title: Risk factors associated with endometriosis among infertile Iranian women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endometriosis is defined as overgrowth of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity. Endometriosis may be asymptomatic or associated with dysmenorrheal symptoms, dyspareunia, pelvic pain, abnormal uterine bleeding and infertility. The aim of this study was to explore the risk factors related to endometriosis among infertile Iranian women.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this case control study, infertile women referred for laparoscopy and infertility workup to two referral infertility clinics in Tehran, Iran were studied. According to the laparoscopy findings, women were divided into case (women who had pelvic endometriosis) and control (women with normal pelvis) groups. The case group was divided into two subgroups: stage I and II of endometriosis were considered as mild while stage III and IV were categorized as severe endometriosis. A questionnaire was completed for each patient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Logistic regression showed that age, duration of infertility, body mass index (BMI), duration of menstrual cycle, abortion history, dyspareunia, pelvic pain and family history of endometriosis are independent predictive factors for any type of endometriosis. In addition, it was shown that education, duration of infertility, BMI, amount and duration of menstrual bleeding, menstrual pattern, dyspareunia, pelvic pain and family history of endometriosis are independent predictive factors of severe endometriosis. The AUCs for these models were 0.781 (0.735-0.827) and 0.855 (0.810-0.901) for any type of endometriosis and severe endometriosis, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It seems that any type of endometriosis and severe ones could be predicted according to demographic, menstrual and reproductive characteristics of infertile women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Female Infertility at Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Roointan Arash Women's Health Research and Educational Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ashraf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moini
authors.forename: Farideh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Malekzadeh
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Amirchaghmaghi
authors.forename: Fahimeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kashfi
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Akhoond
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saei
authors.forename: Mohammad Hossein
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Mirbolok
keywords: endometriosis; infertility; laparoscopy; risk factors; severe endometriosis