Adenomyosis as a Barrier to Effective Surgery for Dyspareunia in Rectovaginal Endometriosis
Women with endometriosis often experience severe pain during intercourse, known as dyspareunia, which can deeply affect their quality of life and intimate relationships. One form of this condition, rectovaginal septum endometriosis, involves deep, scarred tissue that can cause pain during…
Key Points Lay SummaryIntegrating Virtual Reality Modeling for Enhanced Surgical Management of Endometriosis
Transvaginal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) conducted by experts are generally sufficient for the surgical planning and management of endometriosis, as noted in a recent study published in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology. However, incorporating novel techniques such as 3D printing…
Key Points Lay SummaryIntraoperative Transvaginal Ultrasound-Guided Resection of Bowel Endometriosis
Alec et al. from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Geneva University Hospitals aimed to show how to manage rectal endometriosis using ultrasound in a narrative video. The main goal of their procedure was to check the rectal wall…
Key Points Lay SummarySuperiority of hysterectomy over lesion excision in the treatment of rectovaginal endometriosis
Confirmative treatment of endometriosis includes excision or ablation of visible lesions while conserving the uterus and ovaries. On the contrary, the radical approach involves total hysterectomy and even bilateral oophorectomy to create a hypo-estrogen state, remove adenomyosis if it exists,…
Key Points Lay SummaryRecommendations of experts on transvaginal ultrasonography
Following June 2022, the Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound composed of a panel of 16 experts in imaging and management of endometriosis, the recommendations have been published in a recent issue of Radiology. Transvaginal sonography is accepted as a first-line…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe location of adenomyosis, and recurrent abortion
ESHRE defines repeated pregnancy loss (RPL) as the loss of pregnancies with two or more weeks of gestation. Adenomyosis is the presence of ectopic endometrium, in the myometrium. High-resolution transvaginal ultrasound and sonographic criteria can help to diagnose the disease…
Key Points Lay SummaryUltrasonographic findings and the clinical symptoms of pelvic endometriosis
Imaging techniques achieve the clinical diagnosis of endometriosis, which affects 10-15% of all women of reproductive age. Suspected patients with clinical history and symptoms need a systemic examination of the uterus, ovaries, adnexa, and peritoneal covering the rectouterine, retrocervical, and…
Key Points Lay SummaryPainful Sex Might Be a Valid Indication for Endometriosis Surgery
According to a new study published in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology, the type of endometriosis surgery, and pain improvement after surgery may be linked. More precisely, rectovaginal endometriosis surgery may be associated with reduced dyspareunia or painful intercourse. “Clinicians…
Key Points Lay SummaryRevolutionizing endometriosis diagnosis: Advances in radiological imaging
With recent advances in diagnostic radiological imaging, the diagnosis of endometriosis, particularly for deep and ovarian endometriosis, has been revolutionized. Updated guidelines now recommend the initial use of endometriosis transvaginal ultrasound (eTVUS) and magnetic resonance imaging (eMRI) for diagnosis, although…
Key Points Lay Summary"Transumblical single-port laparoscopy" for deep infiltrating endometriosis.
Deep infiltrating endometriosis patients have multi-system involvements, severe pelvic adhesions, and pelvic pain. Dyspareunia, dysmenorrhea, infertility, gastrointestinal symptoms, and lower urinary tract symptoms seriously affect their quality of life. Although hormonal therapy may be the first choice for treating endometriosis,…
Key Points Lay SummaryWhich surgery for deep endometriosis? Laparoscopic shaving or rectal resection?
This keynote lecture entitled "Deep endometriosis: The place of laparoscopic shaving" was presented by Dr. Jacques Donnez, the director of the infertility research unit at the Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium, at the Annual International Medical Conference of the Endometriosis Foundation…
Key Points Lay SummaryIs there any advantage of addition of hysterectomy on deep endometriotic pelvic pain or on the quality of life?
The addition of hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy to the endometriosis excision surgery provided greater benefits when compared to excision surgery alone, according to the results of a comparison study that was recently published in the journal named "Facts Views and Visions in Obstetrics…
Key Points Lay SummaryTransvaginal Hydro laparoscopy for diagnosing and treatment of early stages of endometriosis
Transvaginal hydro laparoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that allows the exploration of the female pelvis. An obliterated Douglas pouch by a fixed retroverted uterus, an ovarian endometrioma greater than 2 cm, and the presence of deeply infiltrated endometriosis are…
Key Points Lay SummaryA review of multimodal imaging modalities for endometriosis.
Since there is a lack of non-invasive biomarkers to diagnose endometriosis clinically, imaging techniques such as transvaginal ultrasonography and MRI have significant importance in preoperative endometriosis diagnosis. These imaging techniques allow appropriate surgical planning before laparoscopic excision, especially in deeply…
Key Points Lay SummaryUltrasonographic Presurgical Staging and Classification of Endometriosis
Laparoscopic surgery is the gold standard for diagnosing endometriosis, but a preoperative imaging procedure is strongly recommended. Transvaginal sonography by a skilled examiner is not inferior to MRI diagnostics regarding sensitivity and specificity in predicting the extension of deep endometriosis. …
Key Points Lay SummaryTransvaginal ultrasound or MRI for retroflexed uterus in endometriosis
Dr Matsuda and colleagues from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan have published their study evaluating the effectiveness of transvaginal ultrasound on the diagnosis of uterine retroflexion in a recent issue of “Journal of Nippon…
Key Points Lay SummaryDiagnostic criteria for uterosacral ligament involvement in endometriosis.
Transvaginal ultrasonography is often used to diagnose endometriosis in suspected women due to its high resolution, low cost, and relatively low discomfort. Histologic confirmation of laparoscopically removed specimens is still the gold standard for appropriate diagnosis. The team led by…
Key Points Lay SummaryTransvaginal Ultrasound Could Be Sufficient to Properly Diagnose Deep Endometriosis and Ovarians Endometriomas
Following the International Deep Endometriosis Analysis consensus can improve the accuracy of transvaginal ultrasound to diagnose ovarian endometriomas and deep infiltrating endometriosis, according to a new study published in the scientific journalUltrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology. “ (…) at this…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe accuracy of transvaginal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging for deep urinary tract endometrisis.
The prevalence of urinary tract endometriosis is 19-53% in patients within deep infiltrating endometriosis cases. The bladder and ureteral are the most common sites of the involvement. While preparing a radical surgery for a patient with deep endometriosis, the diagnosis…
Key Points Lay SummaryPrevalence of endometriosis and adenomyosis by transvaginal ultrasound.
Women who present dyspareunia, dysmenorrhea, dysuria, dyschezia, chronic abdominal, and pelvic pain, and infertility would benefit from the early investigation. If the correct diagnosis of endometriosis and/or adenomyosis can be made in advance, early treatment will improve the quality of…
Key Points Lay SummaryImaging Techniques Able to Predict Depth of Endometriosis Before Surgery
Transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) and pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed by a specialist can accurately predict the depth of rectosigmoid endometriosis before surgery, according to a new study published in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology. Both approaches are similar…
Key Points Lay SummaryDoes Delivery Mode Affect the Ovarian Reserve?
Mohr-Sasson et al. from Sheba Medical Center, Israel, performed a prospective case-control study to assess whether ovarian reserve decreases after cesarian delivery. The study included only women with singleton pregnancies and the change in ovarian reserve after vaginal or cesarian…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe added value of transvaginal hydro-laparoscopy for infertile women
The added value of invasive diagnostic laparoscopy has been questioned, postponed by the increased usage of ultrasonography for the evaluation of infertile patients. Gordts et al. from Life Expert Center, Leuven, Belgium have been working on an alternative way called "transvaginal hydro-laparoscopy" to…
Key Points Lay SummaryTransvaginal Ultrasound Accuracy for Uterosacral Ligament, Torus Uterinus and Posterior Fornix Endometriosis
The accuracy of transvaginal ultrasonography for the diagnosis of deep endometriosis depends on the location. The sensitivity is up to 80% when the lesion is in the rectosigmoid, but it decreases up to 66% for the detection of posterior vaginal…
Key Points Lay SummaryTechnical Facts for the Prevention of Complications After Deep Endometriosis Surgery
There are no differences in the risk of rectovaginal fistula in women with rectovaginal endometriosis who were managed by a liberal or restrictive policy of preventive stoma according to a study by French researchers published in the Journal of Minimally…
Key Points Lay SummaryHow to measure the length of recto-sigmoid deep endometriosis reliably?
An in-depth assessment is needed when rectosigmoid deep endometriosis is decided to be treated surgically. Surgery carries a lot of risks and it is not always easy to decide which procedure the patient would benefit the most from. Patient-oriented surgical…
Key Points Lay SummaryEvaluation of preoperative risk factors of ureteral endometriosis
Endometriosis affects the urinary tract in 1% to 5.5% of the patients, and among them, bladder involvement is 70-85%, while ureteral involvement alone is 9% to 23%. Ureteral endometriosis is most commonly unilateral, especially on the left side, usually affecting…
Key Points Lay SummaryUrological Challenges in Endometriosis Surgery - Guenter Noe, MD
In this presentation, Dr. Guenter Noé, Head of Department of Rheilandklinikum Dormagen in Germany talks about endometriosis affecting the urinary tract. Dr. Noé starts by describing the different parts of the urinary tract that can be affected by endometriosis including…
Key Points Lay SummaryComparison of diagnostic accuracy of imaging modalities for the deep infiltrating endometriosis
The treatment of deeply infiltrated endometriosis (DIE) is usually personalized and the potential success for the available therapeutical options is dependent on early and accurate diagnosis. Laparoscopy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of DIE. Other non-invasive diagnostic methods…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe advantages of combined vaginal-laparoscopic approach on voiding dysfunction for rectovaginal endometriosis
The patients with rectovaginal endometriotic nodules with extensive vaginal infiltration who are managed combined vaginal-laparoscopic approach have a lower risk of postoperative bladder dysfunction when compared to surgery via laparoscopy alone. This is according to a manuscript published in the…
Key Points Lay SummaryPrevalence, Risk factors and Management of Bowel Fistula after Rectosigmoid Surgery for Deep Endometriosis
Bowel fistula is a severe complication after the colorectal endometriosis surgery, but little is known about its prevalence, and reports on large series are lacking. To discuss specific management on colorectal deep endometriosis, Roman et al. conducted a retrospective study…
Key Points Lay SummaryTransvaginal sonography for predicting the distance between rectosigmoid endometriosis and the anal verge
For optimal surgery, pre-surgical assessment of the distance between rectosigmoid deep endometriosis lesions and the anal verge (Lesion to Anal Verge Distance-LAVD) is recommended by many specialists. A group of researchers from Norway, Austria, and Australia studied the accuracy of…
Key Points Lay SummarySurgical approach to rectovaginal endometriosis.
Recto-vaginal endometriosis incidence is estimated at 3.8%-37% among women with endometriosis and when it exists it's a part of deeply infiltrated endometriosis, thus advance stage endometriosis. Raimondo et al. from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of…
Key Points Lay SummaryCycle-related gastrointestinal complaints in reproductive age young women
An analysis of 1-year data on 266 patients who presented to the Clinic and Polyclinic for Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine at Jena University Hospital to undergo surgery for endometriosis and its symptoms was performed by Nicolaous K. et al., a…
Key Points Lay SummaryA new ultrasound subgrouping reveals good clinical correlations in adenomyosis
Exacoustos and colleagues from two endometriosis tertiary referral centers in Rome, Italy published their observational, prospective study of the recently proposed transvaginal ultrasonographic scoring system in the "Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology". Adenomyosis or “endometriosis interna” is defined as the…
Key Points Lay SummaryTransvaginal Ultrasound of Endometriosis
A recent manuscript published by Collins et al. from the Department of Radiology at Penn State Hershey Medical Center aims to review the transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) evaluation of endometriosis and offer a protocol that is dedicated to the thorough evaluation…
Key Points Lay SummaryHow Long Does it Take to Be Diagnosed with Endometriosis?
It takes a median of eight years to reach a diagnosis of endometriosis from when the symptoms of the condition first appear confirmed a new British study. Interestingly, it seems that the earlier the symptoms appear, the later the disease…
Key Points Lay SummaryWhich Diagnosis Technique is Better?
Transvaginal ultrasound provides a more accurate localization of vaginal and recto-vaginal endometriosis compared to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) according to a study published in the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics. However, MRI has better accuracy in detecting bladder endometriosis…
Key Points Lay SummaryPreoperative Staging of Endometriosis: The Value of MRI After Dynamic Transvaginal Ultrasound
Since endometriosis is a chronic and progressive disease, early diagnosis and proper staging are important for the patient and for the clinician to discuss and plan the required surgical procedures for treatment. Common diagnostic tools for pre-operative staging of deep…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe pain and its severity in deeply infiltrating endometriosis patients
Liang et al. from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, China, recently published an interesting paper in the Journal of Pain Research, a prospective study to reveal the relationship between neurogenesis and other potential…
Key Points Lay SummaryFeasibility of MRI-Transvaginal Ultrasound Imaging for Deeply Infiltrating Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disease whereby endometrial tissue is present outside of endometrium. A specific form of endometriosis, Deeply Infiltrating Endometriosis (DIE), is characterized by endometriotic glands that invade through the endometrium and other structures in the pelvis and is associated…
Key Points Lay SummaryThree dimensional sono-vaginography to diagnose rectovaginal endometriosis
Deep infiltrating endometriosis is defined as the localization of ectopic endometrial tissue penetrating more than 5 mm into the affected pelvic organs. Rectovaginal endometriosis is the most severe form of deep infiltrating endometriosis in which ectopic endometrial tissue infiltrating rectum…
Key Points Lay SummaryEndometrioma and endometriosis
Exacoustos C. et al. published an article titled “The isolated ovarian endometrioma: a history between myth and reality” in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology in 2018. They aimed to examine the association between ovarian endometriomas detectable at the transvaginal ultrasound…
Key Points Lay SummaryHow to evaluate ureteral endometriosis : A review of the literature
In this recently published review of the literature, Barra et al. from Genova, Italy intend to provide a useful tool to guide physicians in the management of deep infiltrating endometriosis. Authors elected 67 abstracts from Pubmed and Medline in accordance with PRISMA…
Key Points Lay SummaryShould I Have Surgery Before Trying to Conceive?
The presence of rectouterine nodules is associated with a lower chance of becoming pregnant with in vitro fertilization (IVF), according to a study published in the Journal of Gynecology Obstetrics and Human Reproduction. This finding is important as it can…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe vaginal delivery rate of singleton term pregnancies still remains the same after total deep infiltrating endometrosis excisions
This recently published report in the Journal of Fertility Sterility is planned as a matched case-control study, by Nirgianakanis et al. from the University of Bern, Switzerland. Authors claimed their study is the first because previous studies on pregnancy outcome after laparoscopic…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe diagnostic value of “sliding sign” and direct visualization of the bowel in rectal/rectosigmoid deep endometriosis
Deep endometriosis is the presence of endometrial subperitoneal implants of ≥5 mm localized in the rectum/rectosigmoid bowel, uterosacral ligaments, rectovaginal septum, vagina and/or bladder. The most common diagnostic screening methods are the transvaginal ultrasound (TVS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)…
Key Points Lay SummaryFluorescence Guided Surgery: a New Technique to Treat Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis
Fluorescence-guided surgery could help differentiate recto-vaginal deep infiltrating endometriosis nodules (RVDIEN) from healthy rectal tissue and remove them successfully without perforating the rectum, according to a study published in the scientific journal Surgical Innovation. The method could offer a better,…
Key Points Lay SummaryCan we predict the complexity of laparoscopic surgery by ultrasound?
This is a multicentric, retrospective cohort study recently published in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology by Tompsett et al. in which the results of the transvaginal ultrasonographic examinations (TVS) are compared to the results of the laparoscopic operations performed…
Key Points Lay SummaryPersonalised Medicine for Endometriosis?
The lining of the uterus of women with endometriosis is different from that of women without the disease even if they have chronic pelvic pain found a study published in the scientific journal Biology of Reproduction. The difference is found…
Key Points Lay SummaryCoping with vulvovaginal pain in intimate situations
Chronic vulvovaginal pain has a serious impact on women’s lives, affecting daily activities including sexual activities. Avoiding sexual activity has been shown to be a central coping strategy in other pain populations and has also been seen in women with…
Key Points Lay SummaryWhich Endometriosis Treatment is Better: NETA or Extended-cycle OC (Seasonique®)?
Scala et al. recently shared the findings of their patient preference prospective study in a journal article titled “Norethindrone acetate versus extended-cycle oral contraceptive (Seasonique®) in the treatment of endometriosis symptoms: A prospective open-label comparative study,” which was published in the…
Key Points Lay SummaryDetection and diagnosis of deep endometriosis in the clinical setting
This review aims to evaluate the contribution of imaging techniques including transvaginal sonography (TVS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to the diagnosis of deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE). Endometriosis is defined by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus and…
Key Points Lay SummaryEFA Medical Conference 2017: "Endometriosis: hormonal or surgical? My reality!" Presentation by Dr. Harry Reich
Dr. Harry Reich, the Former Director of Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery at Columbia University Department of OBGYN, was the last speaker in the Mission and History part of the EFA 2017 Medical Conference. His presentation was titled “Endometriosis: hormonal or surgical?…
Key Points Lay SummaryBowel Involvement in Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis
Cleansing the colon before an ultrasound makes it easier to detect rectal nodules of deep infiltrating endometriosis, found a study published in the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology. Cleansing the colon before a surgery is called bowel preparation and is…
Key Points Lay SummaryThe Benefits of Vaginal Administration of Drugs
There are numerous methods of drug administration used by healthcare providers today. Buggio and colleagues suggest the vagina as another avenue for delivery. They recently published a paper titled "Per vaginam" topical use of hormonal drugs in women with symptomatic…
Key Points Lay SummaryDetection of Uterine Malformations and its Link to Endometriosis
Dr. Abd El Fattah recently published a research article titled “Uterine Cavity Abnormalities in Patients with Endometriosis in Alexandria: A Diagnostic Test Accuracy Study” in Obstetrics and Gynecology International that delineated and presented the results of his study. The study has two…
Key Points Lay Summary