[Thoracic endometriosis].
Endometriosis was first described by Russel more than one-hundred years ago and still remains a clinical entity of difficult comprehension, with totally aberrant symptomatology, particularly in extra-genital situations. The present article describes a clinical case of recurring right-sided catamenial pneumothorax in a 45 year-old caucasian woman. In her last episode of right chest pain the X-ray film showed, besides the presence of a pneumothorax, a nodular image, later identified by CT scan as being a transdiaphragmatic hernia with hepatic content. The patient was then submitted to diagnostic and therapeutic thoracotomy and the diaphragmatic endometriosis was confirmed. Finally, a total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-ophorectomy was performed and the patient's condition remained uneventful with combined hormone therapy. The clinical presentation, pathogenesis, and therapeutic resolution of this nosological entity are briefly discussed.
Coimbra
H
H
Serviço de Ginecologia, Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra.
Brancho
E C
EC
Falcão
F
F
De Oliveira
H M
HM
D003964:Diaphragm; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis