title: [Intestinal endometriosis. Current status].
abstract: Endometriosis affects a wide spectrum of premenopausal women. Intestinal involvement, affecting mainly the large bowel and sometimes the small bowel, is much less frequent. Diagnosis is relatively straightforward in women with long standing pelvic endometriosis but is difficult in acute intestinal obstruction, since a diagnosis of endometriosis is not often considered in this entity. We performed an exhaustive review of the medical literature, including the option of medical treatment, which is rarely effective in intestinal endometriosis. In most patients with intestinal symptoms, the disease is so severe that surgical treatment is required. Recent studies indicate that the most effective approach is laparoscopic. We analyze the most important classical and recent series of patients and discuss treatment results.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía General, Hospital de Mataró, Consorci Sanitari del Maresme, Mataró, Barcelona, España. abianchi@csdm.es
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pulido
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Espín
authors.forename: Luis Antonio
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Hidalgo
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heredia
authors.forename: M José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Fantova
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Muns
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Suñol
mesh_terms: D004715:Endometriosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy