What is Endometriosis?

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Endometriosis is a gynecological condition that affects up to 10 percent of American women of childbearing age. The condition involves a woman’s endometrial tissue, also called endometrium, which builds up inside the uterus during a regular menstrual cycle to support a potential pregnancy and is shed if the woman doesn’t become pregnant.

Women with endometriosis develop tissue that looks and acts like endometrial tissue, but this tissue is located outside the uterus. It usually develops on other reproductive organs in the woman’s pelvis or in the abdomen. Each month, this tissue builds up and breaks down just like normal endometrial tissue, which results in small amounts of internal bleeding.

While normal endometrial tissue is shed from the body during the menstrual cycle, blood from misplaced endometrial tissue doesn’t have a way to leave the body. This causes the surrounding tissues to become inflamed or swollen, and it can cause scar tissue to develop where the misplaced tissue develops, which can develop into lesions or growths.

Center for Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (MIGS), Newton-Wellesley Hospital
2014 Washington Street
Newton, MA 02462
Phone: 617-831-7525

Who Is at Risk for Endometriosis?

While any woman can develop endometriosis, you might be at increased risk if you:

• Are Caucasian
• Have a mother, sister, or daughter who has had endometriosis
• Have an abnormal uterus
• Have given birth for the first time after 30

Symptoms of Endometriosis

You might not notice any symptoms if you have endometriosis. However, some women experience ongoing pain that can range from minor to excruciating as a result of their endometriosis.

Endometriosis can also affect your fertility. Up to 40 percent of women with endometriosis have trouble conceiving a child. Learn more about endometriosis and infertility.

In some cases, especially when the misplaced tissue develops on an ovary, blood can become embedded in the misplaced tissue and form blood blisters that may become surrounded by a fibrous cyst. These can become large cysts of endometriosis that are called endometriomas.

Where Can Endometriosis Develop?

Endometriosis can develop throughout the pelvis, including the:

• Fallopian tubes
• Internal area between the vagina and rectum
• Ligaments supporting the uterus
• Lining of the pelvic cavity (peritoneum)
• Outer surface of the uterus
• Ovaries

Misplaced endometrial tissue can occasionally be found in other places, such as:

• Abdominal surgery scars
• Bladder
• Cervix
• Intestines
• Rectum
• Vagina
• Vulva

What Causes Endometriosis?

The causes of endometriosis are still unknown, although there are many theories. One theory suggests that, during menstruation, some of the tissue backs up through the fallopian tubes into the abdomen in a sort of “reverse menstruation,” where it attaches and grows.

Another theory states that certain families may have predisposing genetic factors to the disease. Current research is also looking at the role of the immune system in activating cells that may secrete factors that stimulate endometriosis.