Surgical scar endometriosis: a series of 14 patients and brief review of literature

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Endometriosis is a commonly encountered disorder in women of reproductive age, consisting of the presence of active ectopic endometrial tissue outside the endometrial cavity. Surgical scar endometriosis is a rare condition representing about 2% of all endometriosis cases. The purpose of this study was to assess the main characteristics, diagnostic tools and therapeutic options in abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE). METHODS: We have reviewed a series of fourteen cases with histopathological confirmation of AWE that were managed in our institution. RESULTS: The main characteristic of AWE were emphasized, showing that 78.57% of the patients had at least one previous caesarian section and that in only 57.14% of all cases an accurate diagnosis of AWE was established preoperatively. CONCLUSION: A direct relationship between gynecological and obstetrical surgery and AWE is well established and as the caesarian section rates increase constantly, the awareness regarding AWE should also be increased.