Extrapelvic Endometriosis: A Systematic Review

Endometriosis of the Canal of Nuck: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Endometriosis is a common benign gynecological condition defined as the presence of endometrial tissue in tissues outside the uterine cavity. Apart from the common sites of endometriosis, rare sites other have also been reported including the liver, the thoracic cavity, the muscles, nerves, and more rarely in a patent Nuck canal. We aim to evaluate the clinical presentation, diagnostic features, and management of the Nuck endometriosis. A meticulous search of three electronic databases was performed until May 2020 for articles reporting cases of Nuck endometriosis. A total of 36 patients from 20 studies were analyzed. Median age of patients was 36 years with 33 women being of reproductive age. A right-sided lesion was identified in 30 cases (83.3%), while all patients suffer from a groin mass with cyclic pain in a proportion of 22%. All the patients finally underwent surgery for investigation of the lesion and fixation of the defect. Five cases of malignancy were detected at final pathology. All of them were alive with a median reported overall survival of 37 months. Nuck endometriosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of female patients with groin swelling. An evaluation by a gynecologist is important when endometriosis is suspected.

Catamenial hemoptysis: A case report of pulmonary endometriosis

We report a case of a patient diagnosed with pulmonary endometriosis and successfully treated with a GnRH agonist. This 34-year-old mother presented cyclic hemoptysis since 4-month. A non-enhanced computed tomography made at the end of the luteal phase revealed a solitary lung nodule with no other abnormalities. A contrast enhanced computed tomography conducted during menses revealed a ground glass opacity extending from the nodule towards hilum. The diagnosis of pulmonary endometriosis was established taking into account the clinical presentation and the imaging findings. Medical treatment by Triptorelin pamoate (Decapeptyl LP® 3 mg Ipsen Pharma, France), a GnRH agonist, was proposed for a period of 6 months. A CT scan performed 3 months after the end of the treatment shows a complete disappearance of the endometriosis nodular lesion.

Treatment of Thoracic Endometriosis Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis and Review

BACKGROUND

Thoracic endometriosis syndrome (TES) is a rare disorder characterized by the presence of functional endometrial tissue within the chest cavity. Up to 80% of women with TES present with concomitant pelvic endometriosis. The diagnostic-curative path is defined by both thoracic surgeons and gynecologists, consistent with the manifestation of the disease. The aim of the study was to analyze the different approaches to generate an ideal diagnosis-treatment algorithm that can be shared by both specialties.

METHODS

We searched PubMed and Scopus for studies that were completed by March 2019 and that included at least 8 patients with TES. Information on preoperative exams, surgical technique, postoperative management, and recurrence of disease was collected for meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Twenty-five studies including a total of 732 patients were eligible. Almost all of the patients underwent radiologic pelvis investigation (96%; confidence interval [CI], 87%-100%). Videothoracoscopy was the preferred surgical technique (84%; 95% CI, 66%-96%). Intraoperative evaluation revealed the presence of diaphragmatic anomalies in 84% of cases (95% CI, 73%-93%). The overall pooled prevalence of concomitant or staged laparoscopy was 52% (95% CI, 18%-85%). Postoperative hormone therapy was heterogeneous with a pooled prevalence of 61% (95% CI, 33%-86%; I² = 95.6%; P < .01). Recurrence of symptoms was documented in 27% of patients (95% CI, 20%-34%; I² = 54.7%; P < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

TES should be managed jointly by thoracic surgeons and gynecologists. Chest-abdomen magnetic resonance imaging seems to offer the most details for TES. Combined or staged videothoracoscopy and laparoscopy can provide adequate information to fine-tune proper surgical treatment and postoperative medical therapy.

Laparoscopic excision of pericardial and diaphragmatic endometriosis

OBJECTIVE

To present a five-step approach to the laparoscopic excision of pericardial and diaphragmatic endometriosis.

DESIGN

Surgical video.

SETTING

Academic tertiary care hospital.

PATIENT(S)

35-year-old nulliparous woman observed for chronic pelvic pain and infertility with a diagnosis of diaphragmatic endometriosis at a prior laparoscopy. Symptoms included severe chest pain and right shoulder tip pain, refractory to multiple medical therapies.

INTERVENTION(S)

Laparoscopic excision of pericardial and diaphragmatic endometriosis.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Description of the relevant anatomy, the literature surrounding pericardial and diaphragmatic endometriosis, and the approach to the surgical intervention and postoperative care.

RESULT(S)

The laparoscopic excision of the full-thickness pericardial and diaphragmatic endometriotic lesions was successfully completed according to five reproducible steps: upper abdominal survey, liver mobilization, excision of diaphragmatic endometriosis, intrathoracic laparoscopic exploration, and closure of the diaphragmatic defect.

CONCLUSION(S)

Although rare and challenging to diagnose and treat, pericardial and diaphragmatic endometriosis and its potentially debilitating symptoms can be successfully managed through a multidisciplinary and stepwise surgical intervention.

Extra-pelvic endometriosis: A review

BACKGROUND

Extra-pelvic endometriosis is a rare type of endometriosis, which occurs in a distant site from gynecological organs. The diagnosis of extra-pelvic endometriosis can be extremely challenging and may result in a delay in diagnosis. The main objective of this review was to characterize abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE) and thoracic endometriosis (TE).

METHODS

The authors performed a literature search to provide an overview of AWE and TE, which are the major types of extra-pelvic endometriosis.

MAIN FINDINGS

Abdominal wall endometriosis includes scar endometriosis secondary to the surgical wound and spontaneous AWE, most of which occur in the umbilicus or groin. Surgical treatment appeared to be effective for AWE. Case reports indicated that the diagnosis and treatment of catamenial pneumothorax or endometriosis-related pneumothorax (CP/ERP) are challenging, and a combination of surgery and postoperative hormonal therapy is essential. Further, catamenial hemoptysis (CH) can be adequately managed by hormonal treatment, unlike CP/ERP.

CONCLUSION

Evidence-based approaches to diagnosis and treatment of extra-pelvic endometriosis remain immature given the low prevalence and limited quality of research available in the literature. To gain a better understanding of extra-pelvic endometriosis, it would be advisable to develop a registry involving a multidisciplinary collaboration with gynecologists, general surgeons, and thoracic surgeons.

Considerations for the Surgical Management of Diaphragmatic Endometriosis

STUDY OBJECTIVE

The objective of this video is to review relevant surgical anatomy, resection and ablation methods, and techniques to optimize management of diaphragmatic endometriosis.

DESIGN

Video footage of surgical anatomy and surgical technique. Institutional review board approval was not required.

SETTING

Thoracic endometriosis lesions can involve the pleura, the lung, and the diaphragm. The prevalence of thoracic endometriosis is unknown, but most cases involve the diaphragm. A large percentage of patients are asymptomatic. Those who are symptomatic can present with cyclic shoulder pain, right upper quadrant pain, or catamenial pneumothorax. Symptomatic cases refractory to medical management or recurrence require surgical management [1,2]. Safe and efficient management of these cases depends on an experienced multidisciplinary team. In this video, the experiences and management tools used by our team are described.

INTERVENTIONS

Laparoscopic management of primary and recurrent symptomatic diaphragmatic endometriosis.

CONCLUSION

A multidisciplinary skilled team approach to the surgical management of diaphragmatic endometriosis to optimize outcomes is preferred.

Abdominal wall endometriosis: experience of the General Surgery Service of the Antônio Pedro University Hospital of the Universidade Federal Fluminense

OBJECTIVE

to study the characteristics of women undergoing abdominal surgery with suspected abdominal wall endometriosis or abdominal wall tumor, and to assess the association with age, race and previous cesarean delivery.

METHOD

retrospective and analytical study carried out from January 2000 to December 2019, at the General Surgery Service of Hospital Universitário Antônio Pedro (HUAP) at Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF). Medical records of 100 patients with abdominal wall endometriosis and other types of abdominal wall tumors were analyzed. Age, color, previous history of cesarean section or abdominal surgery and histopathological data were verified. The patients were classified as young adults (aged between 18 and 28 years and 11 months) and adults. The SPSS program was used for data analysis, Fisher's test with a significance level of 0.05.

RESULTS

abdominal wall endometriosis with histopathological confirmation was found in 22%, the mean age was 52.28 ± 18.66 which was lower when compared to other diagnoses. There was an association between previous cesarean section and abdominal wall endometriosis (p <0.005).

CONCLUSION

the women with a diagnosis of abdominal wall endometriosis had undergone previous cesareans (the majority) and were in an active reproductive age. Although the brown skin women were the most frequent, there was no statistical difference.

Endometriosis of the Inguinal Canal Mimicking a Hydrocele of the Canal of Nuck

Isolated presentation of endometriosis of the inguinal canal is infrequent, and the clinical and imaging findings may be misleading in such patients. We describe an otherwise healthy female with isolated inguinal endometriosis presenting as a hydrocele of the canal of Nuck. Surgeons should consider such unusual presentations and obtain imaging and histological evaluations in doubtful instances. Complete excision was curative in our patient with no evidence of recurrence.

Ultrasonography and Atypical Sites of Endometriosis

In the present pictorial we show the ultrasonographic appearances of endometriosis in atypical sites. Scar endometriosis may present as a hypoechoic solid nodule with hyperechoic spots while umbilical endometriosis may appear as solid or partially cystic areas with ill-defined margins. In the case of endometriosis of the rectus muscle, ultrasonography usually demonstrates a heterogeneous hypoechogenic formation with indistinct edges. Inguinal endometriosis is quite variable in its ultrasonographic presentation showing a completely solid mass or a mixed solid and cystic mass. The typical ultrasonographic finding associated with perineal endometriosis is the presence of a solid lesion near to the episiotomy scar. Under ultrasonography, appendiceal endometriosis is characterized by a solid lesion in the wall of the small bowel, usually well defined. Superficial hepatic endometriosis is characterized by a small hypoechoic lesion interrupting the hepatic capsula, usually hyperechoic. Ultrasound endometriosis of the pancreas is characterized by a small hypoechoic lesion while endometriosis of the kidney is characterized by a hyperechoic small nodule. Diaphragmatic endometriosis showed typically small hypoechoic lesions. Only peripheral nerves can be investigated using ultrasound, with a typical solid appearance. In conclusion, ultrasonography seems to have a fundamental role in the majority of endometriosis cases in "atypical" sites, in all the cases where "typical" clinical findings are present.

Clinical management of endometriosis

Endometriosis is a disease of reproductive age women that is commonly characterized by symptoms that often negatively impact quality of life. The clinical management of endometriosis remains highly variable and mostly influenced by geographic location, practice patterns, and breadth of clinician experience. This variability in treatment has inspired a trend towards multidisciplinary and specialized care of patients suffering from this disease. Surgical sampling, followed by histologic confirmation of endometrial-like tissue, remains the standard for the definitive diagnosis of endometriosis. However, the high sensitivity and specificity of MRI and ultrasound has shed light on the path towards non-surgical diagnosis of deep infiltrating endometriosis. Molecular variability and intricacy of this disease has limited the development of biologic markers to target for non-invasive diagnosis and pharmacologic therapies. Surgical management of advanced-stage endometriosis can be difficult, mostly secondary to the invasive nature of the disease, and anatomical distortion requiring advanced surgical skills to manage. The high prevalence of chronic pelvic pain and other complex pain syndromes in patients with endometriosis also requires knowledge in the management of these types of issues in order to provide comprehensive care. Menopausal endometriosis, extrapelvic presentation, and potential malignant transformation of lesions are infrequent, requiring a high index of suspicion for timely diagnosis and treatment.

Resection of Pulmonary Endometriosis by Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery Using Bronchoscopy as a Preoperative Strategy

The presence of parenchymal or intrabronchial endometrial tissue is rare and has been reported in <6% of women of childbearing age with thoracic endometriosis. Hemoptysis during the menstrual cycle is the most common clinical presentation. We report a case of pulmonary endometriosis, treated concurrently with the patient's menstrual period, with wedge resection by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Bronchoscopy, immediately before the start of the surgical procedure, allowed us to identify the pulmonary segment that had active bleeding, which made the surgical procedure feasible.