Deeply infiltrating rectal endometriosis with lymph node involvement.
BACKGROUND
Sigmoidorectal endometriosis accounts for 70% of the cases of intestinal endometriosis. Symptoms are non-specific, frequently resembling adenocarcinomas.


METHODS
A 45-year-old woman complaining of recurrent rectal bleeding underwent colonoscopy in which a rectal polypoid mass was found. She underwent anterior rectosigmoidectomy and the histological examination of the resected bowel revealed rectal endometriosis with lymph node involvement.


CONCLUSIONS
Lymphatic infiltration of epicolic lymph nodes raises questions about the benign nature of this presumed innocent disease.
Rafailidis
S
S
2nd Propedeutical Department of Surgery, Hippokration General Hospital, Medical School, Aristotles University of Thessaloniki, Greece. svrafail@otenet.gr
Symeonidis
N
N
Ballas
K
K
Psarras
K
K
Pavlidis
T
T
Patsiaoura
K
K
Sakadamis
A
A
D004715:Endometriosis / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012002:Rectal Diseases / Q000473:pathology*