Pancreatic endometriosis: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine
• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Pathology

Background:

• Endometriosis can occur outside the pelvis, but its prevalence is unknown.
• Pancreatic endometriosis is a rare manifestation with varied presentations, from emergencies to asymptomatic cysts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the literature on pancreatic endometriosis.
• To understand the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of pancreatic endometriosis.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed and Scopus.
• Included 18 patients from 17 case reports.

Main Results:

• The mean age of patients was 39.3 years; 44.4% presented as emergencies.
• Common symptoms included epigastric pain (66.7%) and left upper quadrant pain (61.1%).
• Surgical treatment was common (88.9%), with low recurrence rates after surgery.

Conclusions:

• Pancreatic endometriosis is a rare condition that must be considered in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic masses.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the pathogenesis of extrapelvic and pancreatic endometriosis.