title: Malignant degeneration of rectal endometriosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endometriosis is a relatively common disease among women with child-bearing potential, and rare before puberty or following menopause. It consists of the presence of hormone-responsive endometrium outside the endometrial cavity.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report the case of a patient with a rectal lesion, initially approached as a primary rectal malignancy, where histopathology eventually revealed an adenocarcinoma arising from endometrial tissue in the colonic wall.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endometriosis has an estimated rated of 10-20%. Sites may be split up into two larger categories - gonadal and extragonadal. The frequency of extragonadal endometriosis in the bowel is estimated to involve 3%-37% of women with pelvic endometriosis, and most lesions are found in the sigmoid colon and rectum. The malignant transformation of endometriotic lesions is estimated between 0.3% and 1% of cases. The gold standard in the diagnosis of intestinal endometriosis is exploratory laparotomy and the pathological study of specimens. Adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy, although used for some patients, have not proven effective.
authors.affiliation: Cirugía General, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer. Murcia, ESPAÑA.
authors.forename: José Andrés
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: García-Marín
authors.affiliation: Cirugía General y Digestiva, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer. Murcia, España.
authors.forename: Enrique Manuel
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Pellicer-Franco
authors.affiliation: Cirugía General y Digestiva, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer. Murcia, ESPAÑA.
authors.forename: Victoriano
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Soria-Aledo
authors.affiliation: Cirugía General y Digestiva, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer. Murcia, ESPAÑA.
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mengual-Ballester
authors.affiliation: Cirugía General y Digestiva, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer. Murcia, ESPAÑA.
authors.forename: Graciela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Valero-Navarro
authors.affiliation: Cirugía General y Digestiva, Hospital Universitario Morales Meseguer. Murcia, ESPAÑA.
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Aguayo-Albasini
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000473:pathology*; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*