Intestinal endometriosis and its complications: case report and review

Endometriosis affects 8%-15% of all women, and of these 3%-37% have intestinal involvement. Affected women are typically of childbearing age and of low parity, with a history of cyclic abdominal pain and progressive dysmenorrhea. Endometriosis may involve the rectum and sigmoid, ileum, cecum, and appendix, generating symptoms suggestive of acute obstruction, appendicitis, ileitis, diverticulitis, or colonic carcinoma. Thus, this entity should be included in the differential diagnosis of recurrent abdominal pain and other episodic bowel symptoms in women of childbearing age.