title: The role of diagnostic laparoscopy in gynecology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Laparoscopy is a diagnostic method that is currently becoming consolidated for therapeutic use. It consists of endoscopically viewing the abdominal cavity. The aim here was to evaluate the indications for diagnostic videolaparoscopy and the intraoperative findings in an endoscopic gynecology clinic at a tertiary-level hospital over the last five years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective descriptive study on all diagnostic videolaparoscopy procedures of the last five years carried out in the endoscopic gynecology clinic of a tertiary-level hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 618 women who underwent diagnostic laparoscopy between 2008 and 2012 were analyzed. The clinical characteristics of these women, the indications for videolaparoscopy and the intraoperative findings were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The women's mean age was 32 ± 6.4 years. Most of the women had already undergone at least one previous operation (60%), which was most frequently a cesarean. The indications for performing videolaparoscopy were infertility in 57%, chronic pelvic pain in 27% and others (intrauterine device, adnexal tumor, ectopic pregnancy or pelvic inflammatory disease) in 16%. The main laparoscopic findings were tubal alterations in the group with infertility (59.78%) and peritoneal alterations in the group with chronic pelvic pain (43.54%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main indications for videolaparoscopy in gynecology were infertility and chronic pelvic pain. However, in most procedures, no abnormalities justifying these complaints were found.
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Togni
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medical Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cristina Laguna
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Benetti-Pinto
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medical Sciences, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniela Angerame
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Yela
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data