title: Endometriosis in young women: the experience of GISE.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the clinical manifestations of endometriosis in adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  prospective clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University and General hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 38 females aged < or = 21 years who had a first surgically confirmed diagnosis of endometriosis during the period including years 2005-2006 at 12 participating centers were identified. Endometriotic lesions were staged according to the 1985 revised American Fertility Society [renamed American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)] classification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age at diagnosis was 18.6 years, except in 3 cases (7.9%) in which it was made at < or = 15 years of age. None of the patients had a prior diagnosis of genital malformations, nor were any cases of diagnosed familiarity for endometriosis. Pelvic pain was present in all cases, although in 3 cases the presence of a pelvic mass was the indication for surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main clinical finding emerging from this analysis suggests that pelvic pain is the main symptom. In our series pain was present in all cases and an ovarian endometrioma was present in three cases. With regard to the stage and site of the disease, the frequency of minimal-mild endometriosis was lower than in adult cases observed in the experience of GISE.
authors.affiliation: II Clinica Ginecologica Ostetrica, Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vicino
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Parazzini
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cipriani
authors.forename: Giada
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Frontino
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D013509:Gynecologic Surgical Procedures; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult