Assessment of pain and stress intensity among women with ovarian endometriomas versus teratomas

BACKGROUND: In recent years, numerous studies have considered endometriosis to be a subclinical, local inflammatory process in the pelvic peritoneum, the main symptom of which is pain. OBJECTIVES: To assess pain intensity and pain-related stress in women with ovarian endometriomas versus teratomas. METHODS: In total, 860 women (18 to 38 years of age) treated laparoscopically for lesions in the adnexa between September 2006 and November 2013 were included in the present study. After an intraoperative review of their histopathological lesions, the patients were divided into two study groups: group E (n=480), with histopathologically confirmed ovarian endometriomas; and group T (n=380), after laparoscopic treatment of ovarian teratomas. A questionnaire was generated for the study and completed by each group. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test (P≤0.05). RESULTS: Median pain scores for group E versus group T were as follows: pain during menstruation, 6 versus 3 (P=0.001); pain outside of menstruation (in professional life), 2 versus 2 (P=0.014); and pain during sexual intercourse, 3 versus 1 (P=0.006). Pain-related stress scores were higher in group T versus group E (5 versus 3; P=0.007). CONCLUSION: Ovarian endometriomas caused more pain than ovarian teratomas, likely due to the endometrial tissue component and not a mass effect. The assessment of pain and pain-related stress associated with the pelvis minor showed a high level of pain intensity and lower level of pain-related stress among patients with ovarian endometriomas.