What is endometriosis (chocolate cyst): symptoms and treatment

gynecological diseases This is a very common disease that does not immediately come to mind, because its diagnosis takes a long time, but it directly affects the quality of life of women. what is endometriosis, You know? Specialist in gynecology and obstetrics, one of the doctors of the American Hospital, Dr. Sinem Ertas and prof. Dr. Bulent Urman endometriosis, with a common name chocolate cyst He shares everything curious about him.

endometriosiswho have difficulty even with pronunciation and have this disease that make women live hard lives it’s a disease. It is mostly asymptomatic, that is, it does not cause any symptoms, but since it often causes “severe pain” in patients with complaints, it worsens the standard of living of patients. This is a disease that can manifest itself in different ways from adolescence to menopause,one in 10 womenIt is in. Due to the variety of findings and the non-specificity of the disease, the time for diagnosing patients ranges from 3 to 10 years.

Endometriosis occurs when the cells that line the inner wall of the uterus are replaced by the ovaries and even the muscle tissue of the uterus for various reasons. The most common finding of the disease in adolescencesevere menstrual cramps”, is manifested by “chronic pelvic (inguinal) pain”, “pain during intercourse” and “infertility” (infertility) in women of reproductive age. During menopause, women with endometriosis have an “increased risk of developing ovarian cancer” compared to their peers.

“endometrioma” (endometrioma), when endometriosis affects only the ovarieschocolate cyst), it is called “deep infiltrative endometriosis” (DIE) when it affects the connective tissues of the uterus, bladder, intestines, and surrounding tissues in the abdomen, and “adenomyosis” when it affects the wall of the uterus. The diversity of results, especially in patients with deep infiltrative endometriosis, delays the diagnostic process. Patients come to clinicians with numerous findings ranging from blood in the urine to chronic constipation, from chest pain to severe menstrual cramps. The most important step in the diagnostic phase is to “recognize and suspect the disease.” The diagnostic step after collecting a detailed history is transvaginal ultrasound. In our clinic, thanks to our specialized clinicians, patients are quickly diagnosed and diseased areas are mapped. After ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is performed, especially in patients diagnosed with deep infiltrative endometriosis and adenomyosis. Thus, the affected area and the surroundings of the lesions can be seen more clearly. Cases with symptoms are discussed with our MRI radiologist and disease mapping is completed.

Treatment of endometriosis is as difficult as its diagnosis. Pain medications and hormonal medications (use of a hormonal coil, birth control pills, etc.) are the most commonly used. medical procedures. Although these treatments relieve symptoms, there is no way to prevent the progression of the disease. Therefore, regular monitoring of patients is necessary.

After surgical treatment due to frequent recurrences of the disease The surgical approach should be the last choice. In addition, after each operation, there is a decrease in ovarian reserve, especially in patients with endometrioma. This causes patients to enter menopause early and indirectly affects their life expectancy. Surgery for endometriosis should be performed by specialized surgical teams. As a result of incomplete surgeries, in which the lesions cannot be completely cleared, the recurrence time is shortened, and after each surgery, patients are exposed. It also increases the risk of adhesion formation and damage to organs in the abdominal cavity. Many factors, such as the patient’s symptoms, ovarian reserves, the wishes of the child and the stage of the disease, are assessed in detail before planning the surgical treatment, and planning is carried out. Before surgery to preserve reproductive potential, especially in patients with reduced ovarian reserve options for egg/embryo freezing should also be discussed.

Endometriosis is a special disease that requires a multidisciplinary approach from diagnosis to follow-up and treatment. The American Hospital treats endometriosis with its specialized team of specialists in gynecology, obstetrics and reproductive surgery, radiology, general surgery, urology, anesthesia, psychology and nutrition.

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