Endometriosis from our Healthcare Partner, Johns Hopkins Medicine
Content from Johns Hopkins Medicine
A woman’s uterus is lined with endometrial tissue. This lining is called the endometrium. Your body grows a new endometrium with each menstrual cycle to prepare for a fertilized egg. Endometriosis is a condition in which endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus.
What is endometriosis?
Endometriosis affects up to 10% of women between the ages of 15 and 44. It most often occurs on or around reproductive organs in the pelvis or abdomen, including:
- Fallopian tubes
- Ligaments around the uterus (uterosacral ligaments)
- Lining of the pelvic cavity
- Ovaries
- Outside surface of the uterus
- Space between the uterus and the rectum or bladder
More rarely, it can also grow on and around the:
- Bladder
- Cervix
- Intestines
- Rectum
- Stomach (abdomen)
- Vagina or vulva
Endometrial tissue growing in these areas does not shed during a menstrual cycle like healthy endometrial tissue inside the uterus does. The buildup of abnormal tissue outside the uterus can lead to inflammation, scarring and painful cysts. It can also lead to buildup of fibrous tissues between reproductive organs that causes them to “stick” together.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Endometriosis is derived from the word “endometrium,” which is the tissue that lines the uterus. Patients with endometriosis have endometrial-type tissue outside of the uterus
- Endometriosis affects an estimated 2 to 10 percent of American women between the ages of 25 and 40.
- Women with endometriosis are more likely to have infertility or difficulty getting pregnant
- Symptoms of endometriosis may include: excessive menstrual cramps, abnormal or heavy menstrual flow and pain during intercourse.
- Laparoscopy, a minimally invasive surgical procedure, can be used to definitively diagnose and treat endometriosis.
Endometriosis Causes
Doctors do not know exactly what causes endometriosis, but there are a few theories of what might cause it:
- Blood or lymph system transport: Endometrial tissues are transported to other areas of the body through the blood or lymphatic systems, similar to the way cancer cells can spread through the body.
- Direct transplantation: Endometrial cells may attach to the walls of the abdomen or other areas of the body after a surgery, such as a C-section or hysterectomy.
- Genetics: Endometriosis seems to affect some families more often than others, so there may be a genetic link to the condition.
- Reverse menstruation: Endometrial tissue goes into the fallopian tubes and the abdomen instead of exiting the body during a woman’s period.
- Transformation: Other cells in the body may become endometrial cells and start growing outside the endometrium.
Endometriosis Symptoms
The most common signs of endometriosis are pain and infertility. Endometriosis pain typically presents as:
- Painful menstrual cramps that may go into the abdomen (stomach) or lower back
- Pain during or after sex
Other symptoms may include:
- Diarrhea or constipation during a menstrual period
- Fatigue or low energy
- Heavy or irregular periods
- Pain with urination or bowel movements during a menstrual period
- Spotting or bleeding between menstrual periods
Each person’s experience with endometriosis is different. Women with endometriosis may have some of these symptoms, all of these symptoms or none of them. Having severe pain or other symptoms is not necessarily a sign of more severe endometriosis.
“Endometrial tissue growing outside the uterus can't shed the way the uterine lining does.”
Frequently asked
What is endometriosis?
How is endometriosis diagnosed?
Does endometriosis affect fertility?
References
- Endometriosis— Johns Hopkins Medicine
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