Surgical management of abdominal wall sheath and rectus abdominis muscle endometriosis: a case report and literature review

Introduction

Endometriosis, defined as the presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity, mainly affects the pelvic viscera and peritoneum. Endometriosis can also occur at sites of surgical incisions on the abdominal wall, mainly in women with a history of cesarean section (CS). The incidence of abdominal wall endometriosis after CS reaches 1%. Clinical suspicion, along with imaging, plays a crucial role in diagnosis. The preferred treatment involves extensive surgical excision with clear margins, ensuring a definitive diagnosis through histopathology examination.

Case presentation

This case report is of a 44-year-old woman with a history of two CS procedures who developed pain and pigmentation at the incisional site one year after the last CS. Thirteen years after the surgical excision of an abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE) mass, followed by hormone therapy, she presented in our hospital with worsening pain for further management. Pelvic MRI findings were consistent with AWE. During surgery, the abdominal wall endometriosis foci were removed, and the defect in the aponeurosis was repaired using a dual-sided mesh in a tension-free procedure.

Conclusion

Although AWE is a rare condition, we foresee an increase in cases because of the ever-increasing CS rates and the important association between AWE and CS. Healthcare practitioners should remain vigilant for this condition in women of reproductive age who exhibit cyclic pain, a palpable mass in the abdomen, and a background of previous uterine surgeries.

A Rare Occurrence of Endometriosis Externa Individually Within the Rectus Abdominis Muscle

Endometriosis is defined as the presence of ectopic functional endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. It most commonly occurs in the pelvic organs, including the ovaries, ligaments of the uterus, and the pouch of Douglas. Extrapelvic implantation of endometrial tissue has also been reported in the literature. Extrapelvic endometriosis can be explained by lymphatic/vascular migration or mechanical transplantation of the tissue during surgery. Rectus abdominis muscle endometriosis is a rare phenomenon that usually presents with a palpable abdominal mass and cyclic pain. Ultrasonography (USG), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be effective to define the location and size of the mass. Our patient was a 32-year-old woman presenting with cyclic abdominal pain and the development of an abdominal mass she had noticed for a year. USG and MRI scans revealed an endometrial focus in the right rectus abdominis muscle. Surgical excision with negative margins was performed, since surgical treatment of the lesion is offered as the definitive treatment.

Abdominal wall endometriosis: Report of 83 cases

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinical course and management of abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE).

METHODS

A retrospective study was carried out from January 2010 to December 2020, at Vita-Nações Hospitals, Curitiba, Brazil, in order to evaluate data of patients undergoing surgery for the excision of AWE.

RESULTS

83 women with AWE were included in the study. Umbilical scar endometriosis was found in 26 patients (31.3%), being primary in 20 cases (76.9%) and secondary to a laparoscopic procedure in 6 cases (23.1%). 2 patients had secondary implants outside the umbilicus after laparoscopic surgery. Secondary implant after cesarian section in 55 patients (66.3%). Diagnosis was made by ultrasound in 65 patients (78.3%) and by MRI in the remaining 18 (21.7%). Complete excision of the nodule was carried out and no case of recurrence was registered up to now.

CONCLUSIONS

Painful abdominal mass presenting in women, especially with a previous history of abdominal and pelvic surgery, should be suspected of AWE. It occurs most often secondary to obstetric or gynecological surgeries and seems to be related to iatrogenic transfer of the endometrial tissue at the level of the surgical scar. Cesarean scar endometriosis is the most common presentation. Surgical excision including the surrounding fibrotic tissue should be performed.

Diagnosis of scar endometriosis on aspiration cytology and cellblock: Myth or reality

Endometriosis is defined as the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. It can occur both in the pelvic and extra pelvic regions. Abdominal scar endometriosis is a rare type of extra pelvic endometriosis that occurs after surgery involving the uterus. In the post-cesarean section, the development of scar endometriosis is a rare event and the diagnosis of scar endometriosis is usually confirmed after surgical excision and histopathological examination. We present a case of an abdominal lump in a 26-year-old female with a myriad of clinical differential diagnoses, which was rendered a confirmed diagnosis of scar endometriosis with the help of fine-needle aspiration cytology and cell block aided with immunohistochemistry.

Abdominal Wall Endometriosis: Two Case Reports and Literature Review

Background and objectives: Abdominal wall endometriosis, also known as scar endometriosis, is a rare condition that is becoming increasingly common. The recent rise in incidence is attributed primarily to the surge of cesarean births, figures that could be influenced in a positive manner considering the improvements brought towards the ultrasound diagnostic methods that have been made in recent years. Materials and Methods: Here we report the cases of two Caucasian women of 38- (G2P2) and 36-years old (G1P1), both subjected to an ultrasound examination due to a specific symptomatic panel reported during anamnesis. Independently of the current status, in the first patient, there were no reported symptom-specific associations with endometriosis, but she had a known history of mild hereditary thrombophilia; the second woman suffered from two conditions positively associated with endometriosis. Results: In both cases, abnormal structures were revealed, with the diagnostic(s) of endometriosis being histologically confirmed based on a set of features observed during the investigation. Conclusions: This paper aims to highlight the importance of reducing cesarean births and to consider the diagnosis of scar endometriosis in women with a history of obstetric or gynaecological surgeries who present with cyclic, recurrent abdominal pain.

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.

Scar Endometriosis Presenting as a Painful Abdominal Mass

Abdominal wall scar endometriosis occurs in 1%–2% of women following a cesarean section delivery. We report a case of a 36-year-old woman with scar endometriosis, presenting with an acute, painful abdominal wall mass. She underwent a cesarean section 8 years before presentation. She was admitted to the emergency room for physical examination of the abdomen, which revealed a palpable mass. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed an ill-defined soft-tissue lesion over the left rectus abdominis muscle (abdominal scar). Surgical removal of the abdominal wall mass was performed with adequate clearance margins with a preoperative diagnosis of postcesarean scar endometriosis. Postcesarean scar endometriosis is a rare cause of an abdominal mass; however, when this condition presents acutely, it can be difficult to diagnose. In this case, careful analysis of the patient's history, CT images, and histopathological results together confirmed the diagnosis. Surgical excision was performed under general anesthesia while maintaining adequate clearance margins.

Endometriosis at Cesarean Scar Presenting As an Acute Abdomen

A 30-year-old female presented to the emergency department with severe abdominal pain and vomitings during her premenstrual period. Abdominal imaging revealed a mass originating from the scar of cesarean section extending into the rectus muscle. The cesarean section was performed four years back. Her history was significant for pain at the site of lesion during menses associated with disproportionate nausea. She was managed conservatively and improved. Fine needle aspiration cytology of the lesion established the diagnosis of scar endometriosis, and there was a permanent resolution of symptoms after its resection.

Parietal Mass: Two Case Reports of Rare Cesarean Scar Endometriosis

Scar endometriosis is an uncommon type of extra-pelvic endometriosis. However, it should be suspected in any woman of childbearing age complaining of a cyclic, painful nodule in a scar from a previous obstetric or gynecologic procedure, after excluding other differential diagnoses. The treatment of choice is surgical resection. We report two cases of scar endometriosis that appeared in two young ladies after cesarean sections, discovered by a parietal mass near the cesarean scars.

Perineal scar endometriosis

Endometriosis is defined as the presence of ectopic endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. It is a benign condition commonly observed in women of the reproductive age group. It can occur in both pelvic and extra-pelvic sites. Moreover, pelvic endometriosis is relatively common, as compared to extra-pelvic endometriosis. The most frequent site for pelvic endometriosis is ovary. It can also affect rectum, uterosacral ligaments, rectovaginal septum, urinary bladder. Extra-pelvic endometriosis is rare and when it occurs, does so more frequently in surgical scar sites, especially in caesarean section scar. Endometriosis in an episiotomy scar is extremely rare but can lead to significant morbidity in patients due to local infiltration. This condition can be diagnosed by the presence of the classical clinical triad of history of episiotomy, tender nodule at the scar site and cyclical pain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a very useful imaging modality to diagnose and assess the deeper extension of the lesion. Herein, we report one such case of episiotomy scar endometriosis in the perineum.

Ectopic Endometriosis Seeded to the Rectus Muscle

Endometriosis is a pathological condition whereby endometrial glands and stroma are located outside the physiologically expected location, the uterus. A lesion is usually located in the pelvis but can also occur in the diaphragm, bowel, pleural cavity, or surgical scar. It is a benign estrogen-dependent condition. Here, we present the case of a 40-year-old woman with ectopic endometriosis.

Catamenial Rectus Abdominis Pain Associated with Scar Endometriosis Status-post Low Transverse Cesarean Section

Endometriosis is the presence of endometrial tissue outside of the uterine cavity. Scar endometriosis (SE), a rare occurrence, results from inadvertent extrapelvic transplantation of endometrial tissue to an incision site, such as from a low transverse cesarean section (LTCS). The reported incidence of abdominal wall scar endometriosis status-post cesarean section is 0.03 - 0.6%. We present a case of rectus abdominis scar endometriosis diagnosed four years following an LTCS. Our case report discusses the history/presentation, imaging findings, histopathology, and pertinent literature concerning abdominal wall scar endometriosis.

Intrauterine endometrial cyst after low uterine incision: A case report with literature review

RATIONALE

During the surgical procedure, endometrial cells can be seeded into the wound edge of the uterine wall, developing into scar endometriosis. Due to the extremely low incidence, estimation of its prevalence is still unavailable. Even rarer might be the scar endometriosis in uterine cavity, to our best knowledge, a situation has not been reported yet.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 37-year-old woman complained of heavier and prolonged menstruation as well as pelvic pain during menses for more than 4 months. An endometrial cyst in diameter of 6 cm in uterine cavity was revealed by transvaginal ultrasound. Her surgical history was significant for 1 caesarean section and 1 abdominal myomectomy through transverse incision of lower uterine segment.

DIAGNOSES

Space-occupying lesions in uterine cavity, moderate anemia and scar uterus.

INTERVENTIONS

The hysteroscopy was performed and a multilocular cyst full of chocolate-like fluid was removed. Pathological examination confirmed endometrial glands in the removed cyst tissue.

OUTCOMES

During the follow-up visits at 1 and 6 months after surgery, the patient denied any special discomfort. Her postoperative transvaginal ultrasound showed an enlarged uterus with no lesion in uterine cavity. To achieve a better surveillance, a 3-year period of follow-up after surgery at a 6-month interval was suggested.

LESSONS

Intrauterine endometriosis should be considered in patients of pelvic surgery history with pelvic pain, menstrual disorder, and intrauterine cystic mass.

Skin Endometriosis at the Caesarean Section Scar: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Cutaneous endometriosis is one of the rare gynecological conditions. Endometriosis is defined as the presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the endometrial cavity. It commonly occurs in pelvic sites, such as the ovaries, cul-de-sac, bowel, or pelvic peritoneum. Endometriosis at the incisional scar is difficult to diagnose because of nonspecific symptoms. Usually, patients complain of pain at the site of the incision during menstruation. The main causes in most of the reported cases are obstetrical and gynecological surgeries. Endometrial tissues may be directly implanted in the scar during operation and, under hormonal stimulation, proliferate and form scar endometriosis. Diagnosis is usually made following histopathology. A wide excision is recommended to prevent recurrence. We report a case of a 33-year-old woman presenting with a brownish mass on the lateral aspect of the Pfannenstiel incision from a previous cesarean section scar. The symptoms appeared two years after her operation. The patient had cyclical pain and brownish discharge from the lesion during menstruation. Excision of the skin lesion with underlying subcutaneous tissue showed multiple, minute, firm hemorrhagic foci. Histopathology was performed and revealed a benign endometrial gland and stroma in the tissues, confirming the diagnosis of scar endometriosis. Cutaneous endometriosis is an uncommon gynecological condition and difficult to diagnose because of the nonspecific symptoms. Usually, it is confused with other dermatological and surgical diseases and delays the diagnosis and management. Surgical scar endometriosis following obstetric and gynecological procedures is more frequent recently due to an increase in the number of caesarian sections worldwide. Health care providers should suspect cutaneous endometriosis in any women with pain and a lump in the incisional scar after pelvic surgery.

Scar Endometriosis with Rudimentary Horn: An Unusual and Elucidative Report of a Case Diagnosed on Histopathology and Immunohistochemistry

Endometriosis is defined as the presence of functioning endometrial tissue outside the endometrial cavity. Scar endometriosis, also known as spontaneous abdominal wall endometriosis, is an unusual clinical presentation which often goes unnoticed. It usually develops after pelvic operations. The incidence has been estimated to be only 0.03%–0.15% of all cases of endometriosis. It can be either asymptomatic or present as abdominal wall pain at the site of surgical incision. It is most commonly diagnosed clinically or on ultrasonography. The treatment of choice predominantly remains surgical excision. We present a case of a 24-year-old female (known case of bicornuate uterus) who presented with chief complaints of abdominal pain for 1 month and 6 months after metroplasty. The patient was clinically diagnosed as a case of scar endometriosis with rudimentary horn and fistulous tract and taken up for surgery. Both the scar tissue and fistulous tract were removed and histopathology revealed only endometrial glands without stroma or hemosiderin-laden macrophages. Diagnosis of scar endometriosis was established on positive immunohistochemistry for estrogen and progesterone receptor in endometrial glands. Timely diagnosis and surgical excision of scar endometriosis along with close follow-up are necessary to prevent complications and recurrence.

Cesarean-Section Scar Endometrioma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Endometriomas can occur after any surgery where there is endometrial manipulation, and there are a number of reports of endometriomas developing in the abdominal wall at the site of the Pfannenstiel incision following Cesarean-section. Although this is ultimately a histopathologically-confirmed diagnosis, preoperative imaging including ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging may be helpful in the diagnosis and assessment. We report a pathology-confirmed case of Cesarean-section endometrioma with a classic, clinical presentation and imaging findings on computed tomography. A comprehensive literature review and discussion of the multi-modality imaging appearance of Cesarean-section endometrioma is also provided.

Abdominal wall endometriosis: 12 years of experience at a large academic institution

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to review patient characteristics and intraoperative findings for excised cases of abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE).

STUDY DESIGN

A 12 year medical record search was performed for cases of excised AWE, and the diagnosis was confirmed on pathological specimen. Descriptive data were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

Of 65 patients included, the primary clinical presentation was abdominal pain and/or a mass/lump (73.8% and 63.1%, respectively). Most patients had a history of cesarean section (81.5%) but 6 patients (9.2%) had no prior surgery. Time from the initial surgery to presentation ranged from 1 to 32 years (median, 7.0 years), and time from the most recent relevant surgery ranged from 1 to 32 years (median, 4.0 years). Five patients (7.7%) required mesh for fascial closure following the resection of the AWE. We were unable to demonstrate a correlation between the increasing numbers of open abdominal surgeries and the time to presentation or depth of involvement. Age, body mass index, and parity also were not predictive of depth of involvement. There were increased rates of umbilical lesions (75% vs 5.6%, P < .001) in nulliparous compared with multiparous women as well as in women without a history of cesarean section (66.7% vs 1.9%, P < .001).

CONCLUSION

In women with a mass or pain at a prior incision, the differential diagnosis should include AWE. Although we were unable to demonstrate specific characteristics predictive for AWE, a large portion of our population had a prior cesarean section, suggesting a correlation.

Incisional endometriosis: A rare cause for a painful scar - A report and commentary

Endometriosis is the presence of endometrial tissue outside the Uterus. The true incidence of endometriosis is not really known, but it is believed that 10-15% of all women in their reproductive age will develop endometriosis and 25-35% of all women who are infertile have endometriosis. Incisional endometriosis (IE) is a rare entity reported in 0.03-1.08% of women following obstetric or gynaecologic surgeries. Most cases reported in literature have appeared after caesarean sections and were often clinically mistaken for hernia, abscess, suture granuloma or lipoma. The diagnosis is frequently made only after excision of the diseased tissue. A case report of a patient with a painful troublesome scar after a caesarean section is presented.

Abdominal scar endometriosis after Caesarean section: a rare entity

Scar endometriosis is an uncommon entity. It is often misdiagnosed leading to unnecessary referrals. Gynaecologists and general surgeons must be aware of this entity to avoid discomfort to the patient due to delay in diagnosis. We are presenting a case of scar endometriosis which was misdiagnosed initially. Detailed history of cyclic pain and swelling was the key point for the final diagnosis of scar endometriosis. Medical therapy was ineffective. Surgical excision of mass was the treatment for endometriotic lesion. This article is an attempt to create awareness of this condition among gynaecologists and general surgeons.