title: Abdominal wall endometriomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical characteristics, treatment, and factors of recurrence of abdominal wall endometriomas (AWE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-four cases of AWE diagnosed at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) from 1983 to 2003 were reviewed retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was an AWE incidence of 0.044% among the parturients undergoing cesarean section at PUMCH, of whom 87.5% had the typical complaint of an enlarging mass and pain during menstruation. Among these women, 62 underwent low abdominal surgery for endometrioma (2 for primary umbilicus endometrioma); 2 women with small endometriomas opted for a temporary medical solution and had relief after menopause. The latent period of AWE positively correlated to the women's age at onset of symptoms (P<0.001). Of the 62 women who underwent local excision, 19 had an unsatisfactory experience with medical management. There were 5 recurrences and 1 evolution to malignancy during a mean follow-up of 83.7 months. Recurrence was closely related to the size and depth of lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because of its typical clinical manifestations, abdominal wall endometriomas could be diagnosed before pregnancy. Surgical excision is the only effective treatment and wide local excision with clear margins is the key point to prevent recurrence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China. selinaxyzhao@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Xueying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jinghe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Jinhua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leng
authors.forename: Zhufeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Dawei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D034861:Abdominal Wall / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008499:Medical Records; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies