Endometriosis and Adenomyosis in Adolescents and Fertile and Menopausal Women

Abstract

Endometriosis is a chronic benign disease characterized by the spread of a tissue, which is similar in structure and function to the endometrium, outside the uterine cavity. Endometriotic tissue consists of epithelial and stromal components, but anatomically and morphologically heterotopies are not always identical to endometrial tissue (Adamyan et al., Probl Reprod 6:78–81, 2011). Endometriosis is a disease which is independent of patient’s age. Every tenth woman in reproductive age (15–49 years) is affected by endometriosis, prevalence of endometriosis in postmenopausal women is 2–4%, and about 50–60% of women and adolescent with pelvic pain (from menarche to premenopause) have endometriosis.