title: Follicular loss in endoscopic surgery for ovarian endometriosis: quantitative and qualitative observations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify a possible marker of follicular depletion in relation to some histologic parameters of endometriotic cysts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Operative Division of Endocrinological Gynecology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-seven patients (aged 20-40 years) with endometrioma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients underwent laparoscopic surgery for ovarian endometriosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  After excision of the cyst wall, involuntarily removed follicles were correlated with age at surgery and with intrinsic histologic parameters of the specimen (thickness and composition of capsule; size of cyst).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a statistically significant relationship between patient age and number of follicles in the histologic section, a statistically significant inverse relationship between size of cyst and number of follicles, and no significant correlation between thickness of the capsule and number of follicles. Fibroblastic-type capsule, most frequently found in younger patients, was associated with removal of a significantly higher number of follicles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that patient age and cyst dimension are related to the histologic composition of the capsule, which is a marker of the aggressiveness of the cyst itself.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Romualdi
authors.forename: Gian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Franco Zannoni
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanzone
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Selvaggi
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tagliaferri
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gaetano Vellone
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Campagna
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guido
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001706:Biopsy; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010048:Ovarian Cysts / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010049:Ovarian Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018579:Patient Selection; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult