergone a transurethral resection (TUR) of the bladder lesion, but this therapy has failed in all cases. Partial cystectomy was carried out in 14 patients (60.8%) and an extramucosal dissection of the endometriotic lesion in nine patients (39.2%). Laparoscopy was used in 19 cases (82.6%). Recurrence of bladder endometriotic lesions was documented in two patients. This was mainly due to an incomplete initial treatment. Success rate, defined by total improvement of symptoms after the initial treatment, was estimated at 86.7% in this series. The only complication encountered was a pelvic hematoma with bladder compression that required a ureteral cannulation (JJ). Seven patients out of 11 became pregnant; four of them were infertile before the surgical treatment.

Diagnosis of bladder endometriosis is often difficult to make because of its non-specific symptoms. The management is mainly surgical and resection should be complete. TUR is not an optimal treatment for bladder endometriosis.