Endometriosis is the growth of the endometrium of uterine tissues outside its zone. The growth of the endometrium occurs due to abnormal hormonal phenomena. Endometriosis of the uterus expands, affecting such internal parts of the body as the fallopian tubes, ovaries, bladder, peritoneum, rectum. Affecting vital organs, pieces of the endometrium undergo identical transformations with uterine endometriosis, depending on the menstrual cycle. Symptoms of endometriosis are characterized by azotemia of damaged organs, severe pain syndrome, bloody discharge, changes in the menstrual cycle, secretion from the mammary glands; in some cases, infertility.
The content of the article:
Endometriosis: what is it?
Causes of endometriosis
Symptoms of endometriosis
Diagnosis of endometriosis
Complication of endometriosis
Treatment of endometriosis
Prevention of endometriosis
Endometriosis
Endometriosis: what is it?
Endometriosis has the same structural forms as the vaginal mucosa. Being similar to the endometrium, it expands, affecting the internal organs. The structure of endometriosis is an abnormal phenomenon that occurs against the background of an imbalance of hormones. It is characterized by a benign increase in the glandular tissues of the reproductive system, as well as the defeat and development of foci of inflammation in the body. Endometriosis, the symptoms and treatment of which depend on the localization and nature of inflammation of the foci, is a fairly common disease.
Signs of the disease:
discharge with blood from external cavities;
changing the nature of menstruation;
pain syndrome;
proliferation of endometriod nodes.
With genital endometriosis, cysts in the ovarian region, infertility are detected.
What is endometriosis and who is at risk of it?
To date, internal endometriosis is one of the most common diseases among women. Modern gynecology notes the presence of this disease in almost 30% of women of reproductive age. 10% of all cases occur during the puberty of girls and the formation of the menstrual cycle. Up to 5% of women suffer from genital endometriosis, which appears during menopause.
The above data are official clinical cases recorded in gynecology. However, the disease may not have any signs, which puts the demonstrated figures in question.
General information about the disease and its classification
Endometriosis of the uterus, the treatment of which depends on the location of the focus of inflammation, is a fairly common disease. The disease can have such forms of development:
Genital. This form involves the localization of areas of the affected tissue in the genital area. In this case , endometriosis may manifest itself in the following specifics:
peritoneal endometriosis: the focus of inflammation occurs in the pelvic peritoneum, ovaries, fallopian tubes;
extraperitoneal: affects the lower segments of the reproductive system and has development in the vagina, external labia, rectovaginal septum, etc.;
internal endometriosis or adenomyosis: affects the myotic segment of the uterus; the organ itself changes, acquires a rounded shape and expands in diameter to the state of a pregnant 5-6 weeks of gestation.
Extragenital. Affects organ systems outside the uterus. Affected endometrial foci affect the lungs, heart, intestines, navel, kidneys.
Mixed. The specificity of the manifestation of endometriosis is characterized by partial signs of both genital and extragenital forms. With a mixed form, a complicated and neglected state of the disease is noted.
The presence of inflammatory foci of the endometrium determines the degree of ontogenesis of endometriosis:
I degree: single manifestations of formations on the surface;
Grade II: more developed foci with deep lesions;
Grade III: massive overgrowth of the endometrium, the presence of endometriod cysts, abdominal articulation;
Grade IV: massive and thorough development of inflammatory foci, presence of abdominal adhesions, cysts of the right and left ovaries.
The endometrium grows rapidly, affecting the tissues of the vagina, rectum. The last degree of the disease is characterized by dynamic development and a complex, untreatable form of endometriosis.
Internal endometriosis differs depending on the stage of growth of the myotic tissues of the uterus:
I — initial stage;
II — lesion of up to 50% of myotic tissues (muscle layer);
III — lesion up to 100% with subsequent development to the serous lining of the uterus;
IV — growth of uterine tissues; endometriosis expands, affecting the peritoneal cavity.
The affected areas differ in shape, size, and characteristic shade. Foci in endometriosis depend on the stage of development of the disease, their shape and size vary from a few millimeters of plaques to an extensive network of two or more centimeters. They are characterized by a bright beetroot color, as well as a milky white line separating the inflamed zones of focal lesion from adjacent tissues.
Endometriosis becomes more noticeable and mature before the onset of menstruation. This is due to hormonal changes in this period. Focal zones can be both on the surface and coalesce with tissue areas, penetrating deep inside and thereby affecting remote areas.
Ovarian endometriosis is characterized by the presence of tissue growth of a burgundy shade, both external and internal. The endometrial sites are grouped; their assessment and determination of the stage depends on the number and localization of the affected endometrial pieces. Also, this disease is often one of the determining factors in the occurrence of a number of other diseases: ovarian cysts, menstrual disorders, pelvic adhesions, which leads to ovarian dysfunction, infertility.
Causes of endometriosis
Modern medicine divides the causes of the disease into several factors:
Retrograde menstruation. This process is characterized by the flow of blood into the peritoneum and fallopian tubes. Together with the blood, the endometrium also penetrates, which later attaches to the internal organs of the abdominal cavity. When the endometrium is in the uterus and there is no pregnancy, it comes out together with secretions during menstruation. Its presence in other organs causes the occurrence of an inflammatory process and the further appearance of endometriosis.
Abnormal internal structure. This reason applies to all organs of the reproductive system. With pathology of internal forms, violation of shape, size, the risk of disease increases.
Neuralgia. Constant stress, depression, the presence of internal anxiety of a woman, hormonal disorders — all this increases the risk of endometriosis.
Heredity. If the mother has a history of this disease, in 85% of cases her daughter will have the same diagnosis. In this case, the gene pool of the mother-daughter chain is very strong. It is necessary to undergo a preventive examination by a gynecologist in order to detect the disease in time and begin treatment of endometriosis.
Surgical interventions. The uterus, which is constantly undergoing deformation, namely: surgical abortion, cauterization of erosion, delivery by caesarean section, is also at risk.
Gene mutations. Changes in the functionality of the uterus at the cellular level, low fermentation, hormonal receptor reaction.
Symptoms of endometriosis
The disease has no symptoms at an early stage, it is quite difficult to detect. That is why it is so important to carry out a preventive examination with a gynecologist, which is carried out once a year or every six months. Symptoms of endometriosis can be distinguished independently, listening to the feeling of pain and other changes:
pelvic pain. The patient may feel pain in a specific place or a general unpleasant syndrome of the entire pelvis. This symptom accompanies up to 25% of all clinical cases of endometriosis. This is due to the germination of the endometrium, which damages the internal organs;
menstruation accompanied by pain or dysmenorrhea. This is due to an increase in pressure in the uterine cavity, possible bleeding in the area of the existing cyst; bleeding of the endometrium when it grows into the peritoneum area. This symptom is noted by up to 60% of all patients who turn to a gynecologist with complaints;
menstruation with copious discharge or menorrhagia. Up to 16% of women report such symptoms. This is most often associated with diseases such as uterine fibroids, polycystic ovaries;
posthemorrhagic anemia. This sign is a consequence of constant bleeding, a woman loses a lot of blood, and at the same time — the red corpuscles necessary for normal life, as well as the constituent elements of hemoglobin. When taking a blood test, the hemoglobin results are below the minimum limit. The main signs of posthemorrhagic anemia are constant drowsiness, fatigue, apathy, yellow-purple epithelium under the eyes, dizziness, head spasms, low blood pressure;
pain during intimate relationships. This happens both during the period of arousal and at the moment of penetration of the phallus into the vagina of a woman. Blood pressure gives a pain syndrome on the walls of the uterus and tissues around the circumference. Also, during penetration, discomfort is noted in the area of the rectal septum, lumbar sacrum;
pain when emptying the stomach;
infertility. Modern medicine states this symptom in endometriosis in 35% of all cases. Doctors cannot name the exact reasons for infertility. The general opinion remains a decrease in the protective functions of the body, a violation of the menstrual cycle, as a consequence — a constant change in the ovulation period. Ovulation may not occur at all or its duration will be less than a day, which is significantly different from the usual process. With timely treatment of endometriosis in 50% of cases, a woman can become pregnant in the first year. Control of the entire gestation process must be carried out under the supervision of a gynecologist and a thorough examination of the body.
Diagnosis of endometriosis
Diagnostic methods for the study of endometriosis are:
initial examination by a gynecologist: preferably carried out 4-7 days before the onset of menstruation;
