title: Cutaneous endometriosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cutaneous or subcutaneous endometriosis is a rare entity that is an often overlooked because of chronic abdominal pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the ten cases of cutaneous endometriosis that presented to this hospital over a seven-year period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of patients at presentation was 36.3 years. All our patients presented with cyclical abdominal pain. There was a considerable delay in the diagnosis and offer of treatment, the mean length of time between onset of symptoms to surgery being 31.7 months (range 1-62 months). The onset was spontaneous in 40 percent of our patients and the rest had scar endometriosis. The patients with spontaneous onset of disease had a more severe pelvic disease compared to those with scar endometriosis. Complete surgical excision was curative but left a large defect requiring polypropylene mesh repair in two patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cutaneous endometriosis should be suspected in any female presenting with cyclic or non-cyclic pain emanating from a mass in the vicinity of a previous surgical scar, the umbilicus or in the inguinal region. Surgical excision of the cutaneous endometriotic implants can be easily performed and is curative.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, National University Hospital, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 11974. dr_anupriya@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.forename: Y F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Fong
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain; D000328:Adult; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000150:complications*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011126:Polypropylenes; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D011126:Polypropylenes