Familial risk among patients with endometriosis.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of endometriosis among the relatives of patients with confirmed endometriosis.


METHODS
We analyzed the prevalence of endometriosis among first-, second-, and third-degree relatives in a group of 101 patients with varying symptoms related to endometriosis seen at two public hospitals and submitted to laparoscopy and/or laparotomy. The control group consisted of 43 women submitted to laparoscopy without a diagnosis of endometriosis.


RESULTS
Among the patients with endometriosis, we detected nine families with a positive history of endometriosis, comprising one mother, six sisters, three aunts, and two cousins, as opposed to no case among the controls.


CONCLUSIONS
These data confirm a familial tendency for endometriosis and suggest that this disorder has a genetic basis.
dos Reis
R M
RM
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
de Sá
M F
MF
de Moura
M D
MD
Nogueira
A A
AA
Ribeiro
J U
JU
Ramos
E S
ES
Ferriani
R A
RA
D000328:Adult; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment