Muscular Endometriosis

Abstract

Ectopic endometriosis is the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity with proliferative activity and bleeding and/or fibrosis. Its prevalence is estimated at 5-10 % of the general population, higher in Caucasian women 20-40 years old (Cornilie et al. Fertil Steril 53:978-983, 1990; Eskenasi et al. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am 24:235-257, 1997). Muscular and subcutaneous endometriosis are the most frequent extra-pelvic manifestations of endometriosis; metastasis is possible but no prevalence has been clearly described in the literature on patients with pelvic endometriosis. Muscular endometriosis can be spontaneously present in any muscle but has been described particularly in the anterior abdominal wall, especially in the rectus abdominis (Calo et al. Ann Ital Chir, 2012). It can occur spontaneously or secondarily to laparoscopic surgery(Dallaudiere et al. Diagn Interv Imaging 94:263-280, 2013). However, in the literature, all but two cases reported endometriosis in the parietal wall, with one in the pyramidal muscle and one in the adductor compartment(Dominguez-Paez et al. Neurocirugia (Astur) 23:170-174, 2012; Fambrini et al. J Minim Invasive Gynecol 17:258-261, 2010).