Endometriosis - Introduction

(Page 2)

Rarely, remote sites of endometriosis may include the spinal column, nose, lungs, pelvic lymph nodes, the forearm, and the thigh.

Click the icon to see an image of the female reproductive anatomy.

Process of Endometriosis

The process of endometriosis mimics menstruation at certain stages:

• Each month, the exiled endometrial implants respond to the monthly cycle just as they would in the uterus. They fill with blood, thicken, break down and bleed.
• Products of the endometrial process cannot be shed through the vagina as are menstrual blood and debris. Instead, the implants develop into collections of blood that form cysts, spots, or patches.
• Lesions may grow or reseed as the cycle continues.

---

---

The lesions are not cancerous, but they can develop to the point that they cause obstruction or adhesions (web-like scar tissue) that attach to and bind together nearby pelvic organs, causing pain, inflammation, and sometimes infertility.

[For more information, see In-Depth Report #100: Menstrual disorders for complete description of female reproductive system and menstrual cycle.]

Review Date: 07/26/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).