External endometriosis in 801 operated patients

Details of medical history, symptomatology, operative findings and certain other special features are reported for patients with external endometriosis treated operatively during the period 1969-76. The incidence of endometriosis in this survey was 19% of all gynecological laparotomies. The mean age of the patients at the time of the operation was 36.7 years. The most common sites of endometriosis were the retrocervix and the ovaries. Of the patients, 559 (70%) had complained of dysmenorrhea; the pain generally began before the bleeding. Also typical was the exacerbation of the pain with increasing age. Twenty-seven per cent of the patients also complained of infertility. Surgery was performed because of acute abdominal symptoms in 6% of cases. The incidence of endometriosis in postmenopausal women was 2.5% and that in young women, 1%. Endometriosis recurred in 15% of the cases during the follow-up period. Gestagen therapy after the operation had no effect on the recurrence rate.