title: Asthma in women with endometriosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to investigate asthma prevalence and severity in women with and without endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Before laparoscopy, asthma prevalence was evaluated in 879 women of reproductive age, undergoing surgery because of benign gynaecological conditions. Diagnosis of bronchial asthma was based on the American Thoracic Society criteria; asthma severity was classified in four categories according to the 2002 Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines. Asthmatic patients completed the Living with Asthma Questionnaire (LWAQ). Endometriosis was confirmed histologically and classified according to the revised American Fertility Society criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in age, smoking status, and other demographic and health characteristics between patients with endometriosis (n = 467) and controls (n = 412). Asthma prevalence was similar in women with (23/467, 4.9%; 95% CI, 3.1-7.3) and without (22/412, 5.3%; 95% CI, 3.4-8.0; P = 0.781) endometriosis. Asthma severity was similar in women with and without endometriosis, with 12 (52.2%) women with endometriosis and 13 (59.1%) controls being in the intermittent (mildest) degree of severity. No significant difference was observed between women with and without endometriosis in the LWAQ total score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women with endometriosis do not have an increased risk of having asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, San Martino Hospital and University of Genoa, Largo R.Benzi 1, 16132 Genoa, Italy. simone.ferrero@fastwebnet.it
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrero
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Petrera
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Navaratnarajah
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parisi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anserini
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Remorgida
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ragni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D015233:Models, Statistical; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D012306:Risk; D012720:Severity of Illness Index