title: Thoracic endometriosis: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endometriosis is a benign gynecologic disorder that affects women of reproductive age. It can be asymptomatic or can cause pelvic pain or subfertility. On rare occasions it may manifest outside of the pelvis, leading to a multitude of symptoms that can be life-threatening if proper diagnosis is delayed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 35-year-old, nulliparous female presented with dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain. She was diagnosed with a rare case of thoracic endometriosis. Her symptoms improved with combined surgical and medical management.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The diagnosis of this rare entity often goes unrecognized unless physicians have a high clinical suspicion and make a temporal association between patients' pulmonary symptoms and menstruation. Diagnosis can be confirmed only by pathological examination and immunohistochemical staining. Management should be guided by symptom severity and the patient's desire to conserve future fertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9032, USA.
authors.forename: Dina J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Chamsy
authors.forename: Sidra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Qasim
authors.forename: Kimberly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kho
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011859:Radiography; D013896:Thoracic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery